To the Editor of the West Surrey Times.
SIR,—I observe in one of your papers you make remarks respecting the Portsmouth Railway, and the progress of the works, and I must acknowledge I feel surprised, when you inform your readers that the line will not open till 1857, especially as our Chairman stated about a twelvemonth ago that it was the intention of the Directors to open such parts of the line as might be from time to time completed. If your assertions are correct, and which I do not doubt, I do not hesitate one moment to say, the Directors are guilty of a gross breach of faith. I was not aware when I took shares, which I was induced to do being the owner of property near where the line passes, that the capital of the Company would be expended on such parts of the line as would be wholly unproductive and unremunerative, the line passes through parts of Surrey, Sussex and Herts, where there is no railway station for many miles. Had the Directors been men of sound discretion, they would have first completed that portion of the line from Godalming to Haslemere, and opened it, and if the South Western declined to take the traffic, recourse could be had to the South Eastern, by constructing the branch to Shalford. The shares are not all taken up, this may be a plea, for an excuse, but if the Company will not give the districts the accommodation they require, by opening sections of the line and give that facility for travelling and replenishing by degrees the traffic of the Old Portsmouth Road, which has of late years been abstracted by other Railways, surely they cannot in justice expect the shares to be taken by parties resident in the district; would your paper have its present circulation among the West Surrey folks, if your local news consisted of what has been said and done in Reading, Hungerford or Basingstoke? certainly not. Had the line been completed from Godalming to Haslemere, it would have given a locus standi to the Company, and would have benifitted that district so much, that there would have been an out-cry for extension to Petersfield. Since the coaches were taken off the road (Godalming was expected to be a ruined and devastated town, but the branch line from Woking has down immense good to the town, (vide the growing Prosperity of Godalming in West Surrey Times) it would have opened a wide field for future operations. The shareholders have been so disgusted with the whimsicalities of the Directors by making a tunnel 22 miles down the line and a cutting, instead of presenting the work downward from the London end, and opening sections as they promised, they cannot obtain a quorum, and meeting after meeting is adjourned, every session of parliament a fresh bill is brought in to make deviations, abandonments, fresh plans, and last not least, extension of time, spending uselessly the money of the shareholders and amusing the public. I hope residents in the district who have taken shares, will oppose any fresh bills and any fresh calls, until we have some guarantee that those at the board have paid their calls, and a date fixed for opening the section of the line.
I am, Sir, Your Obedient Servant, A SHAREHOLDER.
Poultry, London, Nov 9th.