Monmouthshire Merlin

I —————————- ———— 1 MONNOTJIH. 4 blic Dinner to Osmond Arthur Wyatt, Esq., ofl: and Thomas Dyke, Esq. il,^Ul !Uance of a grateful sense of public service, zea- J0 th atl pcrscvcrinS1y rendered, and which appreciation tl jgj accomplishni(;ut of public good, found general ex- Il Ian throughout the town and neighbourhood of Mon- 'J Her'- r" anC^ ^r' Dyko wero invited to a public j uPwai'ds of 80 influential gentlemen and trades- $„,+ VlnS their names to a resolution to confer that ^Ito of v h 6 of esPec^ 011 their fellow-townsmen, for tlic pur- of acknowledging their valuable, indefatigable, and jy j > .U exertions in promoting and obtaining the Cole- dis,°I1?10utl1' fsk, and Pontypool Railway Act; and t tl, Cret'on' firmness, and zeal evinced by them through- frhe8 Proceedings- jj ^ai'anSeinents were made by an efficient committee, iJ°Ut fi an^Ue^ place at the Beaufort Arms Hotel. -oeloC, i?mes Gilbert George, Esq., who had iwtn afrJJ!ointe<i to preside on the occasion, entered the J[e 0|. °Wed hy about a hundred gentleman. On each jorr,_ 6 c^la'rman, sat the guests of the evening, and J. :W E>an and P AVIV ^I A^Q 'Viiiiams, Lsqrs., acted as vice-chairmen, #en) those assembled (besides the names already t^Qrgf, q 0'J3crvcd Thomas A\ akeman, Esq., of the Graig, Ve, S(l-5 Hilstone-house, Alexander Rolls, Esq., ■rrHes Robert Fisher, Esq., Wonastow House, iiif°Use J aHes, Esq., Garth, T. W. Oakley, Esq., Lydart 'fum'n ^net^' ^S(l-> coroner, H. B. Dickenson, Esq., rbf^&asto Tj10mas Fisher, Esq., R. W. Fisher, Esq., ]#. Xuj/V ^ouse, James Oakley, Esq., Lydart House, louse ??', S(l-i Whitchurch, Geo. Gullern, Esq., Doward K^kl'vn TP1" Yfu'worth, Esq., Gibraltar, Thomas E. !.» Ti'eV b> Hadnock, T. B. Trotter, Esq., Coleford, pfsq T'l 'i f;sq., J Atkinson, Esq., Coleford, Jas. Teague, Fyatt -|j n<3y> Rev. J. Warrilo, Llanishen, Rev. A. M. Rev. E. F. Arney, Monmouth, Onslow j?' 5 \\r ,1'' Henry Dvke, Esq., Egcrton Isaacson, Esq., Kao >kl^< E^i-, T. J. A. Wilteams, Esq., 'Percy Jrq., d\rs1-' Thomas Prosser, Esq., W. C. A. Williams, '■V J' Knn„a r?n' Es1-' G Mayou, Esq., Trevor Arney, Esq., \y ^s'l-5 James Pearce King, Esq., Rev.W. Dyke, V vr- Geo. V. Madfiox, Esq., J. Probyn, _anklyn, Esq., R. Yarworth, Esq., jun., W. A- *"Sq., W- E. Price, Esq., M.D., Geo. Wilson, ,M'P. ^• A. Cossens, Charles Parsons, "Wonastow, ,i*tepst(. hi'ains, the Passage, E. Jones, Troy, J. Ward, 'i Sheriff, Buckholt farm, — Edwards, Raglan, ijlonijor, cr> Troy, H. Williams, The Mills, — Blackmore, X^tkir' i1 M'Gowan, the Hill, — May, Raglan, T. OT,mouth, J. Jones, W. Prothcro, E. Mason, J. 1' Ists^ Hough, sen., 11. Y. Waugh, T. Maddocks, jun., ■Jr ^aiiC°'T^' Jones, J. Rogers, J. James, E. Phillips, 'jPavie„ V- Sees, R. Evans, J. Hill, — Whitehead, J. Mills> W. James, T. Powell, T. Baker, G. i The L^' J cnkins, &o, &c. jr^°le be' ^UCt vas sumptuous, and laid with "taste; the Jl The creditable to the cuisine of the establishment, .^ealtb an°i i n? '3ccn removed, the Chairman proposed at when i0nS te our ^^ovod Queen. He trusted J,. rtain a v, ^orest ^^il^ay was opened, they might en- » the of having the pleasure of seeing her Majesty Prin le*1^ ^own of Monmouth. (Loud cheers.) M 6 HGYTI0^ ''1^ ^bert Prince of Wales, and the rest of w- Xlie amily," r^ext toast the Chairman had to propose, was the V^Ofthv fV, Dant of the County; and he hoped that the ^ins, 'U;Ct°rs of the Forest Line would have it open een donne+ nC!Xt °h"istening. (Cheers.)—Honour having XheA 0thiStoast' NEX, -said Gentlemen—I have to give you, ES (Cheerg health of the Members for the County. "j c^eering^a'rHlan ^erQher for the Boroughs. (Great t ^airttJ,"r<^ bishop and the Clergy of the Diocese. The I clero-xr Saia ^e^t much pleased at seeing so many of 1 '-This assoK1]>led on the present occasion. (Cheers.) L. having been warmly honoured, thn+'i i^i ^-ruc3T r°sc and said, that he did not v0frlplimt,r,(. MI been called upon to acknowledge the he € af he was the Vicar of the parish, per- f,°nour .f*Pepted to do so. He thanked them.for the this dioppQ T JUSt ^one t° the Bishop and the Clergy of e thouJlf"^ a ref!cl'encc to the object of this banquet, ?arroi» Wlt"°ut referring to the question of the • gauge or broad guage, they would all agree with thoSe M leillEg health, long life, and happiness to attend §entlemen who had so strenuously and successfully themselves on behalf of the Forest line. (Cheers.) fog i~cv- gentleman proceeded to point out some of the sa nefits that would accrue to the town from this line, and t down amidst cheering. •the Chairman said the next toast he had to propose, the Away and Navy. There was a time, at Mon- i-ea Wihen. ft was difficuIt to £ ad a man under arms to &°ad to this toast; but now there were several gentle- Vo4rcsent, connected with the Monmouth militia. He ^SV?!11"5 toast the narac of MaJ°r ^Us, and ^e:S(i^iee \JnL' nuSht long to enjoy the honours + Ap\iw Jl^Us ^¥crs.) S,^ncl said lu}1}^, ,comtttanded all the officers present tJio compliment great pleasure in returning thanks They miobf I Warml5r expressed to the army and o defend theni ,"ePend upon it, that while they had standing before able-bodied men as they then saw e afraid of u' they need not fear any invacion, or ^"as one tl-• aU^. event- (Laughter and cheers.) There Very lmj l n8'i howe ver, respecting this railway, which aieans of fY1 ann°yed him (the speaker). It might be the these „ 'ieying troops of other rcgimcnts to Monmouth, this \vou}f; v Probably outshine the Monmouth Militia vhe gallant Ma-Seri°Usvexatien- (Cheers and laughter.) Porous aJor proceeded, at some length, in. a very cHsered S vaiu' ant,> at the conclusion, was .loudly Xhe PKo' i^ait^ j.i^rrnan hoped that the worthy VIce-Chalrman, ^per the., next toast' would cause his friends to fill a eVery toa f chairman) did not ask them to do this Jiext t ^em use their own discretion. For t huruijf>. oastj) however, he particularly asked them to fill °altb r.l',1 • toast he had to:intrust to them, was the (rrej»p° i r yesPected guests, Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Dyke, ^ey knr1 <)US cheering.) He was s ure, from the manner °f the p. reCeiVcd toast, that they were highly sensible tain' e gr0at servicos these gentlemen had rendered, in ob- act for the Forest line. (Applause.) They h)iyiU12'lobted to those gentleiaen for the great ;Wod °ie/ energy t}ley fiad, in conjunction with other e*npJr >olae 1 he was ^lat! t0 sce around him\ I to obtain the Coleford line, (Cheers.) They wer° ^sitio^e. that Monmouth had been in a very peculiar ^eat r with reference to railway accommodation, for z er-i years. Eight years ago, they had been j a la v'"ay which would establish a communication ^ar.N Gloucester, Monmouth, and South Wales. (Hear, "^ar^i •lthen proposed line was surveyed, but after-' t° a abandoned. A nobleman, who possessed the land, Vjg cstent, through which the contemplated railway con, made, wished to have a through line; and in line lU(;nce of a threatened opposition by him to a coast ^e"W-n C'" cct: Proiaiso was made that a through lino from t to Monmouth should be made by the South Wales dei,, ^ay Company. (Hear, hear.) But this proposed un- Vif i°, likc n^y others projected by Mr. Brunei, that' °ut to be a great sham. (Hear, hear.) Nor was §ard satisfied in thus deceiving them, with re- 1 v.a ra^way, but he must carry out his pretence fur- 10 must conimence the line; lie must throw up a WaCp Cmbankment, so tiiat an inundation of tho town took ^'hen the river Monnow overflowed. Instead of ? n°thing, Mr. Brunei had done far worse than nothing, "^erl raise4 an uSty embankment, which looked like the Vbo a. ra^way, and which naturally made strangers, l)o0r think that the people of Monmouth were a s°t> who could not maintain a railway if it were made. ^earger8') Matters remained in this state for a number of thus i At lenqth certain gentlemen, feeling that they had j,!611 deceived, appliod, at considerable expense, for tho iv,arnus> to compel the South Wales Company to make r^Uel Va^ beSun anf^ abandoned. But Mr. *° put' this company, laughed at them, and endeavoured this ti m aside. Certain influential gentlemen, after tage' of.'0ught it would be well to give the town the advan- ut HQ a railway through the Forest of Dean. (Cheers,) sooner was thi-i scheme propounded and known, ■ecoM* started another great sham, which was sham the %0ll (Laughter.) A professional canvasser was sent ^as Cg!itae town to persuade parties to take shares in what eVea tr| the Ross line; and some believed his tale, and ^Otero p shares. But this sham did not prevent the pro- t^^dil ° ^ie I'orest line from pursuing their object. They i °Ue}^ Proceeclccl with their business, and in due time W their scheme before the public. (Cheers.) This BUpp0 as n°t only talked of, but it was surveyed; and its °U th »CrS brought their project before Parliament, and, (Cheor° luestion, fought lirunel and conquered him. a giori ^*°r was this a little thing to achieve. It was ^Us, victory for a few independent gentlemen to over- Thoy a railway giant as Mr. Brunei. (Loud cheers.) ^icai ob •C<^ a victory over bim, not upon a mere tech- I c°mtJorJCCti,)r1' but upon the respective merits of the two J ?aied 1D^ ^nes- The preamble of the Ross line was de to bave been proved—that of the Dean Forest tlf *arc<^ as fully proved. (Loud cheers.) This nio -6 Case' they had a right to congratulate themselves, in thig f° Particularly those gentlemen who had put them est tha l Vourable position, and who deserved their warm- eXei'eisptS •'for t^le Perseverance, energy, and skill, they had Ii°thin 1D matter. (Cheers.) There was now c0llJ « ,t0 fear as to whether we should have a railway thoun}1fllatlon in this town. He should, however, have toon, at> after the bill had passed the House of Com- hahitant. °P?0,s^ion, as far, at least, as it regarded tho in- (Iloar ho °\ ,"nmouth, would have altogether ceased, ■he 0n'i V'J -thej' would be expected to know well that fhrouo-h ,i. anr?c n'nv °t having a railway to this town, was bei!^the cL nSt °f Dean- But so fai" ^'as this from Pities wonf0' a professional canvasser, with other Petition ,town to procure signatures to a f°Wn could halo G 7C17 n? which tho inhabitants of this and of ill eu^ortai"ccl any rational hope of obtain- l°wn Council Jn eftraoi'dl"ary things, a meeting of the -Gssity 0f s h1e]d' to take into consideration the nc- *aorcUnarv H?Slng -1UC' and what was stiU more ex- carried'bv nPr0I?OS-tl°n to °PPose the bill for this line W ftbis To"Co,mdi- H« C0»M a it that the collective wisdom of the town could have been abused in this manner. It was, however, a fact; the proposition was carried by seven against four. It should, however, be recollected, that two of the majo- rity were actual paid agents of the Ross line, and that others of them were shareholders, and, therefore, must have been interested. (Hear, hear.) Thus the proposition had not been unanimously carried; and it is but due to say that there had been a real stand-up fight against it. (Cheers.) But the seal of the Corporation of Monmouth had been set to the petition, as if the proposition had been carried by the entire body. He was, however, quite sure that his friend, the Town-clerk, whom he was glad to see present this evening, when he affixed the Corporation seal to that petition, did not deliver it as his own act and deed. It might, therefore, be taken, as it proved to be, an inva- lid deed. (Cheers.) It had never been properly delivered, (cheers and laughter) and he was happy to know that the Lords had ordered it, as they had ordered many others, to lie under the table. (Renewed cheers and laughter.) The Coleford bill had been read a third time, and now had be- come law. (Cheers.) Monmouth now would have the benefit of a railway. Had the town been left to continue destitute of this communication, it would soon have dwin- dled into a country village, although possessed of natural advantages to make it a thriving town, and surrounded by the most picturesque and beautifully attractive neighbour- hood. (Cheers.) But now, as they had surmounted one of the greatest difficulties which they had to encounter—the obtaining of an act—what was now required of them, in order to derive the benefit that this line was calculated to yield to this town, was strenuous and united action. If the people of Monmouth combined together, they need not enterj^in the least fear of seeing this town in a more flou- rishing state than ever it had been before. (Cheers.) He had now brought the railway up to the present time, and would leave it to Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Dyke to say what they intended to do with it further; but from what he knew of them, and the other gentlemen who were with them, at the head of this line, he was confident that they would turn it to an excellent use. The worthy Chairman sat down amidst prolonged cheers. Mr. 0. A. Wyatt acknowledged the toast, and sincerely thanked the company for the cordial manner in which they had drunk the healths of himself and Mr. Dyke, and parti- cularly for the high opinion the chairman held of their exertions in obtaining a railway for Monmouth. In speak- ing of the circumstances which had caused them to meet together that evening, at a public dinner, and in touching on some points connected with Monmouth, and the past attempts at obtaining for it a railway communication, the worthy speaker was so overpowered by his feelings, that his address was not so long as it would otherwise have been. 1j e said his own services, in the promotion of the railway, had been much overrated, particularly when contrasted with those of the Forest gentlemen whom he saw present that he never had but one opinion as to the direction which a railway through the county of Monmouth (to serve all interests) ought to take, and always considered that no line would be perfect which left out the Forest of Dean. (Cheering.) Monmouth, in particular, would be benefitted bv a-direct connection with it; but he was not able in that place to enter properly into the particulars and merits of the railway, from his inaptitude for public speaking; and followed, as he would be, by his friend, Mr. Dyke, whose knowledge of localities and power of language qualified him, above all men, to do justice to the subjcct, lie would not further trespass upon their time, than to repeat his sin- cere acknowledgment for the distinguished compliment they had been pleased to pay him. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) Mr. Dyke rose, amiclst cheers, and said Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,—Of this extraordinary mark of your kind- ness to me, I am most sincerely sensible. It would be an unworthy affectation in me, and contrary to the feelings of my heart, if I were not to say at once that I am deeply moved by this warm snd courteous reception. (Cheers.) While I acknowledge your goodness to me as a tradesman, I am, I can assure you, not unconscious that I have done nothing which should call forth such a token of your favour. At the same time, I am proud of the respect of my neighbours, and of the spontaneous heartiness of feel- ing now exhibited with regard to our future railway. (Cheers.) I take- the latter to be an earnest that the pro- motion of a locotnetivc line by this town, will commence a new and an important epoch in its affairs: so the inhabi- tants will adapt themselves thoroughly, and at oneu, to the new order of things, bringing forth for the future all their talents, energies, and all their improved ideas, and endea- vour to secure, by watchfulness, industry, and perseverance, all the advantages which will, I believe, open to us. (Great applause.) We have had a hard fight; we have had to struggle with a gigantic power; and it required some nerve and a great deal of pluck to enter into the arena with the Great Western Railway Company- a com- pany which has the power of a .giant; and, unfortunately. too often usee.it like one. (Hear, hear.) We, however entered the lists against that power; our lances met and quivered; we licked the giant, and the giant licked the dust. (Cheers ane laughter.) The power of the broad guage party has departed for ever from the central portion of South Wales; and am I not right in sayingthat this re- sult has been brought about more by their own folly and false faith,,than by any original desire or set of ours? (Applause.) Had the broad guage promises to this town and county been kept, had these people acted with that com- mon honesty which regulates; and should ever regulate, the acts of men, whether it be as private individuals or col- lectively &s companies, you would never have heard of the gentlemen locally connected with Le commerce and con- cerns of this county, taking upon themselves the trouble or incurring the anxiety of making public railways. (Loud cheers.) But when we beheld, for eight long years, no attempt to redeem forfeitod pledges, and no desire evinced to clear away the suspicion, (and the very breathing of sus- picion hangs heavily upon honourable minds)fthe suspicion of having acted craftily, we had then a right to be indig- nant we had a right to point the finger of scorn at those men; we had a right to come forward, and redeem our dis- trict from the disgrace of being a blank upon the map of railways, and of being set down as a very New Zealand in the midst of this busy island. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) For my part, Ijiever will consent to distinguish between honourable and dishonourable iicts performed by a man in his own house, or in his individual dealings with another man, and these, performed by him when he sits at a council table or in a committee room. hea*;) ^ut> said some, Why did you not wait are 011 g r. Jiese men mean to doit, when the money tree blossoms; want of money has beenrthe cause of their promises being unful- filled. I reply,, that want of ^ey ^dnever be the cause of a lie. (Hear, heai .) u ales Company eight years ago induced his Grace the Duke of .Beaufort to withdraw his opposition to the. coast hne, upon.a solemn pledged being given that the cential loop hue through Monmouthshire sliould be carried -out simultaneously with the other. Well, it never has b^ni done Instead „f doing what you and I should have endeavoured to do, in an our daily matters of business, fairly and properly, by the party with whom we were transacting affairs, they did this: They went to_parliament for a new line and new branches in England and in V ales, pushing their aggres- sive ramifications in every direction—towards the North of England, in the Midland Counties, in Devon and Dorset, and West Wales. Upon these works they advanced hundreds of thousands of pounds but they nevcifmmd •the money, because they never tried to find it t, ™ni -this little loop line of ours., to which tteyTere' (hear, hear)—nor did they ever seem to carp „i fi about Monmouthshire, after they had sotTl t wanted for themselves on the coast. (KoS\ v7 gentlemen, the wish and endeavour wo..f V r'' ,0' main coast line from being competed ZT' to Prevent the made by themselves. (Cheers and by, a .Une notorious fact that the chairman of tV. q ?r'-ilr ,s a way .Company, Mr. Talbot bSoL S^Uth Wales Rail" his head, namely, the extension o^ bi reiIwa? idea in most coast of West Wales Tferf the Uttef" travelling route to Ireland. (Hekr^ v ? the South Wales Company anxion! •' i ot °nly 18 attain this desirable point bu^hl1"! the 1"^ipahty to jects in Ireland-the Cork' and W«? f pr°" was, the other I know was that meif I fl +ll. three W's tbo w V ° e known by the name of /T n lighter ) Now n WickW, andWaterford." r iv for doin-this i-T • ame the South Wales work at the prope°r time j'buUhev had^i7 lc^itiraate firthiug upon any honorably done OUB. (Grejlt appl.Se f A prorake is a just debt, winch one must take care to pay, for honour and honesty are the. only securities. (CheeS.) {Z this, and not hannf: thatTUS! sneered at, and t o g of we determined to do for ourselves what others ought to have done, but refused to do. (Cheers.) e Sot llP an ^dependent ljae— one which should not only be convenient to us as a mere tra- veiling communication, but which should open and dove- lope the vast local nches we are environed, and by which we shall be bcncfitted. JGieat cheering.) Mr_ Burgees, a gentleman who is world-known as the late editor of the Banker's Circular- a gentleman who is pro. found in all that relates to_ the commercial, mineral, and general pursuits of Great Britain s e otber day, jn his evidence before the House of _ons Committee, that the Forest of Dean was the richest mineral district of < its size in the kingdom. (Cheers.) l 11 a also bore J testimony to its exceedingly great value, a e \>uth Wales 1 Railway Company meeting on last r ruiay. c ing upon ] this impression, Mr. Burgess has purchase an n on gale t at Clearwell Mead, six miles from Monmouth, which he is i now working; and he is prepared to deliver nearly 100,000 s tons of ore per annum to the iron-masters, from His mines t alone. (Cheers.) Now only look at that! only look at the J splendid deposits of unopence coal, as well as iron, (to say nothing of the Forest stone, one of the most ornamental £ and useful building materials in England, of fire-clay, of which there are immense beds- of lime, and of other iich a rich formations there)! only look in prospective at the busy multitudes of men who must be employed to bnng s up these treasures from the bowels of the earth, and to e prepare them for the market! and will anyone say that v the town of Monmouth, and the farming interests around I Monmouth, will not derive the most important pecuniary advantages from our proximity to such a region, or that F we were not judicious in availing ourselves of such a pri- vileged district ? (Prolonged cheers.) Lying as we are in j the very lap of picturesque beauties, of a very high order, 1 we offer every inducement to men of importance to build s their villas and their mansions in our neighbourhood and t we have on each side of llS, and now to be on both hands A within an hour's reach, those stupendous industrial re- t sources, which has created, and which will continue to create, wealth, the influence of which is happily felt to the t very confines of the globe, and power greater than that ) ( which any Assyrian monarch wields. (Loud cheers.) I < am glad that, humble as I am, I have been permitted to assist in this work, and that I have possessed some means of being useful to it. (Great cheers.) During the pro- gress of the bill, I gave up my whole mind to the matter. (Cheers.) It was a pleasure to be associated with the men with whom I found myself in contact. The chairman of our company was always at his post, in encouraging us by his presence, and assisting us by his valuable practical advice. Mr. Abernethy, our civil engineer, proved himself a master in his profession. (Applause.) His maps, plans, sections, and estimates, had been all prepared and deposited in little more than a month, and they trium- phantly passed through the serious ordeal which Mr. Brunei had prepared for him, before the parliamentary committee. (Cheers.) Mr. Waddington, our solicitor worked like a horse, and to my own knowledge, sacrificed his private advantages, in his determination to do his full duty by our bill. (Loud cheers.) We were all in good working order--we knew the people we had to deal with —their subtleties, and their Great Western peculiarities, to give it a mild term. (Laughter.) We watched them as cats watch mice. We made propositions, ensuring the making of the line by them, if not by us. (Cheers.) They, from time to time, brought us proposals, all nearly of the same tenor, but all unsatisfactory, and perilling the whole affair. Many a gallop have we had to secure pressing matters-vital for a moment. I never was so convinced of the truth of the axiom, that if you want a thing done, you must do it yourself. (Cheers.) Mr. Brunei observed, about five weeks ago, when he considered we must succumb to the power of the Great Western Com- pany, and that we could not resist the mighty array which he brought against us before the House of Lords' committee, Gentlemen, you -have made your bed, and you shall lie upon it." A very kind chamber-maid he intended to be. (Cheers and laughter.) Well, we have made our bed, and we are contented to lie upon it—a bed not stuffed with chaff, as some beds are—(hear, hear) -but with good 10 per cent. dividends. (Cheers.) Our independent con- sols will be quite consol-ing, our rails above all rail-ing, and our line such an one as no India-rubber, even though it be held by Mr. Brunei himself, shall ever be able to obliterate. (Loud cheers.) We are ready to occupy our bed, but it will not be one of repose. We must be up and doing, to prove to you our sincerity. Why did you not knock under ? said the priest, annoyed at having his rest disturbed in the middle of the night. I was afraid of waking your reverence," replied Murphy. Weil, what's the matter with ye ?" asked the priest. I left my poor Gatlin dying, sir." "Ah-humph1 Well, he is dead by this time." Oh, no, your reverence neighbour Peter said he'd amuse him until I came back." Now, gentlemen, the broad guage companies have been our neighbour Peter. Wc have been in a lingering state for eight years, and they have been trying to amuse us all tHe time. (Loud cheers and laughter.) Gentlemen, having got rid of our deluders, and having settled those horrid embankments which have been formed in our beautiful suburbs. By the way, those ugly mounds remind me of the story of the rustic lover and the village maiden. Wishing to make headway in her affections, he every now and then touched Patty's toe with his boot, under the table. Putting up with this for sems timo, and finding no more ardent love-making becoming evident, she exclaimed aloud, "LoEJk here; if you love me, say so but don't dirty my stockings." (Laughter.) Now if Mr. Brunei had meant to complete our railway, why did he Rot do it ? He need not have spoiled our beautiful meadows and chopped up our fine pastures around the town' in short, he need not have dirtied our stockings. (Renewed cheers.) But having got rid of these eye-sores, and hav- ing gained our just and honest course, let bygones be by- gones. Let us now all work together. (Cheers.) The town of Monmouth has not lately kept pace with some of those around her. This has not been for the want of natural capabilities; for, in that respect, few towns can surpass her. We have all the elements of prosperity —wood, iron, water, coal, labour; but we have suffered hitherto from our inland position. That defect is about to be remedied. Our hilly roads will give place to smooth railways. We shall be in, not out of the world, inviting the capital to seat himself among us, and to help us to make progress with the rest of the kingdom. When we get sleam communication, if we do not brush up our ener- gies, and put our shoulders well to the wheel, all I can say is, that wc shall deserve to be ranked among those famous town councillors of Jctham, who made their chain cables of sand., and always poured their wine into bottles without bottoms. (Cheers.) Once more, gentlemen, I thank you. We are met here of dl politics, sects, and opinions, but-we are all seated in the same social vessel, and interested, in the same great work. The politics of 'iron rails, looking at them comprehensively, are these-they convey know- ledge and information through the werld, they open up new sources of industry, intelligence; and wealth, and consequently promote the comfort and :happiness of man- kind, and flying or. the wings of the wfnd—wherever they go, to golden India, to sandy Egypt, or to the Ame- rica, they spread peace and civilisation, and, I believe, are heralding the fiDÁI promulgation of the pure and beautiful precepts of Christianity. The eloquent speaker-sat down amidst bursts of applause, rep eated-, foT some minutes. Bong, by Mr. T. E. Wanklyn, Let us speak of a man as wc find him." Mr. Dyke rose 'and said, 'he begged that they would now fill their glasses with & bumper. He was going to propose to them the health cf their worthy chairman a tojist which he was quite sure they would warmly receive. (Cheers.) Mr. George had now became one of the oldest inhabitants of tius town, to say the. least: he had beec. for a great number of years a resident here-they were ail suffi- ciently acquainted with his straight-forward condnct, so as to be assured that he would not have occupied the chiir, if he was not fully convinced that the forest line deserved the support of the inhabitants of this town. Having dwelt for some time on the good and honourable qualities of the chairman, the speaker concluded by repeating that he felt the greatest pleasure in proposing his health, which was drunk with prolonged cheers. The Chairman said that for the manner in which they had received the last toast, he begged to return tlieni his most sincere thanks. It was quite unexpected by him, that he had become the chairman of this meeting. But it was thought desirable that they should have £ chairman, who had not put himself forth as an advocate -of one line or the other. Such he had been-he had not been professedly engaged to canvass for either. He had no interest in either himself; cor had he a client who was interested in either. But when he had heard that Mr. Crawshay Bailey had,taken a part in it (for this was not a political ques- tion) when he had heard that Mr. Bailey was going to in- vest his money, in it, he thought more of the line owing to this, than ho would have done in consequence of the opiu- nions of thirty engineers. (Loud cheers.) JFor he was certain that a gentleman of Mr. Bailey's judgment and experience in these matters, was not going to embark his capital in it unless he believed there would be traffic on it; and a line on which there was no traffic, could be of on use or benefit to any parties. (Cheers.) Some persons argued that the line would never be extended further than Coleford, but it was quite absurd to think it would stop there -the Government would not stand against tlieir own interest, and oppose the line to go through the Forest. Mr. George concluded by proposing the health of the chairman and directors of the Forest of Dean and Pontypool Rail- way, mentioning the nacies of Messrs. trotter and Teague. James Teague, Esq., one of the directors, in rising to acknowledge the toast, pointed to a large lump of Forectore, which had been laid on the table, and said: You see, gen- tlemen, before you a specimen of the plumb cakes that we make in the Forest of Bean. (Laughter.) But to be .serious—this was a specimen of iron ore, ,with which the forest of Dean abounded. (Cheers.) He begged to.thank them for drinking the health of Mr. Crawshay Bailey, and the directors of the Forest line. However philanthropic a a, on might be, ie must be expected that in tcme cases, he would consult his own interest in some measure. Such was the case with Mr.. Bailey and others, who had invested their money they saw that they would both benefit the public and themselves. (Cheers.) There was one very peculiar characteristic in Mr. Bailey. It was that when he felt certain he was right, he was irresistible; when he could clearly see that the truth was on his side, nothing could turn him from his point. (Cheers.) In this manner he had acted in his endeavours in the House of Commons, to obtain the Coleford and Pontypool Railway Act. Against obtaining this act, there was the strongest opposi- tion, and the success of the attempt to get it, depended al- together upon the exertions of Mr. Bailey, Mr. Wyatt, Mr, Dyke, and others. (Cheers.) There was the greatest 1 monopoly in railway matters, carried on by large compa- nies and the strength of some of these large companies ] had been brought to bear against the Coleford line. When f several companies, each of them having grown strong and influential, were conjointly interested in opposiug a railway t scheme, they were, by the capital they could afford to r\ spend, and by other means, frequently enabled to crush independent companies. (Hear, hear.) He never before I had had so much experience in railway matters, as he had had during the present year. This experience had taught him that the jugglery of the rail, was worse than that on the turf. (Laughter.) Much of this had been employed against them. They had also to cope with a great amount of talent and tact, exercised by the professional gentle- men engaged by those great companies that opposed them but tli^y were determined to go on, and now, hap- pily, had succeeded, (Cheers.) As to the question whe- ther this line will proceed further than Coleford, there was not a shadow of a doubt that it would. The Commis- sioners of AVoods and Forests would willingly allow them to go through any part of the Forest of Dean. (Cheers.) If the people of Monmouth wanted coal to keep their noses warm, this line would afford them the advantage of getting it cheap. Some gentleman from Monmouth, whom ° had never seen before, and did not wish ever to see again, had, before the committee of the House of Lords, o is (Mr, Teague's) surprise, and, he believed, to the urprise of their lordships, said that the coal was cheap enough already at Monmouth, and that the Monmouth Union was served with coal by contract at 8s. per ton. The »pea er here proceeded to detail the opposition the Coleford Kai way Act met, which has already appeared in the public papers. Mr. Brunei had done his best to oppose this line, and had by far overstated the expense of working it. Engineers very frequently over-estimated the cost of lines, and still took in them- by far the greatest number of shares. When others could not pay up, they bought in their shares for quarter their value, by which means they were enabled, if their proposals were accepted, to make the lines themselves, and thus monopolise the whole. There was no comparison between the cost and making the Coleford line, and that of Ross, in which even the chairman of the committee for it, had so little confidence of its ever becoming a paying line, that he could venture to take shares only to the amount of £100. (Hear, hear.) There could not be found a more expensive bit of line, than that proposed to be made from Monmouth to Ross. In making a line through the Forest, however, the materials which they would cut, would pay much of the expenses. (Hear, hear.) There was nothing but mine and coal to be met the whole way they went. (Cheers.) There was no obstacle in their way to have a train very shortly from Paddingtonto Monmouth. The speaker continued at con- siderable length, to expatiate on the advantages of the rail- way, and sat down amidst loud cheers. T. B. Trotter, Esq., another of the directors, briefly acknowleged the toast. There was in the Forest of Dean plenty of ore, such as they had now before them and the Coleford line would be the means of supplying Monmouth with the best coal at 8s. per ton-coal much superior in value to that now supplied at that rate. (Cheers.) Song, by George V. Maddox, Esq., composed by him for the occasion :— Now since from me you want a song, I'll sing you one that's true, And tho' the theme is very old, to us its rather new For 'tis all about an Iron Road, a plan of which you've seen, To run direct from Pontypool, across the Forest Dean. On the broad gauge ? the narrow gauge ?—the narrow gauge, I ween, The narrow gauge will cany us, across the Forest Dean. Abernethy took the levels, and then he drew his plan, And we must all acknowledge, he's a truly clever man He recommends the narrow gauge, which for us will do right well, And has triumph'd o'er the sophistry of Ichabod Brunei. With his broad gauge, &c., &c. Then next to go to Parliament, good men and true were bent, And for a clever man of law, to Usk they quickly went • Then up came honest Waddington, who proved himself quite handy, And quickly up he drew his bill, and proved the locus standi." On the broad gauge, &c., &c. Now to the Lord's Committee, they were next compelled to go, And at the bill, Great Western thought Jto strike a fatal blow But inch by inch they fought the ground, each like a bold commander, So thought the Lord—they got the bill, with thanks to Alexander. With the broad gauge, &c., &c. Lord Hardwick saw, with eyes as quick, and clear as an optician, And soon he put the stopper on this factious opposition Says he, Brunei, your gauge is up, this bill you've surely lost, But well we know you are a man, regardless of the cost. Of the broad guage, &c., &c. Now since all have laboured hard, and thus abtained the Bill- No doubt to ear opponents it has proved a bitter pill But let us now forget the past, and mutual hands extend And may we hope they'll ne'er again so wittingly offend. With their broad gauge, &c., &c. Then fill your glasses, fill them high, and I'll give you a toast For surely WE, of certain MEN, have all good cause to boast. Then to Bailey, Dyke, and Wyatt; Atkinson, Teague, and Trotter too We'll drink their healths with nine times nine, for to us they have been true, About the broad gauge, &c., &c. The Chairman next gave the Magistrates of the County, making honourable mention of the name of his friend Mr. Wakeman, of the Graig, whom he was glad to see here this evening, and who, having had much experience in railways, was able to give them much valuable informa- tion on the subject. He (the chairman) was aware that there had been a senior magistrate present that evening, but he had now gone. He would, therefore, couple 'the name of Mr. Wakeman with this toast. (Cheers.) Thomas Wakemam, Esq., rose and said, that it was quite unexpectedly he had been called upon to return thanks on behalf of himself and bro her magistrates. The chair- man had been pleased to compliment him with having & knowledge of railways. He certainly had some knowledge in this department, having been for many years an engi- neer. (Hear.) He was happy to see that Monmouth, which he had known for forty years, was at last likely to have a railway..(Cheers.) But he regretted to say, that for the last ten years, the town had been declining very much; the principal cause of which, undoubtedly, was a *y want of railway accommodation. Mr. Wakeman proceeded to give seme valuable suggestions, in reference to the construction of railways that would be likely to pay; dwelling on the uselessness of making fancy stations, and fancy bridges, and was throughout loudly cheered. Mr. Dyke next proposed the health of Her Majesty s Commissioners of Roads and Forests. They were greatly indebted to Mr. Atkinson, the deputy gaveller, for his exertions on behalf of this line. None could have been more zealously active than he and Mr. Kennedy had been, to further this important object..(Cheers.) Mr. Atkinson had been of the greatest help to them, and had just given to them his permission for them to go through the land in St. Briavels..(Cheers.) They may rest assured that they were not going to stop in that meadow at Coleford. (Cheers.) They were not, he would tell Mr. Brunei, going to make their there; but would be able, ere long, he trusted, to go to London along the-narrow guage, and that independently of the Great Western Company. (Greet cheering.) He begged leave to propose to them the health of the Commissioners of Woods andForests, and to connect therewith the name of Mr. Atkinson. (Cheers.) Mr. Atkinson, in acknowledging the compliment, said that he felt much obliged to Mr. Dyke for the manner in which he had referred to any little service Mr. Kennedy and himself had rendered them. If he did not believe that this line would have been proceeded with further than to Coleford, as some people supposed, it should never have had his support. But he could assure them that it would go much further (cheers); and of this they would very soon have reason to be fully convinced. (Renewed cheers.) The Chairman next proposed the health of the Magis- trates of the Borough of Monmouth; which was duly acknowladged by Mr. Dyke and Mr. London. Song, by Mr. A. Rolls. The next toast given from the chair, was the health of the Town Council. The seal of this Council had been affixed to a petition against the Coleford line, but the Chairman was almost certain that the Town-clerk, on this occasion, acted not voluntarily, but rather compulsory, by reason of the duties of the office which he held. (Cheers.) Mr. Wanklyn, who was generally called for, rose to re- tarn thanks. Unfortunately, he was obliged to be in attendance in the House of Lords, to give evidence touch- ing the Colefoid line, on the day-the disgraceful day— that the Town Council, by a majority, decided on peti- tioning against this line. If he had been here, as he longed tc be, there would not, at least, have been only five on one side of th3 question, while eight were on the other. (Cheers.) The Chairman proposed the health of his Grace the Duke of Beaufort, and the landlords through whoee lands the line went. (Cheers.) The line passed through the pro- perty of his Grace for ten miles. They were, therefore, much indebted to him for the success they had met with in getting the Oxford line. The Duke not only did not oppose them, but rendered them til assistance. (Cheers.) If he had only been cpposed to the bill, they would never have got it. They ehould, therefore, in courtesy, drink this nobleman's health. (Loud cheers.) This toast having been duly honoured, The Chairman said he had another health to propose to them; it was that of Mr. Mayou and Mr. T. E. Wanklyn, his supporters. Mr. Mayop and Mr. Wanklyn respectively acknowledged the honour ip very appropriate speeches, and were much applauded, Mr. J. Teague proposed the health of the Coroners of the County of Gloucester, in a very humorous manner. Mr. J. Barnett, in acknowledging the toast, delivered a very able speech, touching upon many points of interest connected with the Coleford Railway; and was loudly applauded. Mr. Philip Williams, in a very animated speech, proposed the health of the Ladies of Monmouth, which toast was drunk with full honours. < Mr. J. P. King having been called for in several parts of the room, remarked, in acknowledging the toast, that it was i pity the etiquette of this country did not permit the ladies themselves to be present, and to return thanks for themselves on such occasions as these. He was sure they tvould have done it more eloquently and, of course, more pleasingly than he could. (Cheers.V He, however, begged ;o thank the company, on behalf of the ladies of Monmouth, or the compliment they had just paid them. (Cheers.) Mr. A. Rolls begged leave to propose the health of a gen- ,loman among them, who was well known in this county. Che name of Wyatt in this county was always connected vith everything that was good and honourable. (Cheers.) Ie would give them the Rev. A. M. Wyatt. (Loud iheerino.) The Rev. Mr. Wyatt said he was bound to rise to acknow- ledge this toast. He must, however, say that he believed that a public dinner was not exactly a place for a person of his avocation. But he did not mean by this that he did not feel great pleasure in being amongst them. (Cheers.) It was not this, however, that had induced him to come there that '3e evening. Nor was it the affection which he felt for his bro- ther that had brought him neither was it the attachment he had to the town of Monmouth. He had certainly a natural and strong affection, from his youth, to this town, having beefi brought up in it, and being so intimately con- nected with it. (Cheers.) He recollected, when he was a child, before he had seen a larger town than Monmouth, he thought this town to be the grandest and largest in the world, and the church he viewed as if it were the most mag- nificent cathedral. (Cheers.) But this natural attachment to Monmouth, which had grown up with his youth and man- hood, was not the particular cause which had induced him to be present that evening. That cause must be attributed to his love of truth. (Cheers.) He had come there in de- fence of the truth. (Renewed cheering.) The truth, on a great many points, had not been told regarding the Coleford line of railway. He had heard it said that there was no in- tention whatever to carry on this line further than Coleford, but such a statement he had found to be utterly false and of this they had been fully satisfied that evening, by the open declarations of previous speakers, who had the manage- ment of the line. (Cheers.) He had heard there was no station to be at Newland, and not one anywhere between Coleford and Monmouth but this was proved to be untrue. (Cheers.) The rev. gentleman proceeded, at some length, to point out the various unwarranted reports that had been put afloat, with a view so prejudice people's minds against this line; and to adduce proofs of their fallacy. The rev. speaker was throughout much applauded. At the close, he strongly exhorted the people of Monmouth steadily to co- operate in the making of this line; from which they would derive vast benefits. The Chairman proposed the health of Mr. A. WaddinHon of L sk, the able solicitor of the company, who was not pre- sent. He was happy to find that such an efficient profes- sional gentlemen was at the head of the undertaking. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Teague added that Mr. Waddington had worked in- defatigably, and had been of incalculable service to them and dwelt on the manner in which his judgment and assistance had aided them in obtaining their grand object. Mr. Waddington's health was warmly drank. Mr.- Dyke proposed the health of their talented engineer, Mr. Abernethy. He was but young, and Mr. Brnne], per- r haps, thought that, because of this, he could easily crush him. Mr. Abernethy had not been very largely engaged in railways, but had had much experience in the construction of docks and similar works and he was certainly a very talented young man. This toast was drank with loud cheers. The Chairman proposed what he said had aptly been called the fourth estate—the Press. He did not know the name of one of the gentlemen, but he saw Mr. Meredith (for the MERLIN) there. He was convinced that they always did their best to give truthful reports of what was said. (Cheers.) Mr. A. E. Gibson, very appropriately acknowledged the toast. The Chairman next proposed the health of Mrs. Evans, the hostess of the Beaufort Arms Hotel. He was bound to acknowledge that he had never sat down to a better dinner. (Cheers.) Mr. Teague proposed Prosperity to the Town and Trade of Monmouth- a toast to which, for some time, no one ap- peared to be inclined to respond. At length it was acknow- ledged, in a very concise speech, by Mr. Dyke, who was fol- lowed by Mr. R. Evans and others. Several songs were afterwards sung, and the evening was passed in the most pleasing and convivial manner; the whole company appearing highly delighted with the proceedings of the day.