A special meeting of the Portsmouth Railway Company is called for Saturday next, to consider a bill now before Parliament, authorising the company to construct new railways, and to use portions of the London and South Western and London and Brighton Railway.
Last week Sir J. Trollope reported from the Committee of the House of Commons on Railway Bills that the objects of the Petersfield Bill, as originally introduced, were the construction of a new line of railway and branch to join the Cosham and Portsmouth line, with power to use portions of the railway to Portsmouth belonging to the London, Brighton, and South Coast, and London and South Western Railway Companies in connection therewith; to make a new road at Wormley-hill, and to divert other roads to extend the time for the purchase of land and completion of the extension railway from Godalming to Shalford; power to cancel unissued or forfeited shares, and to create and issue new shares with a preference dividend in lieu thereof; and traffic arrangements with the London and South Western, London, Brighton, and South Coast, and South Eastern Railway Companies. The provisions in reference to the new line of railway and branch to join the Cosham and Portsmouth line, and the extension of time for the purchase of lands for and completion of the railway from Godalming to Shalford, were withdrawn by the promoters, and the bill, as submitted to the committee, was confined to the remaining objects. The committee had amended the preamble of the bill by striking out so much thereof as related to the construction of the new railway and branch, the power to use certain portions of the line to Portsmouth, and the extension of time for purchase of lands for and completion of the extension from Godalming to Shalford, and found the same as amended to be true.