RAILWAY COMMUNICATION WITH THE METROPOLIS.

     A numerous and influential meeting of the inhabitants of the Borough of Portsmouth was held in the Beneficial Society Hall Monday evening last, in pursuance of a requisition presented to the Mayor, for the purpose of taking into consideration the Bill now before Parliament, intituled ‟A Bill for authorizing an Amalgamation or Lease of the Portsmouth Railway with or to the London and South-Western Company, and for other purposes,” with the view of securing to the inhabitants of this borough the advantages of the provisions contained in the Portsmouth Railway Act, 1853, with reference to the rates and fares, the conveyance of third-class passengers and otherwise, and to take such steps with respect to such proposed amalgamation as should be thought desirable.

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     Mr. Stigant, in reply the remarks of Mr. Owen, said he was at a loss to see (how a gentleman coming down as a representative of a body, and making a pledge on behalf of that body, and because he turned out wrong and bad,) that that body was not bound by the pledge he made in its behalf. He gave the pledge, not as Mr. Mowatt, but as the representative of Company, and that Company was pledged by him to a certain and specific course of proceeding. They had, however, broken their pledge by not pursuing the course pledged by him in their behalf. It was not Mr. Mowatt alone, but there was a deputation also, composed of other gentlemen interested in the line. There was Mr. J. Bonham Carter, the Member for Petersfield, Admiral Stirling, and other gentlemen, who were still connected with the Company. If they were not prepared to join in that pledge they had the opportunity of saying so; and he contended that what one gentleman promised on behalf of a Company the Company was bound by the statements he had made. There was, undoubtedly, a distinct pledge made by the representatives of the Company, and that pledge had, without doubt, been broken. 

     Mr. Owen—What was that pledge? 

     Mr. Stigant—The pledge was, that the railway should be carried out under certain conditions. 

     Mr. Owen —Let us have it distinctly. 

     Mr. Stigant—There was a pledge, which has not been carried out, that there should two third-class trains daily between Portsmouth and London. That was not carried out, but was repealed by the act of 1858. 

     Mr. Owen—Which was passed with the consent of the Town Council of Portsmouth. 

     Mr. Stigant resumed—The tariff of charges was altered: all were pledged to that. He contended, therefore, that there had been a breach of faith on the part of the Directors of the Company. He did not identify them by name, but he identified them simply as the Directors, whoever they might be, for the time being of that Company. Mr. Alderman Sheppard seemed to have mistaken his view of the question. What he (Mr. Stigant) said was, that the South-Western Company would shut up the line if they found it would to their advantage to the other way. The Government, however, viewed it as a national undertaking, and therefore was not afraid of its being entirely shut up; but that the Company might work it to the disadvantage of the public was quite clear. Had they not seen the day when those two Companies,—the South-Western and the South-Coast,—amalgamated ? Let them do it again, and what was to prevent them putting any charge on their passengers and merchandise. He was aware that they were now charging less fares, and might even come down to 2s. 6d. But what would be the result? He knew it would a damaging thing for Portsmouth by and by. When the rival Companies found to be to their interests to come to an agreement, they would say ‟We will make these inhabitants pay for what we have spent.” Now he wanted to see such a system adopted as would show that they were not to be made the tools and instruments of those Companies. He hoped their minds would not be led away from the real questions to be considered, and if they wished to embrace the opportunity for remedying the evils complained of, now was the time; if they neglected that opportunity it would be lost for ever. 

     The resolution was then put and carried, Alderman Owen being the only dissentient.