STOURBRIDGE RAILWAY COMPANY.

A special general meeting of the shareholders of the above company was held at the offices of Messrs. Harward, Shepherd and Harward, Stourbridge, on Thursday afternoon on whether application should be made to the Board of Trade that the whole of the branch railway into Stourbridge authorised by the Stourbridge Railway Act, 1865, and the Stourbridge Railway Further Powers Act, 1866, might be abandoned. Mr. A. O. Sheriff, M.P., presided, and said that the abandonment of this branch into Stourbridge was in reality a matter with the Great Western Railway, and not a Stourbridge matter. It was entirely under the control of the Great Western Company, as they would find by the provisions of the Act of Parliament and the bill authorising the construction of the branches in question was promoted in the interest of that company. They (the Stourbridge directors), had made application to the Great Western Company, to know if they wished the branch to be constructed, and the reply was in the negative. It was therefore a matter of necessity that they asked the consequent of the shareholders to a memorial to the Board of Trade for the abandonment of the line. They had a large number of assents from the shareholders not present and in fact, there were no dissents from any shareholders. — Mr. F. T. Rufford said he should certainly have dissented from it if he had been any use. — Mr. Adcock said they had assents from shareholders representing nearly £200,000. — The Chairman said they had asked Mr. Owen and Mr. Mains of the Great Western Company, to come down to the meeting and they were there to give any information desired by the meeting. He understood there was an intention to amend the present branch line into the town. — Mr. Owen said that was the case. The gradient of the branch referred would be altered, so as to be more generally available for traffic, and a goods station would be established in High Street. There would also be a passenger station in High Street. There being already a branch into the town it would be quite unnecessary to have a second branch into a town of that size. The Chairman said they might differ about that; he understood it was the intention of the Company to make the present branch available for locomotives, instead of being worked by a stationary engine. — Mr. Owen answered affirmatively; and in reply to Mr. Rufford, he stated the line would wind under the present Stamber Mill viaduct. — It was then resolved in the motion of Mr. O. E. Swindell, seconded by Mr. R. L. Freer, that the application be made to the Board of Trade that the branch railways into the township of Stourbridge, as authorised by the Stourbridge Railway Act, 1865, and the Stourbridge Railway Further Powers Act, 1866, might be abandoned. Mr. F. T. Rufford and Mr. G. K. Harrison were appointed scrutineers to the consent of shareholders to this abandonment, and having gone through the list, they announced that there were 17,637 shares assenting, and none dissenting. — Mr. J. Harward then read the memorial to the Board of Trade on the subject; and on the motion of Mr. C. E. Swindell, seconded by Mr. Harrison, the seal of the company to ordered to be affixed to it. — Mr. Sherriff said he thought they should be wanting in respect to the late chairman, Mr. Ackroyd, if they went from that room without passing a vote of condolence to those he had left behind him. He devoted himself to his duties in connection with the company, to the entire satisfaction of his brother directors and of the shareholder, and without Mr. Ackroyd, he did not think the line would have been formed.
The Secretary was directed to draw up and forward a resolution of condolence to Mr. Ackroyd’s family, and the meeting was ended.