Portsmouth.
The battle between the South Western and Brighton Companies on Tuesday last, in respect to the Portsmouth traffic, has created so great a sensation, and of which so many erroneous statements have gone forth, that we have thought it worth the while to make particular enquiry, and believe the following to be a correct version:—
The first railway into Portsmouth was constructed by the Brighton Company. It was an extension of their Coast Line from Chichester passing through Havant, entering the fortifications at Hi!sea, and terminating at the present station at Portsmouth. Some time afterwards the South Western Company obtained powers and constructed a line from Fareham to join the Brighton Company's Line at Hilsea, running into Portsmouth on the Brighton Line, and the two Companies obtained powers by which one-half share of the line, from Hilsea into Portsmouth (called the Joint Line) was sold to the South Western Company, who thus became joint owners thereof. The line from Havant to Hilsea remaining the sole property of the Brighton Company.
More recently a line, called the Portsmouth Railway, has been constructed from Godalming to Havant, and is now ready for opening; indeed, the opening has been announced for the 1st January. In the last Session of Parliament, this Portsmouth Company having failed to obtain terms of purchase or lease from either of the old Companies, applied for powers to run over the Brighton Company's Line, from Havant to Hilsea, and over the Joint Line from Hilsea into Portsmouth. This Bill was strenuously opposed by the South Western and Brighton Companies on the ground that the running powers were not required, but were only wanted in order to enable the Portsmouth Company to sell its line on better terms; and that the traffic could be sufficiently accommodated under the powers conferred by Cardwell's act. Parliament, however, granted the running powers to the Portsmouth Company, or to any Company lawfully using that railway; but in the House of Lords, the committee inserted clauses prohibiting the Portsmouth Company from using the joint station at Portsmouth, except upon agreement with both the Brighton and South Western Companies; and as regards the Brighton line from Havant to Hilsea, the running powers were granted, to be used under terms and conditions to be fixed by arbitration in case of difference.
Matters being in this position, the South Western Company, without consulting the Brighton Company, agreed to lease the Portsmouth railway at £18,000 per annum; and the Portsmouth Company brought before the arbitrator its case as to the terms and conditions under which the traffic should run over and use the line of the Brighton Company between Havant and Hilsea. The award is not yet made; but in the meantime the Brighton Company had intimated to the South Western Company that they could not allow the latter to carry the traffic of the Portsmouth railway into the joint station at Portsmouth from which it is excluded by the clause above referred to. The South Western Company, however, advertised the opening of the line for the 1st of January, communicated the fact to the Brighton Company; and on the 24th of December, late in the afternoon, the Brighton Company received notice that on and after the 28th December, a goods train from the Portsmouth railway would arrive at Havant at 9∙58 a.m., and proceed thence, via Hilsea to Portsmouth, returning from Portsmouth via Hilsea and Havant to the Portsmouth railway, at 5∙45 p.m.
Upon receiving this notice, the award not being made, and the traffic in question having no legal claim for admission into the Portsmouth station the Brighton Company wrote on the 27th inst. to the South Western Company, stating that, in the absence of proper arrangements for the use of their line, they could not permit any train, from or to the Portsmouth Railway, to run over the Brighton line between Havant and Hilsea. On the following (Tuesday) morning, notwithstanding this notice, the South Western Company's principal officers arrived at Havant from Petersfield, not at 9.58 a.m., but between 6 and 7 a.m. before it was light, bringing with them a goods train, with an engine behind, as well as one in front, and a supply of water and provisions, and a barrel of beer, and a force of about 80 men. The tongue of the junction points had been taken out, and a rail at the junction removed the previous evening by the Brighton Company so as to render access impossible, and an engine had been placed at the Havant station on the up line leading to the junction, so as to prevent any train coming down the up line, and thus obtaining access. The only servants of the Brighton Company on the spot were the station-master, engine driver, and fireman, signalman, and one or two platelayers. From these the South Western people unsuccessfully demanded the production of the missing rails. They then jumped upon the engine, overpowered the driver and fireman, and forcibly drove the engine into an adjacent siding; and at once, in the face of the danger signals, drove their own train down the up line till the engine reached the down line, where its further progress was impeded; because, when the Brighton officials observed the violence used against the engine-driver and fireman, they immediately removed some other rails on the Portsmouth side of the Havant station, and thus the attempt made by the South Western Company to obtain the desired access was frustrated. In the meantime, the South Western train remained standing across both the and the down lines of the Brighton Company, and the communication between Brighton and Portsmouth was thus cut off, and all the passengers of the Brighton Company were obliged to be shifted from train to train during the whole period, for the South Western Company continued for six hours refusing to withdraw the obstruction. In the meantime the Brighton Company had summoned a large number of their employees, and some powerful engines, and the South Western Officials feeling that it would be prudent to withdraw, took their departure, and the public traffic was resumed. We understand that the Brighton Company have taken the necessary legal measures to prevent recurrence, and the facts will, no doubt, be in due course elicited before a public tribunal.
We may add that, too much praise cannot be given to Mr. Hawkins, the manager of the Brighton Company, for his good temper and forbearance on the occasion, which doubtless prevented the occurrence of a much more serious affair.