Letter from Thomas MacNay to Henry Pease

Stockton and Darlington Railway
Secretary’s Office, Darlington
June 23 1860

Dear Sir
I was at Middlesbro on the day, when your letter came, therefore could not communicate with Durham Clr. in time for this week – if you still think there is a value in it I will attend to your suggestions for another week – I enclose an article which appeared in the No. Express on Sunday.
As to Saltburn, I scarcely know how this matter stands, but I am afraid we are going to

[Page 2]

lose the Summer. I think there is a growing feeling in favour of the reputation of Saltburn – if anything is to be done it should be duly commenced with. Since I received your note I have seen Mr Salter and have agreed with him that we go to Aske on Monday and see Ld. Zetland both on the Saltburn Land and on Simmonds [illegible] case & Trevor [illegible] The latter is prompting the Referees to act in such a way, as is evidently prejudicial to Ld. Zetland.
I have had H K Spark twice this week respecting W Hpool, it was agreed yesterday

[Page 3]

by our Board that 2 of our Members & 2 N Eastern should meet him RWJ and I have this morning had a message from [illegible] naming next Friday – I have therefore written to N Eastern to get an early meeting. I think, now that NE & S&D have arranged, [underlined] they must get him out of the way, the plan appears to be this, take the Nett Revenue of NE, S&D and W H’pool for a given or agreed period and divide the future revenue either for 3 yrs as a trial at that scale, or in perpetuity - that is, divide amongst H’pool shareholders ½ yearly, the amount of the proportion

[Page 4]

suppose it to be 7 parts and of a 100 or any other portion.
As soon as the said 3 Companies have agreed, then meet L & N Western and see what they have to fear, and at once dispel their fears by agreeing that we will have free trade, by allowing the Traffic on all occasions to go as consigned, whether by Normanton [underlined] or Tebay [underlined] we will not influence it, if this was done I think we might fairly anticipate that there will be peace in our part of the earth for the space of ---- years.

I remain respectfully
Thos. Macnay

H Pease Esq. MP London