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Opening of the Great Northern
Railway Extension to Glen
Innes.
(from our own Reporter.)
On Tuesday, the extension from Armidale to Glen
Innes of the Great Northern Railway, was officially
opened by the Acting Minister of Works, the Hon.
George R. Dibbs. Departing from the custom
hitherto observed in connexion with extensions, the
Government had issued only a limited number of
complimentary tickets. The distribution was not
indeed confined to members of Parliament, but
members of Parliament, some seventeen in number,
accepted the invitation of the Minister to be his guests
on the occasion. Other holders of complimentary
tickets, travelled in the ministerial and other special
trains, end altogether a very considerable gathering
of Sydney and down country people visited the
tableland, at the beginning of this week. The first
contingent, chiefly of Newcastle folk, reached Armi-
dale on Sunday night; and fully-laden trains on
Monday night brought many Maitland, Singleton,
and Tamworth people, and the Ministerial party.
There was a very animated scene between seven and
eight o'clock on Monday evening, when the trains
came in. They were both later than were timed,
and the station yard was full of buggies,
omnibuses, and other vehicles, whose lights
viewed from a distance served in the main to
make the surrounding darkness visible. Beyond
were the straggling lamps of the cathedral city,
showing where Armidale was rather than illuminat-
ing it. Gas works are in progress, we believe, and
meanwhile Armidale is lighted in the fashion of
most towns in New South Wales which have to de-
pend on kerosene and candles. When the influx of
visitors occurred on the evening in question, there
was a rush for hotel accommodation, and Armidale
enjoyed in some measure for a second time the
benefits of a railway opening demonstration, Some-
what of a harvest was reaped by hotel keepers, but
no visitor was compelled to lack housing. We hear
tales of sleeping on tables and of jumping bedrooms
already secured, but such incidents are necessarily
attendant on similar seasons.
Down-country visitors had an ample taste of what
a New England winter is, when day dawned on
Tuesday morning. A keen wind blew from the
west, and old residents promised travellers snow at
Ben Lomond, an assurance that was received with
mingled chagrin and curiosity. People who wanted
to see snow were almost unreasonable enough to
want warm snow. As it happened, the trains
encountered a snow storm; and the wind grew
keener and more biting, if that could be, in con-
sequence. Three trains left Armidale between nine
and eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning, and all
were crammed. The first to leave was one from
Armidale, which was soon filled by thousands of
residents and visitors who had come the previous
night. Armidale made holiday on the occasion and
turned out generously. The weather was not at
this time promising for a day out. Rain had
threatened from the early hours, and now
began to fall rather thickly. Some imaginative
person said the showers were nature's tears, at the
loss by Armidale of the honor and profit of the
terminus. "Ichabod !" was their signification, it
was suggested. The second train, well filled, came
through from Tamworth; and, when it left the
station, gave a new proof that there has apparently
yet to be found a limit to the holding power of rail-
way carriages. Lastly came the Ministerial train, in
which few vacant seats could be discovered. The
trains that started first were shunted out of the way
to allow the official one to pass, and as a compensa-
tion for this delay, the people in them witnessed a
snow storm, of which the occupants of the Minister's
carriages and their fellows saw only the remnants.
After this display of bad weather, sunshine prevailed,
though the air continued to be cold and bracing.
Following is an official account of the Glen
Innes line and the works upon it:-The ex-
tension of the Great Northern Railway from
Armidale to Glen Innes is the last portion of con-
tract No. 2 (Uralla to Glen Innes) of the extension
Tamworth to Tenterfield, commencing at 260 miles
24 chains from Newcastle, and terminating at 324
miles, being a total distance of 63 miles 56 chains.
The height above sea level at Armidale is 3255 feet,
and at Glen Innes station it is 3507 feet, giving a
rise of 252 feet towards Tenterfield, The highest
point of the line is at Ben Lomond, 4560 feet, being
1305 feet higher than Armidale. The earthworks
upon this section of the line are heavy, and amount
to about 1,637,590 cubic yards of excavation. The
number of cuttings is 106, and the depths of the
cuttings and the heights of the embankments vary
from 1 to 58 feet for cuttings, and from 1 to 89 feet
for embankments. There are no large streams be-
tween Armidale and Glen Innes, and only a few 26-
feet spans of timber viaducts have been requisite, in
addition to a large number of small timber flood
openings, brick culverts, box and-pipe drains, &c.
The number of curves is 68, and they vary from 12
to 400 chains radius, and give a distance of
24 miles 16 chains; the remaining distance,
39 miles 40 chains, being straight. Of these curves
nine are of 12 chains radius and 50 are sharper
than 40 chains. The gradients are 179 in number,
and vary from 1 in 40 to 1 in 660 for a distance of 60
miles 43 chains, the remaining distance of only 3
miles 13 chains being level. There are four bridges
over the railway. Just after leaving the very exten-
sive station ground at Armidale comparatively easy
country is met with, and there are no works of any
importance until the first station upon this section,
called Inverella, is reached at a distance of 266 miles
4 chains from Newcastle. At this place is a neat
passenger station, built of brick, 54 feet in length x
14 feet in breadth, with verandah to platform front,
and containing a general waiting-room 20 feet by 17
feet; a ticket office, and ladies' waiting-room, each
44 feet square ; lamp-room, &c. The platform is 330
feet long and 15 feet wide, and is ramped at both
ends. The stationmasters house is a brick cottage,
containing six rooms. The goods warehouse is built
with timber and galvanised iron on brick foundations,
and is 72 feet by 22 feet, with covered platforms six
feet wide extending the whole length of the building.
There is also an office and an uncovered platform 84
feet by 12 feet, and a siding for loading purposes.
The water supply at this station is from rain-water
tanks. A level crossing and gatekeeper's cottage,
built of brick, and consisting of four rooms, are pro-
vided at 266 miles and 13½ chains, where the main
road from Armidale to Inverell crosses the line.
From Inverell[a?] northwards the country becomes
rough and broken, and the next station reached is
Boorolong, 280 miles and 39 chains, where there is a
small waiting-shed, built of timber on piles, with an
iron roof, and with the necessary offices ; a platform,
330 feet long by 15 feet wide ; a goods shed, 60 feet
long by 16 feet, with the necessary covered platform
and office ; and an uncovered platform, 84 feet by
12 feet. The stationmaster's cottage is built of
timber on piles, and consists of four rooms. A level
crossing and sheep and cattle races and yards are
also provided here, with sidings for trucking stock.
The water supply is obtained from rain-water tanks,
About a mile from this station Boorolong Creek is
spanned by three 26-feet timber openings. There is
a timber trestle skew overbridge built on brick sills,
at 268 miles 35 chains. Guyra is the next station,
at 286 miles 50 chains, where there is a waiting-shed,
built of brick with iron roof, 33 feet 6 inches by 14
feet, with verandah to platform front, and contains
a general waiting-room, 13 feet 6 inches by 12 feet
6 inches ; ladies' room and ticket office, each 8 feet
6 inches by 12 feet 6 inches ; yards, &c, The plat-
form is 264 feet long by 15 feet in width, with ramps
at each end. The stationmaster's house is of brick,
and of the same dimensions as that at Inverella.
There is also a goods-shed here, a timber and iron
structure, built on piles 60 fast by 16 feet, with an
office and uncovered platform 84 feet by 12 feet,
and outside platforms each 6 feet wide, covered,
and running the whole length of the building. A
siding for loading trucks with goods and a level
crossing are also provided. The water required for
this place is pumped up by an engine to a supply tank
26 feet by 26 feet, supported upon a timber framing,
from the Mother of Ducks Lagoon, which is situated
about 4 chains to the eastern side of the station
ground. A portion of the space beneath the tank is
utilised as a storeroom. The pumping engine
house is built of timber and galvanised iron, and
there is a brick cottage provided for the accommo-
dation of the pumper. Ben Lemond and Glencoe
are the next two stations-the former at 301 miles
48 chains, and the latter at 310 miles 35 chains from
Newcastle. The buildings and station accommoda-
tion for these two places are of the same description
and dimensions. The waiting-shed is built of brick,
33 feet 6 inches by 14 feet 6 inches, with verandah
to platform front, and contains a general waiting
room, 13 feet 6 inches x 12 feet 6 inches ; ladies'
room and ticket office, each 8 feet 6 inches x 12 feet
6 inches, with lamp room, &c. The platform is 264
feet x 12 feet. A brick cottage has been built here
to serve as a residence for the Stationmaster. The
goods warehouse, a timber and galvanised iron
structure, built on piles, is 60 feet x 16 feet, with
the necessary platforms, sidings, tanks, &c. There is
also a level crossing here. Between Ben Lomond
and Glencoe the heaviest portion of the line
is encountered, there being a gradient of 1 in 40
for a continuous length of 3 miles 10 chains,
on which are several curves, no less than
seven of these being of 12 chains radius. About a
mile beyond Ben Lomond station there is a heavy
cutting from which 116,470 cubic yards have been
excavated, the greater part being rock, Before
entering Glencoe station ground at 309 miles 65
chains, Moronan Creek is crossed upon 8 26-feet
spans of timber openings. The Great Northern road
crosses the railway at 312 miles 75 chains, and again
at 320 miles 62 chains upon brick arches, and a tim-
ber trestle bridge on timber sills has been provided
for the road crossing over the creek diversion near
315 miles 16 chains. Beardy River, at 316 miles 7
chains, is crossed by a skew timber viaduct, consist-
ing of 12 26-feet spans with wings ; and Rocky Ponds
Creek, situated at 322 miles 35 chains, is spanned by
three 26-feet timber openings. At the Newcastle
end of the Glen Innes station, at 323 miles 38 chains
there is an over-bridge built of timber, with brick
piers and abutments. There is an extensive station
yard at Glen Innes, considerable accommodation
having been provided to meet the requirements of
the locality. The passenger station, a commodious
brick building, with cement facing, 110 feet in
length by 28 feet wide, having verandahs to both
platform and road fronts, contains a general waiting
room 21 feet by 20 feet ; stationmaster's, ticket,
telegraph, and left-luggage offices, each 12 feet by 16
feet; parcels office, 16 feet by 26 feet; and ladies'
waiting-room, 16 feet by 17 feet 6 inches. The por-
ters' and lamp rooms, &c, are situated in detached
buildings at each end of the main building, the spaces
between same being occupied by sheds and yards.
The platform is 12 feet wide and 350 feet in length,
and there is a carriage-dock 60 feet long. The en-
gine-shed, covering these lines of rails, is 111 feet by
53 feet, built with timber and galvanised iron. Inside
the building there are engine-pits and work-benches.
Outside the shed there are three engine-pits, each 40
feet long, together with an engine-tank, a coal stage
157 feet in length by 14 feet in width, and an engine
turntable 50 feet in diameter. The goods warehouse
is also built with timber and galvanised iron on brick
piers, and is 108 feet long by 22 feet wide. There
are two outside platforms, each 84 feet by 15 feet,
one at each end of the building, and also an office ;
and covered landings or platforms 6 feet wide, for
loading or unloading goods, &c, these platforms ex-
tending the whole length of the building, There is
a stationmaster's house, and also a wool platform 132
feet long by 10 feet wide ; and sheep and cattle yards
are to be erected. Mr. David Proudfoot is the con-
tractor for the general works on the extension.
The scenery visible from a passing railway carriage
requires very little description. For some miles out
of Armidale, lightly timbered forest alternates with
cultivated land, and many a cosy homestead serves
to show that agriculture is not quite an unprofitable
pursuit. The wheat crops are backward compared
with those visible between Tamworth and Singleton
say. Compared with the Hunter River and Liver-
pool Plains, New England just now presents a
withered and brown aspect. As the journey towards
Glen Innes continues, signs of cultivation disappear,
and while the trains climb the mountains, some ex-
tensive and grand views of broken country are ob-
tained. The soil is pretty well throughout the
length of the line rich wheat soil, even on the
slopes of the hills, and occasionally some nice
valleys open, or a level tract is passed,
which when cleared hereafter will no doubt be
the fertile home of many a crop. The feature of
the journey will always be the Mother o' Ducks
lagoon, an immense sheet of water, the surface,
however, of which is nearly hidden by a dense
growth of brown rushes. Ruggedness of outline in
the country gives place to a softer beauty as the
traveller nears Glen Innes, and a broad valley with
a gently undulating surface will also constitute at
all times a pleasurable sight. Most of the cleared
land is under cultivation; signs of pastoral occupa-
tion are scant, On some pretty plain country granite
rocks jutting through the surface of the
earth in clusters strongly resemble flocks of
sheep reclining after browsing. A little further on,
when the train passes through the aeries of curves
mentioned above, there are several collections of
very huge granite boulders. This part of the line
resembles in some measure that between Wingen
and Murrurundi, For the greater part of the dis-
tance the timber is very poor, and particularly ugly,
the prevailing characteristic being the dull grey gum.
But now and then the glorious sight of large wattle
trees in full bloom relieved the eye, tired of the
monotony. Altogether, the extension opened on
Tuesday is not one which cheers the traveller with
any conspicuous exhibition of beautiful natural
scenery.
When the opening train reached its destination,
the Minister and his party found a large crowd
assembled to receive them. It was a crowd so
anxious to see all that could be seen, that for once in
their lives certainly, the Treasurer and his parlia-
mentary guests submitted to and were plainly
influenced by popular pressure. Mr. F, Utz, mayor
of Glen Innes, welcomed the Minister and his party
in dumb show, as far as we could understand : there
was such confusion and crowding that nothing
could be heard of the words of greeting. Mr. Dibbs
managed to struggle through the press to a buggy
behind the railway station, which he mounted;
and, when the murmuring of the crowd,
and the noise of its contendings permitted
speech, he said in his official capacity as
Acting-Minister of Works it had become his duty to
declare that extension open for public traffic. In
doing he, he begged to congratulate the people of
Glen Innes on the accomplishment of their hearts'
desire. They were now connected with the metro-
polis of New South Wales with an iron band
(cheers) ; and he hoped that the union thus effected
would prove to be for the happiness and prosperity
of the people. He declared the line to be open, and
called for three cheers for the Queen, which were
lustily given, as also cheers for the Ministry, Mr.
Dibbs, and the Mayor.
A procession headed by the Glen Innes band was
then formed, and passed round the pretty little
town. Glen Innes occupies a position in the middle
of the undulating valley before noticed; judging
from the glimpse we got of it, it is a thriving, clean,
substantial place, containing fine buildings which
adorn broad streets crossing each other at right
angles. An extension of building towards the rail-
way station has evidently taken place lately. On
arrival at Tattersalls Hotel, the procession halted
and the Minister and his friends ascended
to the balcony overlooking the street. Before
serious business was begun, healths were drunk
in champagne, and then the party emerged
on the balcony, beneath and before which an immense
concourse had gathered in the street. The newspaper
men with some difficulty succeeded in gaining access
to the ministerial vicinity, for an usher, more zealous
than polite, seemed disposed to think that all the
world wanted to pass the charmed portal under the
guise of reporters, for he demanded from genuine
reporters such proofs of identity as might have been
difficult to procure, if insisted upon. However, a few
stern reproofs from resolute press men brought this
Glen Cerberus partially to bis senses. The business
in hand was the presentation of addresses. One from
the Mayor and Aldermen contained warm words of
welcome to Messrs. Dibbs and Abbott, the latter also
having been expected, and suggested a disclosure of
the Ministerial mind respecting a Glen Innes-Inverell
railway.
In replying, Mr. Dibbs referred to the illness of
two of his colleagues, the Hon. F. A. Wright, and
the Hon. J. P. Abbott, who were thereby prevented
from attending on that occasion. He was therefore
present as a deputy. Respecting the opening of the
railway, which was the great feature of their festi-
vities that day, he heartily congratulated the people
of that part of the country on that event. The
address contained a suggestion about the Govern-
ment railway policy. At present he was not
equal to the occasion, but before the proceedings
of the day were ended, it might be that, induced by
their generous hospitality, he might say something
about the future of their railway. (Cheers.) He
thanked them very much indeed for the genuine
warmth and cordiality of their welcome.
Mr. Fergusson, M.L.A. for Glen Innes, also spoke,
congratulating the people of Glen Innes upon the
event of the day.
An address was presented by Mr. Maund, from the
Loyal Hand of Friendship Lodge of Oddfellows, and
suitably responded to by Mr. Dibbs.
Cheers were given for the Parliament, for the
visitors, for the Mayor (at Mr. Dibbs' call), and for
Mr. Dibbs.
In answer to somewhat ironical calls, Mr. Lus-
combe, member for Northumberland, returned
thanks on behalf of the Parliament. We regret to
say that even so far inland as Glen Innes, the chosen
of the minority of Northumberland was greeted
with the contemptuous laughter of the profane, and
was listened to with unconcealed scorn.
The ceremony of presentation being over, there
was a general adjournment to the goods-shed,
where under the catering skill of Mr. Cripps,
of Sydney, a really sumptuous banquet had
been laid out. Glen Innes had evidently
determined to do the thing handsomely. The Mayor
presided at a very large gathering, and after dinner
the usual loyal toasts were duly honored.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed "The Ministry,"
and referred to the fulfilment of the Premier's
pledge in taking office to submit a land bill to Par-
liament. A land bill had been passed by the Assem-
bly, and would doubtless become law in a few weeks.
He congratulated the Ministry upon their passing
this measure through the Assembly. It was a diffi-
cult question to deal with ; the Government had not
to frame s new bill, but were obliged to
patch up a law which had been in use twenty
three years, [A Voice: - No, no ; they didn't patch
it up. Another.- They abolished it.] (Hear, hear.)
If we understood the speaker aright, for it was diffi-
cult at times, through the hum of conversation, to
hear him, he said that the bill of the Government, was
superior to Sir John Robertson's law. He believed
the railway policy of the Government would include
a line from Glen Innes to Inverell. (Cheers.) He
proposed the Ministry. (Cheers.)
The Hon, G. R. DIBBS,-rising from a seat which
had proved deceitful, for during dinner it had given
way, and let the Mayor and his guest down to the
ground, - was greeted with continuous cheers. He
said he had to thank the mayor on behalf of the
Ministry for the hearty manner in which he
had proposed the toast, and the company for
its enthusiastic response. He supposed if he sat down,
having said so much, those who had cheered him
would hardly give him a cup of cold water in the
name of a disciple. (A laugh.) Therefore he would
add a few words about the Ministry, a few words
about the land bill, and a few words about the rail-
way policy of the Government. (Cheers. "We
knew you would,") - so far as he would be permitted
to disclose it in the presence of some fourteen or fif-
teen members of Parliament. (Cheers.) With re-
gard to the land bill of the Government ("The less
said the better,") they promised when they took office
that they would do their beat to pass a land bill
which would suit the wants of the country and
remedy the evils of the existing law. He thought
it was about this time last year that be was invited
by the citizens of Glen Innes to a banquet, on the
occasion of his passing through from Grafton. He
promised them that the Government would do its
best to pass a land bill framed on the lines of equity
and justice. He believed that the Government had
redeemed the pledge he then gave them (no, no ) ;
and that the land bill, without having had a single
principle disturbed which it contained when
introduced, had been wisely amended by the
patriotic efforts of members of the Assembly.
The fate of the measure now rested with the House
of Lords. [" What does he say - 'the House of
Lords?'"] The Government in introducing the
measure had redeemed its pledge, and he had to
thank the members for that district who were there
that night for the great co-operation and assistance
they had given the Government in passing the
measure. He also thanked the members of Her
Majesty's Opposition present, for their attitude to
the bill was, he was sure, conscientious, and they
desired to make it as perfect as possible. (Hear,
hear.) He would say no more about the Land
Bill for the land question was not his forte.
He was the controller of the Treasury chest, but for
the time being he was also Minister of Works. Mr.
Abbott, his colleague, the Minister of Mines, had on
Friday left Sydney for the purpose of addressing
the people of Glen Innes, and of going fully into the
land question, He regretted, and they would also
regret, Mr. Abbott's inability to participate in that
banquet, and to enlighten them on that measure.
Then he had to regret the absence of his colleague,
Mr. Wright (hear, hear), who accompanied him
from Grafton to Glen Innes last year, and who he
really believed laid the foundation stone of his
illness by that desperate walk up the Nymboyd
road. With regard to his other colleagues,
as a matter of course it was impossible
for all the members of the Government to leave
Sydney at one and the same time. There
were such things as pirates, and the ship of the
State, if left unprotected, might be taken possession
of by the enemy. The acts of the Ministry spoke
for themselves; they had done the best for the
people with the light within them ; they strove to
administer their powers for the good of the country.
(Hear, hear) Time alone would show whether
they had succeeded or not in any portion of their
labours ; or had succeeded in passing a wise and
considerate land measure. But he believed the
country was with the Government on that mea-
sure. The company had met that night for
the purpose of celebrating a most important event in
the history of any human being. They were met for
the purpose of celebrating the union of the towns of
Armidale and Glen Innes. That was a marriage
ceremony of the utmost importance-binding these
two towns together with a ring of iron. No doubt
this marriage would be fraught with the weightiest
results to the towns and to the country at large. He
congratulated them on such a red-letter day for
the people of the districts concerned. No doubt they
were ready to bear what the Government policy was
with respect to the Grafton and Glen Innes railway.
Mr. See had been most solicitous for information
during dinner, but he (Mr. Dibbs) had resisted the
seductions of the member for Grafton, and had told
him nothing. Mr. Fergusson, on the other bend,
wanted to know about the Glen Innes to Inverell
railway. It was not usual to make any statement
of policy before it was made to the Parliament or
the country within the walls of Parliament. But
perhaps he might be permitted in the presence of
so many members of Parliament, to depart a little
from the custom, and yielding to the hospitality of
Glen Innes, trust to these members of Parlia-
ment to defend him. It concerned the people
of Glen Innes and the people of Inverell
to know something about the Government
railway policy. Before he sat down he might be
be able to tell them something about it. He would
take that opportunity, before a gathering of people
deeply interested in the success of our railways, to
make a partial allusion to a letter which left the
shores of New South Wales, and had been published
in - a paper in the United Kingdom called The
Engineer. In this paper the writer had assumed
the nom de plume of "New South Wales," and he
informs the English people that our commercial
position is unsound, that its policy ¡s protective and
not freetrade, and that our railway lines are only
made by political jobbery. The writer of that
letter, a resident of New South Wales, had dared to
use as a signature the name of the province he bad
traduced. He took that opportunity of publicly re-
futing the gross libel thus perpetrated on the com-
mercial and political government of the country.
He would say emphatically that it contained a wilful
and gross misstatement, with regard to the financial
earnings of the railways of New South Wales
(hear, hear). There were unpatriotic men in all
countries. In times of war, men had been found
base enough to sell their country for a few hundred
pounds, or to betray a fort or a garrison to the enemy.
Whoever that gentleman might be ("Hit him hard")
he must be a man intimately acquainted with the
question, because the facts and figures cited could
not have been got at by an outsider. (VOICES.
"Luscombe") He would give the people of Glen
Innes some idea of the amount of capital the colony
had invested in railways and of the works completed
and their cost. The total sum borrowed by this
colony for railway purposes up to the end of 1883,
was £19,188,000, of which sum £16,905,000 had
been expended upon lines open at this present
time. At the end of 1883, 1320 miles were open
for traffic. To this must now be added the 63 miles
opened that day, making a total of about 1400 miles,
Before going further into statistics, he would ask
those of them who had been young enough, to re-
member when the first sod of the first railway was
turned by Lady Keith Stewart. That was thirty
years since - a time quite in the memory of
many men considered young to-day. When that
first sod was turned he would have been
a bold man who prophesied a great success for
that railway between Sydney and Parramatta.
But railways had grown since in New South Wales,
so that in no part of the world had the energy and
enterprise of the Anglo-Saxon to go ahead been
more conspicuous. Railways had been pushed on
with such force and such vigour that within thirty
years we had climbed the mountains into New
England, we had overcome the rugged fortresses of
the Blue Mountains, we had surmounted difficulties
that would have dismayed any but the Anglo-Saxon
and the Australian race. (Cheers.) And now
we had fourteen hundred miles of railway
opened. At the end of 1883 we had 683
miles under construction. At the end of this year
he hoped Parliament would at the instance of the
Government have sanctioned the construction of 600
or 700 miles more. (Hear, hear.) The gross earnings
of our railways last year reached in amount, if they
did not exceed, the gross income from the custom
house. Last year the gross returns from the rail-
ways were £1,931,464. To obtain this enormous
gross yield, which showed how largely our railways
were used, and the vast amount of good which must
accrue to the people who had paid this two millions
sterling, an expenditure of £1,177,000 was incurred,
which left say a sum of £753,676 as the contri-
bution of the railways to the revenue of the
country towards paying interest on loans and
meeting the expenses of government. And, after
paying interest on the money borrowed for the
railways open for traffic, there was a profit from net
earnings of £72,589. That was clear proof that the
railways of the colonies would pay, and the paper he
held in his hand showed that they produced direct
and indirect benefits to the people. The figures he
had quoted gave by themselves the lie to the gross
libel on the colony of New South Wales which
has been perpetrated by the person who had
used those fair initials to traduce the character
of this country. He would not weary them with
figures, but he was defending the honor of the
country, and would quote some more figures to
confound those persons who would prevent our
borrowing money in the home country. It had
been alleged, but never proved, that we spend a
large amount of our railway income for the purposes
of what was termed renewal and maintenance, which
should be charged to capital account. He held in his
hand a return for 1883, which showed an expenditure
of £214,000 for additions and alterations; but these
were all new works. It had been alleged that we did
not charge to working expenses the enormous sum
annually paid for repairs to rolling stock. Last
year we paid out of income for working expenses,
renewals and repairs, etc., £237,000, We paid for
ordinary maintenance, not special repairs, £251,000.
These figures, when read in England alongside the
libel in the Engineer, would give the lie to the
libeller. Now, the views of the Government respect-
ing railways were that the progress and prosperity
of the country could only be secured by making
railways from one end of the country to the other.
The Government intended to submit a scheme
for covering the flat plains of the interior
with light railways, say 60lbs. steel rails
to the mile, because the opinion of the
Government was that such railways were not 20 per
cent. dearer than the construction of ordinary roads.
They should submit a scheme of light railways as a
cardinal principle of their railway policy. In a
sparsely-peopled country like this, the only way of
developing the resources of the country, and of
inducing population to go into the interior, was to
make railway lines, consistent with efficiency and
safety, as cheaply as possible. And now he
must say one word about the extension from
Glen Innes. He intended to submit to the Cabinet
a proposal for a railway to join the town of Glen
Innes with the town of Inverell. (Long continued
cheering.) He had no doubt the Cabinet would
adopt his suggestion-(cheers)-and that Parlia-
ment would approve (cheers); especially the mem-
bers for that district. He believed the line would
pass through some of the richest land in the colony,
peopled by an energetic community. The connexion
of Grafton with Glen Innes was a different question,
and a more difficult. He would however recommend
to the Cabinet a line from Glen Innes to Grafton
(cheers), but he could not be sure that his colleagues
would think with him in this respect. And it would
be for the Parliament to sanction both lines. He
thanked them for the patience with which they bad
listened to him, and for the manner in which they
had received the toast.
The toast of " The Parliament" was proposed by
Mr. P. McCORMACK, and responded to by Mr.
SUTHERLAND, M.P.; by Mr. LUSCOMBE, M.L.A., who
denied that he had written the letter referred to by
the Minister, and who spoke amid hisses, his
assurance being apparently questioned; and by
Mr. MURRAY, M.L.A., and by Mr. SEE, M.L A.
Both these gentlemen said they thought the diffi-
culties in the way of the construction of a line from
Grafton to Glen Innes had been much overrated, and
doubted whether it was really more difficult than the
line from Tamworth to Armidale. They also dwelt
upon the value of the trade which would become
mutual between the districts, Glen Innes supplying
wheat and taking sugar in exchange.
The remaining toasts on the lists were "Our
Member," "The Municipal Council," "The Contrac-
tor," "The Railway Department," "The Visi-
tors," "Prosperity to Central New England,"
"The Pastoral, Agricultural, and Mining Interests,"
"The Press," "The Chairman," "The Vice-Chair-
man," and "The Ladies." We were obliged to leave
to catch the return train, but we doubt whether the
whole list was gone through, as the guests were,
when we left, filing out, Oratory is not appreciated
in New England. The proceedings of a day in which
much heartiness and earnestness were shown, ended
in a ball in the large engine-shed.
The bulk of the visitors left Glen Innes by special
trains, some to come to Armidale, and others to pro-
ceed down the country. The Maitland travellers had
a weary journey of eighteen hours, and the New-
castle gentlemen a further trial of endurance.
$