PETERSFIELD.—A meeting was held last Wednesday at the Town Hall, pursuant to advertisement, for the purpose of devising means to provide railway accommodation to the inhabitants of the district lying between Alton, Havant, and Cosham, as well as of making a more direct communication between London and Portsmouth. Out of 12 owners and occupiers of land in the neighbourhood who signed the advertisement, only two were present, viz. Sir William Jolliffe and Mr. W. E. Butler.
Sir W. Jolliffe being called to the chair, stated the object of the meeting, and invited remarks or suggestions calculated to promote the object.
A gentlemen, understood to be connected with the South Western Railway Company, pointed out the direction of the proposed line, viz. from Alton by Selborne, Greatham, Liss, Petersfield, Buriton, Idsworth, to Havant—a distance of 23 miles, and stated that the estimated cost was £300,000. He intimated that if the initiative were taken by the inhabitants of the several localities through which the line would pass, there was no doubt but the matter would be taken up in other quarters, and fully carried out.
Sir W. Jolliffe repudiated the idea of depending chiefly of local support, or of making local interests or local accommodation the main considerations. The projected line would shorten the distance between London and Portsmouth 15 miles, and it must be palpable to everyone that the South Western Railway Company must live in constant dread of some other party stepping in and opening a line through this extensive district, whereby their property would inevitably be depreciated to an enormous extent. He therefore contended that they were the parties who should take the initiative, and if they did so he had no doubt they would be well seconded in their undertaking by the landowners and others along the line.
Two resolution were passed unanimously—the first recognising the proposed line, which would shorten the distance between London and Portsmouth by 15 miles, and open up an extensive district, at present unprovided with railway accommodation, as most desirable; and the second to open a subscription for defraying any expenses incidental to preliminary proceedings.
Thanks were unanimously voted to the chairman, and the business ended.
The main feature in the contemplated line of Railway from Alton to Havant unquestionably is the reducing the distance between London and Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, 15 miles, viz. from 94 to 79 miles, being a saving on the up and down journeys of 30 miles, or one hour, and consequently a proportionate reduction of expense. Its next greatest recommendation is that it will afford railway accommodation to a large tract of country, now without such means of communication. It will be a great boon to the agriculturists on the line, as well as to the inhabitants of Portsmouth and its vicinity, by opening a more direct communication with the Petersfield and other provincial markets. The grey chalk and lime from the Southdown range of hills is largely used for agricultural purposes, will be carried long distances at easy rates and coals from the seaside to the Petersfield valley, at the same economical cost, while to the mere traveller not interested in the traffic of the district, will be opened a picturesque country, already celebrated as the abode of Gilbert White, Gibbon, &c.
(See also
15-Aug-1851
12-Aug-1851
02-Aug-1851)