96 SOUTHAMPTON RAILWAY. 



situated near the end of Praed Street, Paddington. This railway was 

 opened for passengers as far as Maidenhead on the 4th of June, 1838; 

 its route is Uxbridge, West Drayton, Slough, Maidenhead; and it is 

 intended to be continued by Wallingford, Chippenham to Bath, (with 

 a branch to Bristol,) and from thence by Glastonbury, Bridgewater, 

 Taunton, Tiverton and Exeter. By the report of the Parliamentary 

 Committee on railways, it appears, that the cost of the locomotive engine 

 on this line varies from 1,850 to 2,100 ! 



TPIE SOUTHAMPTON RAILWAY. 



This company obtained their Act of Incorporation on the 25th 

 of July, 1834, and the railway was opened on the 1st of May, 1838. 

 The estimated cost of the entire line, including locomotive engines, 

 station houses, and every other item, is 1,700,000, being at the rate of 

 21,000 per mile, an outlay which (if not exceeded) will be infinitely below 

 any other railway. The London Terminus is at the Nine Elms, near 

 Vauxhall, and the line taken is, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Kingston, 

 Walton, Weybridge, Woking, Farnborough, Hartley Row, &c. to 

 Southampton. 



The United Kingdom is intersected in every possible direction with 

 railways, and much as we admire that species of expeditious travelling, 

 still we cannot but regret that many of the well-appointed coaches have 

 been taken off the road, because there were various conveniences and 

 comforts belonging to them. 



Now, 



-The abuse of greatness 



Is when it disjoins remorse from power," 



says the poet, and more than one of the railways is settling down into 

 a very comfortable monopoly. We are glad, therefore, to find that the 

 Committee of the House of Commons upon railways, have recommended 

 some Legislative restriction, to prevent" the injurious effect of the railway 

 system upon the poorer class of passengers, which will be more severely felt in 

 proportion as other means of cheap travelling by stage coaches, carriers, 

 carts and waggons, are graudally superseded." And it has been already 

 shown, that the interests of private companies, and of the public, may be 

 at variance ; it is also doubtful, whether the same observations be not 

 applicable to the cost of conveying goods by railroads." 



