The Sun. — London, England, 1845-06-10 00:00:00

Is ll 1,9 TE j 1 cl Al; e e' gr. 0 01° co n dee• a ill tbelr to I h ° l 6 Ie v" d 0 1 ' 1 01 0 1 0 11. 00. 0 4. : 13 . Pe. RAIL IV AY COAIMIT TEES. (YESTERDA Y.) GROUP FF. Z)I ITBtrRGH AND NORTHERN LINE. ( Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) atlit Bateman, another civil engineer, corroborated the testimony % t he last witness. He considered the ferry as a great impediment lt s . 7e tile Safe and easy working of the line. The branch to Lochgelly 11ertainly not calculated to accommodate all the coal-fields of -It district. c ross.examination, he said he had been sent over by the `tetisferry Company, of which he had the entire management. th:IL George Rennie, the civil engineer, was well a c qua i n t e d w i t h blirlroute of the line, and believed the evidence of the preceding it .eeses W as perfectly correct. o th `r• George Gunn, a civil engineer and a marine surveyor, and 7: W itnesses, gave corroborative testimony. ah;ir• Mitchell, a civil engineer, thought a railway with only a M ho li ne of way cou ld not accommodate the through traffic be _ *fit Edinburgh and Perth. The majority of the through traffic r lktb). way Queensferry, and by way of Burntisland. he Williams, mining engineer to the Earl of Zetland, said the sli st ,Md not a ccommo d ate the most important coal-fields of the th e e t through which it passed. It would certainly pass through Ml-fields of Fife, but they were of an inferior quality. the l ast °4ll , a coal proprietor of Cluny, confirmed the testiony witness, and the Comm tee adjourned till to-morrowm. GROUP t_iu. The C ZASGONAT JUNCTION RAILWAY. ts' Co mmittee, consisting of Mr. Evans (Chairman), Mr. Newde_ ;mod t w r• Muntz, Mr. Miles, and Viscount Grimston, sat this day, _v . ve o'clock, in the Sessions.house, Westminster, and is with the cross-examination of Mr. Miller, the civil en. on the above line. tidne witness was severely cross-examined as to the minute de li,'" of the line, the of • h item, the quantity of tunnels, t enn4 ,.. cost %be e _ r of viaduct, the particular gradients on the whole dis. tat p ar ' t 7nd What particular property would be altogether de,troyed dice 14 ; 11 Y injured. The whole was a mere repetition of the evi ttat T h l u ' v r e .,, n by Mr. Miller in his examination in chief during — aY and Friday's proceedings. The cost of construe putablint calculating damages to property, &c., would be in round rs about 75,0001. 44.4; Gibb, civil eng i neer, had been in partnership with his father an Y Years, an d h ad now contracted for about 200 miles of ich rai l WaYB, and he considered th e es ti ma t es o f thi s li ne amp l y 44 _ 11 ett for its construction. He would accept the works for the n t given in the estimates. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Lyon gave precisely similar evidence. trtinel had not examined the plans and sections, but he hs'elieeno difficulty in the formation or working of these tunnels, thought it w as an a b sur di ty to question the safety of them. t iltin;) "'afloat), Governor of the Towns' Hospital, said that the *hid, Pass ed beneath th e h osp it a l th roug h a stratum o f san d s t one, tki4 - *4 a good conductor of sounds. and he had never heard the of the trains passing through. Thomas Leadbctter put in and proved the estimate ofdamage the land and other property by the railway. The amount Tae 96,000 L e Co mmittee adjourned at four o'clock. 0 , 0 , - 00 re 0° f url f 0 1 pr I A O. crtDl 01 1 ' .00 Of"' GROUP K. I tOILVTICH AND BRANDON LINE. b.. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Of was then given of the accuracy of the traffic and distance sh at the feasibility o f ra i s i ng t h e cap i tal by the issue of 10,800 4 04' 4, 4 other technical matters , and the preamble of the Lynn 'ast tth D ereham line through Swaffharn was passed. aut Clause which authorises the Company to pay interest at the i . 4. 4041.. P . e ,. , cent on the amount of subscription paid up being read, : l o t t e regardi ng th e principle f the power objectionable, ta ncede it only on the condition that if on their repre. h t : the House of Commons a concurrent opinion thl u otre.,, ' the Bill should be recommitted. The agents for the dap it atier t, rather than be liable to a contingency which would *hie 71 4 ` enormous expense, preferred the withdrawal of the - oth. r was accoriny done. clauses were subsequently discussed, and pasted 21,with %try. alb a —"l atee then proceeded to the consideration of the A.._ ATTLEBOROUGII BRANCH Or RVIICH AND BRANDON LINE. ray S a . —uel Farrow examined by Mr. GIRDEN—Was some ot er . 'lee . b.:Nte..._ hasher-merchant at Dies, but owing to the . difficulty le tn ''ce by the present slow and expensive transit, he was r s at "D e° %Pete with tne tradesmen of Ipswich. The price of p r i4 ; _ * ich, 3 65. per ton, 12s. of which is paid for carriage from —•ce of ""ile at Yarmouth the cost is materially less, and the ke l lY k e°°v eYance proportionably so. 14, 4 t• Th. "OEN—The meeting was not convened by advertise. p,ettr Opinion of the inhabitants of Dim is decidedly in 'eject nf . 'ne Diss and Attleborough Branch, rather than the h.kr th e Eastern . Counties Extension.. . `Ala. * I 4 Cha p l examined—ls an extensive miller, residing at 0 and thenff 300 quarters of wheat and barley per week to Ips. e, if not sold, to Liverpool, at a cost of 7s. a quarter. 114 ant of ...Nb ie a rapid communication prevents his sending any con. Ztlag qua of flour. Last year he paid 1,5081. for the land kae ra ge of the shipping subsequently entailing a large in - layi,„„ Proposed Diss and Attleborough branch would effect °f 6s - ,, sk eza quarter in the transit of produce. t oh * erp e , 4 _Tined by Mr. WHATELEY, Q.C.--From Ipswich to Ti l e arid th raitl at this season of the year is conveyed at Is. a hic.,t4tero Prl!e between Diss and Ipswich is 2s. or 3s. a quarter. Enron Extension line would not be a readier commu. tte,, x4 tan ;Norwich than the Diss and Attleborough branch. sh. tariv e „. In " by Mr. ANDREWS, Q.C.—lt costs him 7s. a quarter jay krAcE wheat, and 6s. for malt, to Liverpool. zit1.311,41:1"N--The price of 7s. a quarter is made up by . com. ee h o „ gage , dues, &c. The average time to Newcastle is two t i r. ue tetti n , examined by Mr. GIRDEN—IS an ironmonger at s g his war es from Birmingham v i a Ipsw i ch an d Yen. thrttn. „l'ortaer °Rha Th uPP° 2 l° 6 the invaluable acy had a com commodation would b e a munication between Diss and m he Most ft.rcied thr, Pig iron is now o b ta i ned from Scotland, and reaches etadal CosaUgh Yarmouth eatnined 3' ti„, . Mr. WRATELEY, Q C.—Now one-fifth of the trevi otis .tT, at Diss is procure d from Ipswich. ti t 7bsei, the separation of the Committee it was agreed by Wi„.. Pre sent to.mo rrow a ta b ular account o f th e p o p u l a . tt 'n2,l three m i les of the towns. It was also announced bkt ..? l' W th t e lte u l ey , ne . C., that the opposition of the only resisting c o ry and Cambridge line had been withdrawn. ulallttee adjourned at four o'clock. a c li jf il • Ist ; r ic sl e° o o . 7 : 11 . ao or o u m y • 0;0 GRO GP KK ' lt ° o 7.l AND MANCHESTER EXTEN k • „„, ood SION. Illy 'We n B , the en g i neer of the Liverpool and Manchester line, be co nfirmatory of Mr. Lowndes' statement on Satur "Nti aPPeared in our paper of that day. At the close of this to7lton-`itea llt BELLI,SIS said he appeared for Lo r d F ranc i s l ab .d several landowners along the line, and also an Manchester Company. Th obj" 54 , 74ti 0n k ' of the Liverpool and Bury ßailway line were to extend corn e the to Of bet ween those towns and that of Bolton, but the r ea l V t er en‘ithe promoters were, first, to compete with the Man. St i altlt e ,7 ‘ , Liverpool Railway, and, secondly, to deprive it of no b e great towns of Yorkshire. He hoped the project te o av o; ° f avour with the Committee, and that the Legislature 4 4 orth: !triking 411,4 so heavy a blow against that which was the pa ' 111 : 4 , • tot", system in this country. He did not deny that the i'toksed":inication between Liverpool and the towns at which lleNatne,„,ne would touch was at present imperfect, and re ofdel:!llent. He did not deny that there was at present a good ; re delay l i b the tr ansference of goods, particularly at the Button tlieT t ten, u w t h e L iverpool and Manchester Railway, which he re. t Drje, would propose a far more eligible :communication than ted NON by the promoters of this Bill. The Learned ern on to etv, ‘'etty r „._ say that the witnesses upon the other side 411 th_'""gerated the traffic and passenger communication ;4 4 ' th e _ a r to. c , and he would produce evidence to show lair,. calations tided , ; Mon a the other side were utterly erroneous 4 I f, 411 ° , :ne cases the amount being doubled, in others *et wlaliY, in deed , qua dr up led , an d in not a few cases e p ourv , , • es t i . e. " 4 to have " vlog left the place where thousands of tons ol t , „la L ow ‘, been transhipped. The line which he proposed to est °ft, on the Bolton and Preston line, three miles ;hitt tpr . .e a tOq V tio i t ° it i ‘. ll e Manchester and Liverpool line at Newton h trial to state that this line would be carried t lte t .Y the Manchester and Liverpool Railway, , 4 44 4 .°Pos ed Wi th the sanction of Parliament. The line WoUld Pass through some of the richest coal. '4 474 aud ' w • t o -h at - fa vour as surprised at the Board of Tra e for 14,thetn. report been the Liverpool and Bury line, and made T he 'Au been founded on misrepresentations made Oi s h ab d ..raenPort set forth that the resources of the s od )47 s uch 't aschester line were all engaged in the _w not the fact. There were only four subscri. 11.11sh_17. hoe. five from Bolton in favour of the Liverpool Zle ti * e a in LL :to sningle shareholder in Liverpool had bought ee, e, v erp on; Zidfl_e than all the inhabitants of Bolton together. Tae c oup :rY line was a crude, hasty, and imperfect Vtio tt 'oeLi ve have originated in the present speculative •ith `s, or c a re tPo.oleand Manchester line would be on a level with {Nan d ere,. e e ,, b. 'oro hu n g terminus of the other would be forty feet 44'44 ,Co tlit Zted yards frem the docks. The stations pro uktt,ltiodatet! were far inore comprehensive, and they t e ‘.4 ,7les thinknitinitelY more persons than the other. The b ut e other side were altogether wrong, and he Ote tki '4 O 44 elu t i oilir. the Board of Trade must have come 6 b,. ton e q Liver_ the these erroneous figures. The Man. 44 ; 4 ' t° an ex Rail way had already done much—they t H ,‘Od e xPense f mith Live „ 13 2 50,000 1 . to join the Men_ R e) .•1 1 e had la , m- allway with the Leeds Railway. The / 6.; d before them he would prove by witnesses. ill k ott t p Pliny thaw w as , and h agent to the Bolton and Leigh Rail. Mil:t tab! ad been so for sixteen years. Had examined Pil th° se " to the Board of Trade by the pro_ e bet "Pool a nd . B , Bury line, and found them , incorrect. • Q ' t °4 414 Liverpool was stated bl them to be • ' ll ?%z t ., GROUP A. 2.4114731°1Vg CHATMIDT, ANSD NORTH RENT LINE. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) All of those witnesses expressed strong opinions in preference of lie Sou th -Eastern to the North. Kent line. Mr. M ERREWETHE R then called jar "' R ussell, foreman t o M r. E . Sm i th, a paper maker, at Sit tingbourne, who stated that the proposed line passed within fifty lards of the factory of his employer. The witness then entered In to the d etails of injury likely to be done to Mr. Smith's business 0 7 the passing of steam-engines near the mills. tMr. ALYZaNnett then stated the case of Sir John Fagg, who is a 'clowner at Chilham, and called several witnesses to prove that land would be crossed by the proposed line, being already crossed by the Ashford and Canterbury. _Mr. M EREEWETHER then went through the case of several ether petitioners and called several wi t n esses on th e i r b e h al f . Mr . WORLED O E then addressed the Committee on behalf of Mr. LIAM, ilton, a l andowner and a petitioner, against the Bill, and Called several witnesses to prove the value of two fields, the Property of /q r. Hamilton, thr o u g h w hi c h th e propose d li ne s i u ro ld un P d ass, and a l so to prove the injury which would be done to g building ground by the embankment of the railway, hic in ft would be thirty feet high. a M . r. Boni. referred to the case o f th e i n h a bi tants of F evers h am, i „ i cin ient he r e g e 9Uar:o d t s ui t ten nednthat their opposition might be permitted to proceed, dtiraxit tt,)t,/e inhabitants of every place through which W I t wer e not • pass had a right to oppose the line, though sandowners. hid t i ;; Set ereitnt SHEA objected on the ground that the inhabitants and :Wore right to o pp ose t h e li ne t h an t h e pu bli c i n general, f7O c t he., 'chat the opposition was got up by the South-Eastern Company, 11 Purpose of d e l ay i ng t h e proceed i ngs. e C ommittee decided against hearing the case. mit • a, , martezwErne tt then opened the case on the part of the —~"1-Eastern line and, on the ground that he was not sufficiently ''.9trainted with the intentions of the Croydon Railway Company to th e 'y on a part of his case, which would be directed against requested that several charges respecting the atmospheric should be answered by the Croydon Company. 'lr MELLOR, on the part of th e C ro yd on R a il wa y C o mp an y , .tett to giving the a n swers requ i re d , b ut a f ter a s h ort di scuss i on ▪ •vetl to take time to consider. theMr• M ERREWETHER then proceeded with the case on the part of S• outh -E astern Railway Company, and called witnesses to prove go ng against th e Ch at h am and N ort h K ent l i ne, an d i n favour th o outh-tastern line, at' Woolwich, and to prove the supe • "tY of the North Eastern. 'The principal objection to the North le nt l ine was the distance of the intended terminus from the town oolivich which it was said would render it perfectly useless, c onsideration of this part of the case occupied the Corn blitte e to the hour of adjournment. p 59,506 tons, whereas it was only 25,600 tons. It was said upon the other side that the traffic between Bolton and Wigan was in minerals, &c., 268,450 on the Bolton and Leigh Railway_that statement had no existence in fact; ,the goods did not pass to and from those towns. Cross-examined by Mr. WILKINS —The foot passage traffic was between Wigan and Bolton. Bolton contained 90,000, and Wigan 60,000 inhabitants. Mr. Hargrave's lease in canal and railway would end with the present year. Mr. Henry Abraham, stop gate-keeper on the Leda and Liver pool Canal—The annual traffic was 424,761 tons. The witness was not cross examined. Mr. Walmsley Stanley, engineer to the Lewis and Liverpool Canal Company—Fourteen miles of this canal ran through a coal field, exclusive of 6 miles near Leigh. They had 11 curves for coal wharfs in Liverpool. It was essential there should be a corn. munication of this kind for coal traffic. At the termination of this witness's evidence the Committee ad journed to the following day. GROUP L. PORTS'WOITTLI LITMOSPEEIZIC LINE. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Pope, the eminent coal merchant, stated that he had been the first person to send coals by the South. Western Railway. For the carriage of coal the charges were—for unloading Bd. a ton; lighterage, 9d. to 10d.; unloading and warehousing, 7d. ; and meterage, 3d. ; one-half of the meterage the captain paid; so that the cost of getting coals to the South •West. ern Railway is 2s. 41d. a ton. On the Brighton Rail. way the united charges were 2s. 11111. a ton ; but he was making a dock and wharf at Deptford-creek, which he was under a bond to the Greenwich Railway Company to make a public wharf; and from that wharf, which was between Greenwich Hos. pital and Deptford Dockyard, he could unload the ships at a half. penny a ton, and get coals on to the Greenwich Railway for 4d. Had an agreement with the Greenwich Railway Company to carry for another 4d. ; the wharfage would be 2d. ; and meterage, as usual, I d. a ton, so that he could supply coals at Dorking for the same price as lie could send them to Charing.cross. He had had a ship of 280 tons unloaded in the dock, and there would be every facility for the transit of goods, not only along the proposed atmospheric line, but also with the North Kent to Chatham. He also sent a great quantity of shoddy, a peculiar kird of manure applied to the hop grounds about Dorking, and there was a good deal of lime which came up from that part of the country. To the cross examination of Mr. COCKBURN, Mr. Pope stated that he had cempleted his own side of the dock since he gave his evidence on the Epsom line last year, at a cost of about 2,000!., but the other aide was as yet incomplete in consequence of the transactions between the Greenwich Railway Company and the South-Eastern Company. One side of the dock was his own freehold, but the other side had been leased of the Greenwich Rail. way Company for 99 years, and they were under an agreement to complete that side of the dock within two years from last Decem ber. The cost to them would be from 3001. to 5001,. and, of course, the South. Eastern Company would be glad to complete their side of the dock, because it would bring a gond deal of tonnage to their line. In his opinion, the means which he adopted for the tranference of the coals from the ships to the railway wag. gone was much more economical. Mr. Barclay, M.P. for Sunderland, residing at Eastwich Park, near Leatherhead, stated that the whole of the country in his neigh bourhood was very much in want of railway communi. cation. The nearest station was at Esher on the South- Western line, and the time occupied in getting to the City was about two hours and twenty minutes, and the mode of conveyance was expensive. The whole of the country was thickly studded with the villas of gentlemen connected with commercial affairs, and who very frequently came to London. His own place was 2 miles from Leatherhead, on the Guildford road, and about 6 miles from Epsom. On the whole the London. bridge terminus was by far the most convenient, and there was no other railway which offered any facilities for conveyance. Mr. Joseph Cubitt, engineer, stated that he was the acting engineer in laying out the proposed line, in which he had enjoyed the benefit of his father's assistance. The line began at the ter mination of the Epsom line, which was 18 miles 5 furlongs from Dorking, thence by Leatherhead, and a tunnel at Norbury Park, 450 yards long, to Wootley-ridge, which they passed by a tunnel 660 yards long, thence to the ridge on which Haslemere stands, which they passed by a tunnel of 1,733 yards long, at a distance of thirty miles ; thence to Lippock, four miles; thence to Petersfield, eight miles; and rising to the South-down Hills, which they passed by a tunnel 1,254 yards long; thence by Ids worth and Rowland's Castle, through a short tunnel of 140 yards in length, to Havant, eleven miles; and thence by Bedhampton to Portsmouth, seven miles, making the total length of line sixty miles three chains, and the whole distance from London nearly seventy-nine miles. The heaviest cutting would be forty feet deep, and would require 327,000 yards of earthwork, and the greatest embankment would require 22,000 yards of earthwork, and would be about twenty-eight feet high —about fifteen miles from Epsom. The deepest gradient was lin 80, and the gradients gradually decreased 1 in 475. The horizontal was seven miles long, and the rest of the railway was laid out in the gradients, the steepest being about four miles long. The Chichester Branch was about 31 miles long, and the rest was easy in gradients. There were no curves of less than half a mile radius. The works were certainly heavy, but easy of execution. The total estimate was 1,407,165/., including land. That was on the principle of a single atmospheric line, trit the land taken was sufficient for a double line. The estimate included the pipe and the electric telegraph, but not the working plant nor any compensation for the patent right, the last being included in the working cost. The railway might be opened in two yoars from its commencement. The estimate covered the Chichester branch, and in the whole comprised a distance of 69 miles. The proposed line certainly went through a country far more deficient in the means of conveyance than that through which the Chichester and Guild ford line passed. He had laid out a branch to Guildford, and had surveyed another to Reigate, the plans of the latter of which had been deposited, but both were abandoned at a late period. To the cross-examination of Mr. COCKBURN, Mr. Cubitt stated that the first and principal cutting was in clay, and was proposed to be 3tol in slope, and was to be 24 feet deep at bottom. There were 34 other cuttings passing through chalk sand and clay, varying from 1 to 1 in slope to 1 in 3, and from 30 to 50 feet in depth, and being from half a furlong to la miles from each other. The total quantity of earth work would be 4,233,779 yards and of embankment 2,402,958 yards, effected at a charge of from 9d. to Is. 3d. a yard. The charge for tunnelling at Norbury would be 30/. a yard, at Woot ley 45/., at Haslemere 45/., and at Buriton, 301. a yard. The total cost of the tunnelling would be 163,1851., and for the earth. work 200,2451. The bridges and culverts would cost just the same amount, 200,245/. The permanent way would be made at a c:,•st of 2,600/. a mile, being for ballast 660!., sleepers 440/., chairs 93/. 175., intermediate chairs 2811. 158., rails at 501bs per yard, 291/., and the laying 176/., making a total cost of 166,4001. for the main line, and !the branch, 23,400/. The vacuum tube and the electric telegraph would cost 4,5001. a mile, making a total cost in thatdepartrnent of 270,0001 The vacuum tube on the main fine was to be 18-inch, and would require 320 tons a mile; that on 'the branch line would be 15-inch, and would require 264 tons of metal per mile The cost of the electric telegraph wodtd be 12,0001 , and the cost of laying that and the vacuum tube would be 240/. a mile. The cost on the branch line to Chichester would be, for fencing, 2,800/. a mile; earth work, 9,321/. ; for bridges, 27,750/. ; permanent way, 23,400/. , for vacuum tubes, 37,628/. ; for the electric tube, 1,750/. ; land, 14,602/. ; and for contingencies and stations, 9,987/. a mile; mak. ing a total for the branch line of 127,2351., and for the main line, 1,279,9301. The number of stations on the main line was pro posed to be thirteen, erected at a cost of 61,000/., and there would be two stations on the branch line. The stationary engines were now strict'y within his department, but he believed that they were to be at a distance of three miles from each other, and were to be double engines of, together, 130 horse power. . - Mr. GINNING appeared for Lord Grantley, who has an estate near Wonersh, and endeavoured to elicit from Mr. Cubitt that the direction of the line had been needlessly altered. It appeared that the nearest point of the railway would be within 150 yards of Lord Grantley's house where there would be an embankment about 27 feet high, but the viilage of Wonersh lay between the two. There was, however, a portion of the line not more than 300 yards from the house, where there was no building to intercept the sight of the railway. The radius of curve at the park was about three-quarters of a mile. To the cross-examination of Mr. M. SMITH, Mr. Cubitt stated that there would be seven roads crossed at a level, and he proposed to cross the line by small balance bridges, which were to remain up generally, and which would be lowered over the tube whenever a carriage wanted to pass over, and a man would be placed at those points to lower and raise the bridges. To the cress-examination of Mr. WADDINGTON, Mr. Cubitt stated that the branch line would leave the main line at Havant, and he proposed to use the station of the Brighton and Chichester line at Chichester. To the cross-examination of Mr. RewuNsoN, the witness stated that the main rooms looked away from the line down the opposite valley, and that there was a wall twelve feet high at the back of the premises, and the whole of the village between the house and the railway. It was intended to pass the canal by a viaduct screened from the house, except the upper windows, by a wood. The line would run about 200 yards from Gosden House, the seat of Mr. Sparks, but it went altogether through farming ground, and he did not think that any ornamental property whatever would be disturbed. They had contracted for the atmospheric tube at Si. 15s. a ton, while that on the Epsom and Croydon line was to be 71. 15s. a ton. The rails on this line were to be W. 10s. per ton. _ _ To the inquiries of Mr. M. MILNER, the witness stated that the great features of the line had been adopted from the beginning, and he had adopted this line, because from Godalming it was the shortest, and enabled him to join the atmospheric line at Epsom ; and he did not think that the advantage of the better gradients, on the other line, was worth consideration. To the inquiries of Lord CLIVE, the witness stated that there would be nineteen engine stations between London and Portsmouth, and there would be five or six crossing places on the line. There would be a means of communicating, by the electric telegraph, between station and station. To Mr. OSWALD—The witness said that the heaviest portion of the line was between Godalming And Dorking; and the steepest gradient, lin 80, was on the way to Havant. There were many gradients steeper than this, there being one on the incline plane of the Birmingham line of lin 37. The tunnels were 14 feet clear way, and 16 feet high, clear. The brickwork was to be 18 inches in the chalk, and 2 feet 6 inches in the sand and clay. He could not speak as to the opportunity of continuing the traffic, if the tunnels were to be enlarged for a double line, nor could estimate the expenses, but the proportion might be half as much again. The Committee here adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP LL. THE LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY EXTENSION. Mr. CHAMBERS (in continuation from our Afttrnoon Edition of yesterday) said—The Bishop of Carlisle and his 'we, Mr. Alleyne Williams, would be irreparably injured. When the Committee were dealing with a question of this matter they ought not to look to the persons, but ought to take into consideration the protection which they ought to afford to church property, and take care that it should not lose in value to the successors of the prelate or to the Church, which would be benefited by that pro perty. The value of the property in question was 6001. a year, which would be much lessened if Mr. Woodward could not receive his rents. Mr. Woodward had within the last twenty years be. come a rich and wealthy tradesman, and had erected m my hundreds of houses, the rents of which would be materially interfered with, and he would become a man of comparative poverty, and such compensation as was generally introduced into railway Bills could not recompense him. His other clients would be similarly injured, as their property was new property, in which large sums of money had been invested. The traffic tables, he alleged, were grossly erroneous, and the preamble was not proved. It was originally intended to extend the present line to some place near Hungerford-bridg from the terminus at Nine Elms. But it appeared now that there was to be no extension from the present ter minus, but from the Wandsworth junction, which was contrary to what was advertised. He argued that the Committee, when dealing with this scheme, had to consider whether the present. line of railway could supply the demands of the vicinity of London or the demands of dis tant passengers, which the traffic tables showed. It would require four lines of railway to supply those demands. According to the present ground plan it would be impossible to do it. There should be an additional embank. ment, for which there was no provision made in the estimate. On the other hand, the Committee ought not to con. sider the contributary branches which were contemplated— they should look to the main trunk alone, and it was a case for post. ponement of such a scheme until they knew whether the branch projects were to be carried out. If an injury was to be done to a vast number of individuals and was to be exeused because a greater number were to be benefited, they should not do that injury until they saw that the greater number were about to be bene fited. He then alluded to the advantages which it was alleged that the intended extension would bestow upon pleasure passengers, and argued that the pleasure excur sion traffic was the most futile and most unsatisfactory that they could rely upon, as was already found out on the Brighton line. He would conclude by saying that the present scheme would destroy the comfort and convenience of avast number of in dividuals, and was to be carried out at the enormous expense of 800,0001., and he would ask whether it was not a case which ought to be postponed until they saw more clearly with reference to the advantages which the public would derive from it. If jus tice were done by granting proper compensation, twice the above sum would not be sufficient. The result of the evidence which he would produce would be that the intended extension would not be for the public benefit. Mr. Wiltshire was the first witness called. On examination by Mr. M. CHAMDERS, he statedthat he had been a surveyor and architect at Lambeth for the last thirty years, and was well acquainted with the property in that locality. He surveyed the pro. jected line several months ago He thought that it was exceedingly objectionable, because it would cut property in a diagonal direction, and passed all the great thoroughfares in a diagonal line. It would be more injurious than if it went directly across or by the side of property. He discovered that there could be made as good a line, and not at greater expense, which would not destroy property by so cut ting it in a diagonal direction. The property of the Messrs. Burnett, Woodward, the Bishop of Carlisle, and Mr. Streeton, would be injured in such a way as not to admit of compensation. The witness was then cross.axamined by Mr. HILL—He adhered to his statements on examination in chief. Mr. Cottinghain, architect, wa, next examined. His evidence corroborated that of the former witness with respect to the impos. sibility of affording full compensation to the proprietors of thepro. perty which the intended extension would cross. After a brief cross.examination of the witness, the Commit. tee rose. GROUP N. SOUTH DEVON AND TAVISTOCH RAILWAY, &c. At the sitting of the Committee this morning, Lord Morley, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce at Ply mouth, gave it as his opinion that the branch to Sutton Pool would offer great facilities to Plymouth; that the inhabitants were in favour of it; and that the traffic which such a line would carry would be considerable. Mr. Brunel, the engineer to the Company, was then examined. He stated that the line and branches would be worked by atmo. spheric traction. The estimated cost of the branches, including land and the laying down of the atmospheric system, would be Tavistock branch, 157,0001.; the Launceston branch, 130,0001.; Sutton Pool branch, 22,0001. ; New Passage, 35,100/. On the Tavistock branch there would be three tunnels, and a curve of eighteen chains, on a gradient of lin 42. On the Launceston and Tavistock branch there was a gradient of 1 in 261, but that was at the point of starting from Tavistock; at the Launceston end 1 in 27i for three-quarters of a mile. On the Sutton Pool branch the smallest gradient was 1 in 40 for a distance of the chains, and 1 in 64 for about half a mile. On the Millbury branch the smallest gradient was lin 43; in New Passage 1 in 25. The smallest radius of a curve on that line was 22 chains. By Mr. BasmwELL—The Plymouth and Dartmoor line, worked by horse power, could not be rendered available for the purposes of the presumed Sutton Pool branch. They proposed crossing that line. The atmospheric pipes might terminate on either side, or •he would carry the apparatus and the lines across 18 inches below those laid down. Mr. BRAMWELL then addressed the Court on behalf of Alder man Johnson, the proprietor of the Dartmoor line, and held that the projectors of the lines before the Committee had violated cer tain promises entered into with them respecting the taking of that line for the purpose of using it on a portion of their line. They subsequently altered their plan and proposed to carry their line in the same direction, and within 40 feet of it, by which great injury would be caused to the property of Alderman Johnson. Ihe room was then cleared, and after a deliberation of three. quarters of an hour the Committee adjourned until to-morrow. GROUP P. NEWPORT AND PONTYPOOL. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Committee having passed the remaining clauses of the New port and Pontypool Railway, the Bill was ordered to be reported, and, as had been surmised, they proceeded with the consideration of THE SOUTH WALES RAILWAY. Mr. AUSTIN (with whom were Mr. Talbot and Sir T. Phillips) appeared to open the case. He commenced by saying that the present scheme was one of the most important measures that he ever remern. bered to have been brought before a Committee of the House of Com mons for their consideration. It would appear from the maps before the Committee, that the line was proposed to traverse a very extensive range of country. The entire length of railway was 162 miles, going through a country at present entirely without the means of railway communication, and yet numerous in population, and abounding in mineral and agricultural produce. The line would establish a com munication with various ports on the great estuary of the Severn, and would terminate near the port of Milford, which was notoriously one of the most important ports in the country. The shore lying opposite to Ireland, and commanding all the extensive corn. coerce derivable from the south of Ireland, It would be very difficult to exaggerate the importance of that line. The Commissioners of the Board of Trade, who had inquired fully into the question with respect to the general utility of the proposed line, were of opinion that the benefits that would result to South Wales would be almost incalculable. He would shortly describe what the course of the proposed line would be. There appeared on the map, on the line called the Great Western, a place of the name of Standish, which had hitherto ueen a small and unimportant place, but which In the lapse of time, would, no doubt, become as notorious as some of the princi pal cities. Standish was the point of departure from which the proposed project would emanate from the Great Western line. Before proceeding from this point, the Learned Counsel called the attention :of the Committee to the general bearings of the line with respect to the Great Western Railway. It was pro posed to construct the South Wales line on the principle of the broad gauge, and no difficulty would arise on this head, as no opposition had been offered as to whether the line should be made on the broad or the narrow gauge. The proper point of departure for a South Wales line would be, without doubt, from Standish, whether it was in tended to accommodate the internal districts or the coast; and it was also the best means of communication for London and Manchester. From St. David's to London the communication would be nearly in a straight line. Standish would be also a very convenient point, as it approximated nearest to the port of Bristol, and with the west of England generally it would afford the nearest and best communication that could be obtained. From Standish to Glou. tester the distance was 72 miles, to Bristol 29 miles, and to Lon don 107 miles. It was intended to cross the River Severn at a point six miles from Standish, which formed a con siderable bend here. On crossing the Severn the line would enter the district of the Forest of Dean, which was a mineral district of ♦ery east importance, and belonged to the Crown. From thence the line proceeded along the coast, crossed the Wye, to a point called Chepstow, where the line entered the town of Monmouth ; and from thence, following the coast, reached the town of Cardiff, which was a port of con siderable importance. The course of the railway would then be entirely a straight line to Neath, a very large mineral dis trict. From Neath, the line traversed a rich agricultural mineral country to Swansea, from whence fully three-quarters of the entire copper used for manufacture was exported. The line then proceeded from Llanethly to Carmarthen, towards which town was a large converging of population and commerce ; it hence travelled west from Carmarthen to Milford Haven on to Fisbguard, from whence the distance across the channel to Wexford was seventy miles. It was very important that a more effectual communication between London and Ireland should exist, as the present means of communication round Holyhead was exceedingly inconvenient. The railway would also conduce very considerable to promote the commercial interests of Ireland, as regarded Wales and England. It could not fail to strike the Committee how important it must be to obtain a nearly direct com munication between Fishguard and the ports of Waterford and Wexford. Wales and Ireland would be mutually benefited. The strong opinion that had been expressed by the Commissioners of the Board of Trade as to the advan tages of the proposed line, would preclude the necessity, if any existed, of entering into any details as regarded the en. gineering department, or as to the produce of the country through which the line would pass. He would proceed at once to state that the estimated cost of the centre line, including all contin. gencies, was 2,800,0001., which sum was small when compared with the expense of lines of a similar important nature. The passenger traffic was expected to realisean income of 220,0001. a-year, from the conveyance of goods the revenue would be 205,0001. ; from other sources about ao,oeoi., making altogether a gross revenue of 450,0001. annually. The working expenses of the line bad been calculated at 40 per cent., which, being deducted from the gross revenue, will leave a clear net annual income of 274,0001., and which will yield an interest on the capital exceeding nine per cent. There were three branches on the line, one of which was called the Pembroke branch, and was 19 miles in length ; the second extended from Newport to Mon. mouth, and was 19 miles long, where it combines with the Hertford and Monmouth line, and the third branch, which was 7 miles in length, traversed the Forest of Dean and also united with the Hereford and Monmouth Railway, It was proposed to make a navigable cut across the bend of the river where the railway would pass. The Lords of the Ad miralty had demurred to the proposed scheme only with hesitation. The Commissioners of the Severn Navigation were satisfied the proposed mode of crossing the river would not be injurious. The Board of Commissioners of the Woods and Forests were strongly desirous that the line should be made, and the Board of Trade had decided it was desirable to be made, so that these three important and influential bodies are all pressing in its favour. The only persons who were likely to be effected by the construction of the bridge were those who were located above the crossing, and it would appear in evidence that these individuals were all unopposed to the project intended. The canal on the side of the Severn would, without doubt, tend considerably to pro. mote the traffic on the river, and would be a beneficial interference There was little or no opposition on the line, for on the 215 miles of railway there were only 15 miles opposed by landowners. The Learned Gentleman concluded his address by observing that he had left all details of an engineering nature entirely out of view, but he was satisfied he had stated enough to convince the Commit tee that the preamble of the Bill ought to be passed. The CHAIRMAN then said—l suppose, Mr. Austin, you have seen the letter from the Admiralty. Mr. AUSITN—Yes, Sir. The CHAIRMAN observed he was authorised in saying that that communication had been confirmed by a subsequent intimation from the Admiralty. Sir T. 'PHILLIPS called Mr. Buckland, of Swansea, as the first witness—He deposed generally as to the mineral traffic of South Wales, and the great advantage a railway communication would afford in opening up markets for the disposal of the produce. The further examination of the witness was postponed till to-morrow, and the Committee adjourned. GROUP QQ. ASHTON, STALEYBRXDGE, AND LIVER POOL JUNCTION RAILWAY—(ARDIVICIC BRANCH). This Committee met for the first time to-day, at one o'clock, Mr. Round in the chair, when the Ashton, Staleybridge, and Liverpool Junction (Ardwick Branch), was entered into. Mr. HILDYARD opened the case on behalf of the projectors of this branch line, which is proposed to be taken from a point near to the terminus of the Leeds and Manchester Railway in Man. chester, to the terminus of the Manchester and Birmingham line in Ardwick, one mile and a half in length, thus connecting together the latter line and the Ashton and Staleybridge with all the other lines at present radiating from Manchester. There were no en gineering difficulties, and the cost was estimated at 60,0001., on which, the tables of traffic proposed would show an ample return. There was no opposition to the preamble of the Bill. Mr. Silverwood, Mr. Opeeshaw, engineer, and Mr. Carver, were examined very briefly in support of the preamble, when the Com mittee decided that it was proved. The clauses of the Bill were then taken into consideration, and agreed to without any apposition, with the exception of one, which was opposed by Mr. MALINS, on the part of Mr. Bennett. This clause is one sought to be introduced by the Corporation of Manchester, giving them the right of making a street, eight yards wide, from Chancery-lane to Princes-street, close to, and alongside of, the railway, and upon the land of Mr. John Bennett. The objection to the clause was, that It was an unjustifiable Interference with the right of private property, and would interfere with Mr. Bennett using his property for the erection of mills and warehouses. Evidence was called in support of the objection, when the matter was compromised by substituting the word "road " for " street," and reducing the width from eight to four yards. The report was then agreed to, and the Committee adjourned. THE SUN, LONDON, TVESDAY E VEXING JUNE 10, 1845. Lord Lurgan deposed as to the trade between Armagh and Newry. The trade was very considerable, and likely to increase, were this railway formed. The feeling was generally in favour of this line. Sir John Rennie, civil engineer, gave evidence as to the survey_ ing of the line, .which he executed in October last at the desire of the Company. The line was 71 . miles 55 chains long_ The distance from Newry and Armagh was 22i miles. Three miles of this portion of the line had a gradient of I in 81. The severest of the remaining gradients were 1 in 102, lin 150, and lin 140, respectively. The other gradients were of a very slight character. The gradient of 1 in 81 was near to the Armagh station, arid would not at all interfere with the swift progress of the trains. If at any time there was a heavy train passing, from the proximity of the station an extra engine could easily be got, There were much less gradients worked by locomo tives. One on the Gloucester and Birmingham of two miles in length was 1 in 37, and the inclined plane at the Euston station of the London and Birmingham was lin 65. The deepest cutting was 75 feet. There was only one tunnel on the whole line, of 310 yards in length. There were no engineering difficulties; and the roost expensive part of the line was between Newry and Armagh, which he estimated at 15,5001. per mile. The whole capital was 900,0001., which he considered amply sufficient for all purposes. The line at the Newry terminus was only four feet above the quay. The Belfast Junction was crossed about three miles from Newry. Mr. BROWN put in the traffic tables, from which it was estimated that the annual receipts of the line would be 102,489/., which, after deducting 33 per cent. for the working of the line, and inte rest on borrowed capital, would leave 6 per cent. on the capital of the shareholders. This was taking the traffic at the very lowest estimate. The portion of the line between Newry and Armagh would yield at least 8 per cent. This closed the evidence on behalf of the line. At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. ALEXANDER, on the part of the Newry and Enniskillen Company, stated that, before going further there was a difficulty to be overcome respecting the clauses of their Bill regarding the formation of the joint railway from Clones to Enniskillen. They objected to the clauses as drawn up for insertion in the Dundalk and Enniskillen Bill, providing that each Company should construct one-half of the line, and considered it would be much better formed by a joint committee acting for both companies. marks, but not for the purpose of relying upon them as a principal point In his case. The CIIAIIIOdAN thought it better If he dropped the Barnsley ani Ashton traffic altogether. Mr. AUSTIN agreed to do so, and Mr. Wilkins then withdrew his opposition. Mr. Brown, a coal and salt merchant, living at Masberough, was then examined. He was a manager of the goods traffic on the Don Navigation from 1829 to 1829. His province was to receive the dues at Rotherham. The supply of water on the Don Navi gation for the last eighteen months was very bad. Two days were at present occupied in passing between Rotherham and Goole. The distance was thirty-eight miles, and the carriage of goods cost Gs. Bd. to 7s. per ton. The witness then proceeded to give evi dence on the difficulties of the Don Navigation, and the traffic which at present existed in that district, all of which have been already referred to in Mr. Austin's opening speech. He consi. dered that the proposed line would be of great advantage. The people of Sheffield were all favourable to it. Messrs. PICKERING and Buss cross-examined this witness at considerable length ; after which, The CHAIRMAN asked if there were many more witnesses to be examined ? Mr. POLLOCK replied that there werc a considerable number, but the time of the Committee would not be occupied unnecessarily. The Custamsx then ordered the room to be cleared, and the Committee remained in consultation for about a quarter of an hour. On our re-admission, The CHAIRMAN requested Mr. Austin, the leading counsel in the case, to be sent for. Mr. Austin, having been engaged in addressing another Com mittee, could not make it convenient to attend. Mr. Muttptiv, on behalf of the Dundalk and Enniskillen Com. pany, replied that the understanding between the two engineers when the agreement was drawn up, was, that each company should join 12 separate miles of the 24 miles from Clones to Enniskillen. A joint committee he considered would lead to interminable diffi culties. The CHAIRMAN then said that the Committee found it would be ex. ceedingly difficult to come to a satisfactory conclusion with re spect to the proposed lime. There wer• three schemes at present before Committees, the decision on which would materially in fluence the Committee as to the course they should adopt with the proposed line. In the first place there was the Swinton branch to Doncaster; secondly, the proposed Sheffield and Gainsborough branch; and, thirdly, and above all, the projected London and York line, which would run side by side with the proposed line, at many points not more than 2i miles distant. He did not mean to say how far any of the projected lines would, if carried, interfere with the de cision of the Committee as to the proposed line, but he would suggest the propriety of withdrawing the proposed line for the present, and suspending any further proceedings with it till another session. He would be glad that Mr. Pollock would consult with Mr. Austin till to-morrow, as to the course they should think right to adopt under the circumstances, and communicate their intentions to the Committee by to-morrow morning. Mr. Pommes assented to the proposal of the Chairman. The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. After a lengthened conversation, The CHAIRMAN stated that the Committee were of opinion that the 24 miles between Clones and Enniskillen would be best formed by a combined committee, and they further considered that the clauses to be proposed, in conformity with this arrange • ment, should be submitted to the Board of Trade previous to their being brought before the Committee at their next meeting. The Committee then adjourned till Wednesday, at the usual hour. GROUP X. CAMBRIDGE AND LINCOLN LINE. The evidence of Mr. Rendall (continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday)— The cross-examination next referred to the cuttings on the datum line. On the 16th mile from Cambridge, where it would cross the "great wash," there was a discrepancy discovered by the Counsel between the actual height of the cutting and the distance marked on the datum line, by which it appeared that this line, if carried out in accordance with the section, would pass at a distance of ten feet under the bank of the Great Wash. (Some discussion arose on this point, as to whe ther the question ought to be put, but the Committee allowed it, and the witness said that such a work could not, in fact, be done). Mr. Sergeant WRANGIJAM said that, with such evidence, he would contend that it would be idle for the Committee to enter any further upon the investigation of this line, for if it even re. ceived the Royal assent to-morrow, it could never be proceeded with, owing to this fatal objection. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to read the Standing Orders, applicable to his objection. Mr. HILDYARD said that it was distinctly understood between all the counsel that all Standing Order objections should be waived, and that they should fight out the Bills on their merits. However, his application to the Committee now was that they should proceed with the inquiry, and that this objection was met by a clause in the general Act, by which no work could be proceeded with until any additional proposed alterations should be intimated to the clerks of the peace, &c.; and this difficulty might be proposed to be met, either by a trough, or by deepening th beds of the river. Besides, the Committee had the power to ordee the insertion of a clause to rectify this inaccuracy, which he conrtended was nothing more than a technical objection. Whether the House rf Com mons would approve of the alteration or not, was another question ; but certainly the Committee had the power to do so. At the close of the discussion the room was ordered to be cleared , and the Committee remained in consultation three-quar ters of an hour, at the expiration of which period the parties were re-admitted, and The CHAIRMAN stated, that the Committee considered this to be a question of such great importance, that they would take until to morrow to decide, and that they would announce that decision at one o'clock. They then adjourned at five o'clock. HOUSE of LORDS.—(YESTERDAY, RAILWAY BILLS. The Chester and Holyhead and the Leeds and Bradford Railway Extension (Shipley to Colnes) Bills came before Lord Shaftesbury in Committee at half-past five this evening. The Bills being unopposed, went through ; they come on again to-morrow, how. ever, to have some slight alteration of a few clauses. These were the only Railway Bills before his Lordship to-day, GROUP R. NEW'RY AND ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY. The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock, Mr. Gib— son Craig, chairman, when the examination of evidence on behalf of the Newry arid Enniskillen line was resumed. LYCEUM THEATRE. " A new and original comedy, in two acts," we quote from the play bills, entitled Friends at Court, was produced at this theatre last evening, with complete success, which success was entirely owing to the admirable acting of Mrs. Keeley, in the character of Charles de Marillac, the youthful hero of the play. The scene is laid during the first act in Paris, and during the second at Versailles, during the reign of Louis XIV. The young de Marillac, a Gascon of noble family, has come to Paris to push his fortune. He is fortunate enough to save Louise de Chernerant (Miss Farebrother) from the pursuit of the Marquis deLauzan (Mr. A. Wigan), and falls desperately in love with her himself. Louis XIV. is also in love with the young lady, and employs the Marquis de Vardes (Mr. Diddear) to devise means to get her to Court. De Vardes introduces himself to the young Gascon, offers him a wife with an immense fortune and a place ar Court, and, forced by his poverty, De Marillac consents to the union. Louise is also forced into a marriage by her aunt with an un known gentleman. The marriage is to take place at Ver sailles, and the two lover; find themselves unexpectedly united. De Marillac is instantly dispatched on a mission to Brittany, to separate him from his wife, and leave the coast clear for the Kir.g ; but De Lauzan is determined to elope with the bride himself, and has laid his plans accordingly. Both the in trigues, however, are defeated by the shrewd woman's wit of Maria d'Ossuna (Miss Villars), the Maid of Honour to the Queen, wh , ) puts De Marillac on his guard, and for a moment awakens a spark of genero sity in the breast of the sensualist King, who banishes Lauzan from his Court, and gives De Marillac the office of superintendent of Gascony, permitting him to take his wife with him. The dialogue is very mediocre, but the incidents are good, and follow each other with rapidity, and the imbroglio is admirably sustained to the end. The piece, however, would go with more spirit if the long dialogue at the conclusion, between the King and Maria, were considerably shortened. Mrs. Keeley was called for at the fall of the curtain and rapturously applauded. The admirable bur lesque of Cinderella followed, and attracted a bumper house at half-price. Les Danseuses Anglaises have improved considerably ; they have acquired more aplornbe than they ex hibited on their first appearance, and now the announcement of them in the Bill, " warranted equal to foreign," is not a mere play-bill puffing assertion. SADLER'S WELLS. The new tragedy, in five acts, entitled The Florentines, which is played nightly at this theatre, is witnessed with intense interest, and promises to be eminently successful. The plot is as follows :—Lorenzo, Duke of Florence (Mr. H. Marston), with a companion, in an excursion, are overtaken at night by a violent storm, and have lost their way. They are hospitably received in the house of a gentleman named Ferrando (Mr. Phelps), who has an only child, Brancha (Miss Cooper), and, at first sight, the Duke, who conceals his rank, assuming to be an officer in the Duke's service, is smitten with her charms, and the feeling on her part is reciprocal. It is not long ere the Duchess (Mrs. Warner) observes a great change in the con duct of the Duke towards her, and in a scene where she laments the loss of his affection her well-known powers are called forth, and she vows revenge on the, at present, unknown cause of her unhappine's. Meanwhile Ferrando, who is disposed to think favourably of the stranger as his son-in-law, and attributes his hesitation on the subject to his poverty, questions him on certain points, and observes in his look and manner causes for suspicion, and expels him the house. This, in a beautiful scene, he makes known to his daugh ter; nevertheless, unconscious of his rank, she appoints a meet ing with him, where he makes himself known to her, and in spite of her prayers and entreaties forcibly carries her off to an Inn some leagues from his palace. The father, on the loss of his daughter, flies to the Dukes palace, where, loading him with reproaches, he draws upon him with the intention to revenge his loss ; but is borne off by the Duke's guards. Brancha finds in the Landlord of the Inn, a man of humanity, who moved by her touching appeals to him, consents to assist in her escape, and when on the point of effecting it, the Duchess, who has compelled her page to watch the Duke's movements, presents herself before Brancha, and notwithstand ing her humble entreaties for pardon, is inexorable, and offers her the alternative of taking poison or suffering by the hands of her guards in attendance. After fruitless supplications to have her life spared she swallows the fatal draught, and in her last agonies, her father enters followed by the Duke. The scene here between the father and daughter baffles description, it must be seen to be duly appreciated. The Duchess, with stern dignity, as an injured wife, turning her back on the heart-rending spectacle, and the Duke stands conscience-smitten at the lamentable catastrophe his own mis conduct has produced. The acting of Mr. Phelps and Mrs. Warner was everything we have a right to expect from them. Mr. H. Marston played with much ability, and, clever as Miss Cooper is, she has in this character exceeded our most san guine expectations. The play is written by Mr. Reynolds, it is a work et great merit, and we have no doubt will have a long run. A new farce, called The Card Case, followed; and the performance concluded with Mr. and Mrs. Pringle. Mrs. H. Marston played Mrs. Pringle very cleverly, and Mr. A. Youngc, as Mr. Pringle, the calculating old bachelor, who, because he hates a family, will marry a woman of fifty, finds himself unexpectedly the husband of a female who has five children, but. as the curtain falls, he consoles himself with the reflection that he must make the best he can of a bad bargain. COLLISION ON THE NORTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.- 1 , bout half-past two o'clock on the morning of Saturday a collision took place on the North-Eastern Railway, near the junction at Strat ford, Essex, which, although of a serious nature, was fortunately unattended with any loss of life. It appears from inquiries made on the spot that at that hour the up luggage train from Bishop's Stort ford, with two engines attached, had arrived at Lea-bridge, about a mile front Stratford, when the leading engine was detached (one en gine being then only necessary to carry the train into London), and ran on to the Stratti)rd station to get into the shed there. The driver of the engine attached to the train was cautioned not to proceed too fast, to give time for the first engine to accomplish its purpese. Just as the latter was about to back into the "siding," to get upon the other line of rail, he perceived the train coming up, and before he could get off the main line the engine of the train came in collision with his buffer-board. By the concussion both the engines were forced off the rails, one falling to the right and the other to the left. Fortunately none of the carriages were forced off the rails, but the shock occasioned by the collision caused great terror to the pas sengers. The Company's servants were immediately at hand to render every assistance, and it was found that, beyond receiving a few contusions, none of them had sustained any material injury. They were sent on to London by a train from the Eastern Coun ties line. EXTRAORDINARY MONETARY SPECULATION , --FOr some time past the copper coinage of William the Fourth has been eagerly purchased up by persons who are stated to be Jews, and a report has in consequence gained ground that gold is contained in It. What reason there may be for this it is impossible to say; but it is a well known fact that agents have been at work for the last two months buying up those particular coins in Westminster, and they now fetch double the price of their legal issue. The mania has extended eastward, and twopence for a penny piece, and a penny for a halfpenny, &c., is now asked for the "precious issue. 'e understand that the vacancy occasioned by the death of Colonel Townsend, late of the 14th Light Dragoons, in the list of paid aides-de-camp to her Majesty, has been filled by the ap pointment of Colonel Clark Kennedy. Our readers will recollect that this gallant officer distinguished himself when in command of the cots Greys, by the capture of one of the imperial eagles. He has lately returned from the Cape of Good Hope, having retired from the command of the 7th Dragoon Guards, which regiment was ordered on foreign service after having been thirty years in Englartl.-- trrieed pertia Q(it(f. • GROUP RR. CHESTER AND BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY EXTENSION TO THE NEW DOCKS AT BIRKENHEAD. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. L. LOWNDES, Q.C., opened the case for the promoters. The live was intended to run from the Manchester and Liverpool Rail. way to the Sheffield and Manchester Railway. The line would be made on arches, and no buildings of any consequence would be affected. The line would connect the rivers Mersey and Irwell and the Bridgewater navigation. The railway was pro. moted by the Manchester and Birmingham and Sheffield and Man. chester Railway Companies and Lord F. Egerton. The Committee, after short evidence as to traffic had been sub_ mitted, decided that the preamble had been proved. The clauses were then passed, with the exception of that relating to the tol s, which was postponed. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP SS. THE EREWASH VALLEY LINE. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Select Committee re-assembled at the usual hour this morn ing, and proceeded with the general evidence in favour of the case for the promoters of the Erewash Valley line. Mr. John Wilson, a timber merchant, of A lfreton, whose exami nation in chief was taken on Friday, was this morning re-called and cross.examined by Mr. MACA uLAv, who appeared on behalf of the Erewash Canal Company, with the view of showing that the water communication of the district was amply sufficient to accom. modate the existing traffic, while the canal rates of charges were much lower than those of the proposed railway. Mr. Thomas Riley, agent to the Combination Coalowners of Derbyshire, and a resident of Ilkeston, had taken an account of the goods and stone passing over the Nottingham, Crawford, and Ere wash Canals for six days, between the 18th and 23d November last, and had at the same time calculated the general traffic of the various districts through which the proposed rail way would pass. He corroborated the testimony given last week, and put in a number of papers showing the result of his calculations. Mr. Pickering was recalled, and cross examined upon these cal culations, but nothing of importance was elicited, The evidence of the last witness he said was founded upon correct data, strictly accurate, and ought, he thought, to be relied on. Mr.' William Haslup, a coalowner residing in the neighbour. hood of Ilkeston, proved that he sold upwards of 10,775 tons of coals, which he sent at present by canal, but he should prefer send ing them by railway if there was one. Mr. Thomas Patter, a farmer of the same place, was in the habit of forwarding to Nottingham, Derby, and other places, large quantities of farm produce, and it was a great inconvenience to him that Ilkeston was not accommodated with a railway. At pre sent he sent his produce by canal and other conveyances, and was compelled to pay high rates for carriage. Mr. Hobston, a miller at Ilkeston, was similarly circumstanced to the last witness, and was considerably put about in competing with his his neighbours, from the want of a railway communication with the market towns of the district. Mr. Abraham Booth, agent to the Butterley Company, proved that great inconveniences continually resulted to the manufacturers, traders, and ethers, of Ilkeston, from a scarcity of water in the Nottingham, Crawford, and Erewash Canals. On this account he thought it highly desirable that the district should be accommo dated with a railway. Mr. George Cape, civil engineer, was well acquainted with the route of the proposed railway, and considered its gradients were good. It was well planned to form a junction with the Midland Railway, and join that line on a level. The line would afford ample accommodation to the mineral interest of the district, which was frequently put to great inconvenience from a scarcity of water in the canals; but, independently of this circumstance, the water communications were insufficient to supply the wants of the minerals. The railway would prove a saving as well of time as expense in the transit of coal ; and if Parliament refused to sanction it, the coalowners of the district would be seriously injured. The Duke of Rutland had coal mines on the route, and at his Grace's request he had surveyed them with a view of ascertaining whether the line would any way injure them. The survey had convinced him that the line would benefit, instead of injure, his Grace's property. The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow, GROUP V. IMPORTANT DECISION. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND MID. LAND JUNCTION, AND THE ALTERNA _ WIVE LINE. :Coatinned from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) • After a deliberation of one hour, the parties were called, and The CiteremaN said—lt is with feelings of deep regret that I have to announce the following decision of the Committee, They have come to the decision that the preamble of the Bill from NEW.A.RZ. TO SHEFFIELD is not proved, and the preamble of the Bill from CHESTERPIELD TO SHEFFIELD is not proved. This decision requires some little explanation ; the only Bill ou of the group was passed some days ago, namely, . .. . THE] NOTTINGHAM TO LINCOLN, THROUGH NEWARK. The moment the decision was given, the room emptied as if by magic, and a rush for cabs to the Share Market followed. The Committee then dissolved. The Committee on this group has been sitting for five weeks, and during this protracted period their patience and attention has been most unremitting, and their urbanity and courtesy deserving of great praise. GROUP W. The Committee, to whom the railways comprised in this grou were referred, met this morning at twelve o'clock. The CHAIRMAN then announced that they would proceed, agree ably to the arrangement entered into on Friday last, with the Don caster and Goole line, and as they had not finished all the clauses of the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line, they would proceed with the remainder of them to-morrow. The consideration of the DONCASTER AND GOOLE RAILWAY was then proceeded with. Messrs. Austin and Pollock appeared on behalf of the promoters of the Bill; Mr. Pickering (on behalf of the Don Navigation Com pany), and Mr. Bliss (on behalf of the landowners on the line), appeared to oppose the Bill. Mr. AUSTIN then opened his case. The Doncaster and Goole projected line was intended to connect the port of Goole with Doncaser. It was 18 miles in length, and the capi tal was 280,0001. He would not oppose the evidence which had already been brought before the Committee, nor descant upon the importance of the port of Goole. The traffic which this line would accommodate could be served by none of the lines which had been before the Committee. The only serious opposition to the line was from the Don Navigation Company, for the opposition of Mr. Bliss on the part of the landowners was merely on account of the agricultural nuisance which might be expected from the line passing through their property. The Learned Counsel then referred to the different places whose traffic would be accommodated by the proposed line, and enumerated Sheffield, Barnsley, Stafford, Birmingham, Wol verhampton, Belpar, and Derby. There is at present a branch between Rotherham and Sheffield, which, by connecting with the North Midland line, would afford almost a direct com munication between Sheffield and Goole. It would also open up a communication with Nottingham, Leicester, and the various coal-fields along the whole line. At Barnsley there were extensive linen manufactures, and there were also in its neighbour hood immense beds of coal and iron -stone, which would find a ready outlet by the proposed line. Sheffield, which had a population of 120,000, would also find a more convenient and cheaper mode of conveyance for the traffic which it now sends to Hull. The line of railway at present existing from Sheffield to Hull was seventy-six miles in length. The proposed line from Sheffield to Goole was only thirty-six miles. The cost of a quarter of wheat by the present conveyance from Sheffield to Hull was Is. 10d. ; the cost by the proposed line to the port of Goole from Sheffield was only 10d. He adduced that as a specimen of the comparative transit of the two lines. With regard to goods, the cost by the best con veyance was 10s. per ton, and by the proposed line it would be only 3s. 9d. There was a saving, too, of time. Goods were at pre. sent five hours in the carriage, and by the proposed line only two hours and a half would be occupied. The Learned Counsel then referred to the traffic of the Don Navi gation Company, and contrasted the bad naviga►ion and heavy tolls and delays of the Don, whi c h was 191/ 2 miles in length, and a long turnpike road of 22 miles in length, with the cheap, rapid, and convenient ac commodation which would be afforded by the proposed line. As a ;woof of the traffic which at present existed in that district he would state that at present there were 18,000 tons of goods carried weekly to and fro on the Don, and no less than 1,000 tons of coal a day from the collieries on the line. He would not take up the time of the Corr mittee by alluding to the engineering works on the line, or to the estimates. There was no engineering difficulty on the line. It was very easy of construction, and almost fiat, and no injury would be sustained by any house or residence along the whole course of the line. He would now proceed to call witnesses, in proof of the traffic, &c. Mr: WILKINS, on the part of the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line, said that he would be under the necessity of opposing the line if Mr. Austin would rely on the traffic of Barnsley or Ashton. They were much nearer to the line on which he had been engaged than they were to the proposed line ; and the Manager of the Barnsley Coal Company had actually entered into an agreement with the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line for the carriage of their coals. He could not therefore allow the traffic to be again adduced in favour of the proposed line. Mr. AUSTIN did not intend to rely upon the traffic of those places, He had merely mentioned them in the course of his re. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. The report on the North Wales Railway Bill was brought up BRIDGEWA'I ER NAVIGATION AND RAILWAY. The report on tl:e Bridgewater Navigation and Railway Bill was brought up, and the amendments agreed to. LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL. Lord ASHLEY brought in the Lunatic Asylums Bill, which was read a first time. PETITIONS—MEDICAL BILL. _ . _ Petitions against the 36th clause of the Medical Bill were presented by Mr. GRANGER, from the chemists and druggists of Durham ; by Mr. Parker, from the chemists and druggists of Devonshire; by Mr. Leader, from the chemists and druggists of Westminster; by Mr. E. Vivian, from the chemists and druggists of 'i'ruro ; by Mr. Godson, from the chemists and druggists of Bewdley ; by Mr. Divett, from the chemists and druggists of Exeter, Dawlisla, and its vicinity ; by Mr. Blewitt, from the chemists and druggists of Monmou t h by Mr. W. H. Bodkin, from the chemists and druggists of Rochester ; and by Mr. H. Berkeley, from the chemists and druggists of Bristol, and praying to be heard by counsel against the bill. The Hon. Member also presented a petition against the Bill from an individual named Derby, who complained that he had not been chosen as a fellow of the Council of the College. Mr. VIVIAN presented a petition from the chemists and druggists of Swansea against the Bill. SCOTCH UNIVERSITY TESTS. Mr. FOX M A ULE presented several petitions from places in Scotland against any university tests. MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS. Mr. WARBUR TON presented a petition from Charleville, praying that the same description of charter might be granted to the several branches of the medical profession in Ireland as proposed for England. MONMOUTH RAILWAY. Mr. GODSON presented a petition from a person named Collins, praying that he might be heard against the re port of the Committee on the Monmouth Railway, which was ordered to lie on the table. THIRD READINGS. The Newcastle and Berwick Railway Bill, the Trent Valley Railway Bill, the Brighton, Lewes, and Hastings (Keymer branch) Railway Bill, and the Kidwelly Inclosure Bill were read a third time. CHICHESTER AND SOUTH-EASTERN JUNCTION RAILWAY. The amendments on this Bill were brought up, and ordered to lie on the table. POLICE MAGISTRATES. Mr. WILLIAMS gave notice that, on Monday, the 16th June, he should move for the correspondence between the Se cretary of State for the Home Departn.ent and Mr. Twyford, a police magistrate, relative to the committal of Mr. Meyer. AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF IRELAND. Mr. COLLETT gave notice, that on the third reading of the Agricultural and Commercial Bank Bill, he should move that the report of the Committee, and the evidence on which it was founded, be printed. RIGHT OF SEARCH TREATY. Sir R. PEEL laid on the table the ratification of the treaty with France for the regulation of the right of search. Lord PALMERSTON wished to know whether there was any indisposition on the part of the Government to lay on the table the evidence which had led to the terms of the treaty. Sir R. PEEL said that, as that would implicate the state ments of some members of her Majesty's Government, he thought it would be inconvenient. IRISH BANKING BILL. Mr. ROSS stated that he had received several communica. tions only this morning, which induced him to request the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government to postpone the reading of this Bill for a week. Sir R. PEEL said that he had already given sufficient no tice of the third reading of this Bill. Several other important motions had with it been delayed for a long period, and were now waiting for decision, so that he could not consent to any postponement. Mr. ROSS replied that the Right Honourable Baronet had stated that he was willing to receive suggestions, and as the communications he had received contained what he thought were matters for serious consideration, he hoped his request would be complied with. Mr. ROCHE said that the Scotch Banking Bill stood for the first thing to-night, and it would probably occupy the House till midnight, so that there was little probability of the other Bill coming on at all, and that no inconvenience could possibly arise if the Irish Bill were postponed. Sir R. PEEL said that the same principle might be applied to every Bill, and he could not recognise it on the present occasion, as it was very desirable that the Bill should be car ried through its stages as early as possible. RIGHT OF SEARCH. Lord PALMERSTON wished to knew whether Govern ment had any objection to lay upon the table of the House the evidence which had been taken before the joint Commission, and which had induced the two Governments to abandon the right of search. If Government had no objection to do so it would prevent ary public inconvenience which might arise from the want of information on the subject, and enable the House to judge whether Government had properly or not sus pended the exercise of the right. At all events, they ought to have that portion of the evidence which related to the right of search question, and as to whether the right was or was not necessary for the suppression of slavery. He wished to know also, whether the Right Hon. Baronet opposite had any ob jection to lay upon the table of the House a continuation of the correspondence which was produced in 1843, and which re lated to the affairs of Syria ? Sir R. PEEL would have no objection to lay upon the table the continuation of the correspondence relating to Syria, but as a considerable time had elapsed since it had taken place, there might be some portion of it which ought not to be produced. He would, however, have no objection to produce portions of the correspondence. With respect to the evidence of the officers taken before the Commission, relating to the slave trade, he did not think that any inconvenience would arise from its not being produced, and the Noble Lord would see that the instructions given on the subject to the officers of the two countries were contained in the treaty. PORTUGAL. Mr. S. WORTLEY wished to know whether there was any prospect of a re-opening of the negotiations between the Government of this country and Portugal, relating to the com mercial treaties of the two countries. Sir R. PEEL replied that no negotiations of any kind were at present pending between this country and Portugal. PAROCHIAL SETTLEMENTS BILL. In answer to a question from Mr. S. CRAWFORD, Sir J. GRAHAM was understood to say that he would postpone to a distant day the Parochial Settlement Bill., SCOTCH BANKS. On the motion of Sir R. PEEL, the House went into Com mittee on the Scotch Banks. On clause 8 being proposed, Mr. FOX MAULE proposed an amendment, to the effect that the bankers be allowed to amend their returns of circu lation. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the motion. Mr. HUME supported the amendment, and protested against any interference with the Scotch currency. Sir R. PEEL was much disappointed at the manner in which the measure had been received. He certainly had thought that the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite would have seen, in his ( Sir Robert Peel's) exposition of this measure, a desire not to alter, but to preserve within safe limits the system of Scotch banking. The clause was agreed to. Clause 9 was then passed. On clause 10 being proposed, Mr. HUME objected to it. He understood that the Right Honourable Baronet had determined not to make any alteration in the currency of Scotland, and he couid not therefore allow this clause to pass without opposition. All he wanted was an explanation of the measure. If it was good it should meet with his support. The Right Hon. Ba ronet had stated that he wanted, in case of an overflow of paper money, to guard against the Scottish Bank drawing on the Bank of England. Sir R. PEEL said that when the notes were convertible into gold there was generally a tendency to issue more paper, and to continue issuing and increasing the notes. For a certain limited time the value of the paper would be favourable ; but when a period of depressien should come it would be incumbent to convert notes into gold, and the demand must have a tendency to reduce their circulation. These remarks applied to the Bank of Scotland, and were also equally applicable to England. The value of the whole currency would be diminished, and it would soon be discovered that paper was issued to excess, and with such a simultaneous demand for gold from Scotland and England upon he Bank of England, great inconvenience n ould result, and com mercial transactions generally would he greatly restricted and impeded. It was, therefore, sound policy to ask that some restrictory prohibitions should be made or, the issue of notes. Mr. WILLIAMS thought, in justice to the measure that had been passed last year, the Government were bound not to afford any greater facilities for the issue of paper money in Scotland or in Ireland.—( Hear.) He remembered when the Bill of 1814 was re-enacted in 1826, after it had been partly repealed in 1822, so far as regarded the circulation of one-pound notes, a strong objection existed amongst the people of England and Scotland. He remem bered the threat of the Sco tch bankers on t ha t occa sion. They said that they property in the funds, and . they w h o a u d l d adnipose of i mmen se h a amountprp er t y o , f and get the and put the of England in the issue of IL notes in Scotland . It was said diffieulty. a mount That thirneagtolpd;evente.d the Government from ex tendingfafilauilruerses.in t A he S sh co o t r c t h btiamnkes. ago, He em that there bered were no failures in cons equence of the failure of a bank near Paisley, there existed the most intolerable distress, when the Paisley manu facturers were obliged to apply for charity. Mr. HAWES denied that the Scotch circulation was sus tained during the time of the greatest drains by drawing on the Bank of England. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had a state ment in his hand which he would read to the House, and which would set the point at rest as regarded the pressures of 1833 and 1835. The whole effect (if these transactions was to benefit, to a great extent, the banking interest in Scotland. Mr. HAWES said that in 1539 the whole of the Scotch debit in the books of the Bank of England was on account of foreign credits. The Honourable Member then read a number of documents relating to the banking trans actions between Scotland and the Bank of England, which we could not follow with exactness, or even with perspicuity, in consequence of the rapid and indistinct man ner in which such difficult quotations were read. Mr. FOX INIAULE had understood the Chancellor of the Exchequer to say that Scotch securities to the amount of 3,000,0001. were sold and paid for in gold in the year 1839, and that this gold was carried into Scotland. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was under stood to explain that he had said the gold so received might have been carried into Scotland under the circumstances. _ Mr. 31UNTZ considered that if the Bank of England had suffered any inconvenience by the alleged operation , it was en tirely owing to the defective arrangements of that body itself. ROUSE OF COMMONS, Juue 9. The SPEAR ER took the Chair shortly before Four o'clock. Lord EDWIN HILL took the oaths and his seat for the county of Down in the room of the Earl of Hilsborough, now Marquis of Downshire. A messenger from the East India House brought up certain ret urns. NEWCASTLE AND BERWICK RAILWAY. Mr. HODGSON HINDE moved the postponement to Wed nesday of the third reading of this Bill.—Agreed to. OXFORD LINES OF RAILWAY. Mr. H. DRUMMOND brought up the reports upon the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway, and also the report upon the Oxford and Rugby Railway. CORNWALL RAILWAY. The report on the Cornwall Railway Bill was brought up. NOTTINGHAM INCLOSURE. The Lords' amendments to the Nottingham Inclosure Bill were agreed to. ULSTER LINES OF RAILWAY. The reports on the Dublin and Belfast Railway Bill and the Ulster Extension Railway Bill were brought up. GLASGOW AND AYR RAILWAY BILL. The report on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway Rill was brought up. CLAUGHTON-CUM-GRANGE CHURCHES BILLS. The two Claughton.Cum-Granges Churches Bills were re• spectively read a third time and passed. BRIGHTON RAILWAY (WANDSWORTH BRANCH). An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from certain indivi duals, named Raven, against the above Bill. NORTH WALES RAILWAY. Mr HUME considered that the bankers of Scotland should not be interfered with, with respect to their issues, when there was no occasion for it. After a few words from Sir W. CLAY, Mr. DENNISTOUN said he was astonished to hear the remarks which had just fallen from the Hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets, for he would just ask what had been the facts of the case referred to ? The Scotch banks had at .nne time been apprehensive of a run, and they got 50,0001. in gLld from England, but from that day to this not, a single pun i ha d been received from England. Mr. COLLETT rose to notice a trifling omission which was perhaps of no great consequence after all. He meant the omission of the word " silver" in the clause.—(Laughter.) The clause was then agreed to, as were clauses 10, 11, and 12. On clause 13 being proposed, Mr. P. M. STEWART moved that at the end of the clause the following words be inserted .—" Provided always, that such banker shall not be liable in such penalty, unless the aggregate amount of such monthly circulation of all the bankers in Scot land shall exceed the aggregate amount of the average circu lation of all the banks in Scotland, to be taken in manner herein provided." Now he said in conclusion that if the banks collectively were to work out the contraction and expansion principle to which the Right Hon. Baronet referred, they must adopt the amendment. With regard to its being practicable, let it go into the Bill, and he had no doubt but it would work satifactorily. Sir R. PEEL was really afraid of arguing the question any longer. The Hon. Gentleman talked of the penalty being tremendous. Now, in case of cccessive issue, a bank no doubt did incur a penalty. Supposing a banker were to issue 100,000 i. in notes more than he could pay, there was no penalty provided against his so doing, there was no penalty! except by a joint action. It was not possibfe i it was true, to prognosticate whether or not such a case might arise. Sup posing the emergency should arise that the issue of Scotland should fall below 3,500,000. by effecting the union of banksthe most effectual precaution had been taken for guarding against any danger arising from such a diminution. He must oppose the amendment •as it contained every absurdity that could be imagined. Mr. TURNER having spoken a few wor d s , Mr. STEWART said, the whole circulation was the same now in Scotland as was provided for by the proposed Bill. The measure was only intended to restrain speculation and un due circulation. He would say let the Bill be judged of under all circumstances, and then a competent opinion could be formed of it. The Bill had been treated throughout too much as a banker's Bill, and not a measure for the people of Scotland. It was right that improper restrictions might be guarded against ; and if his amendment was not received, the Government would rue it. Sir R. PEEL said the Hon. Member evidently wished to give a portion of Scotch bankers an advantage over others, and he could, by no means, agree to the amendment. The amendment having been negatived without a division, the remaining clauses of the Bill were agreed to. On the motion being put fir the Chairman reporting progress, Mr. HUAIE rose and said he wished to have a last word on the Bill before it went out of Committee. His principal ob jection to the Bill was, that it limited the number of banks, and established one of the worst systems of monopoiy. There ought to be freedom in trade, in money, and cheques, as well as in corn or anything else, and the Right Hon. Baronet, in his opinion, was contravening the whole principle he so ably laid down and explained to the House in 184:3. Sir R. PEEL said the Bill placed no restrictions on the number of banks. No restrictions whatever were placed upon banks employing capital in a legitimate way, but the Hon. Gentleman had formed an erroneous conception of the Bill. It only restricted the number of banks dealing in paper, and by such means limited the number of banks dealing in gold. After a few words from Mr. Flume, Mr. P. Stewart, and other Hon. Members, the House resumed, when The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and the report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow. THE IRISH BANKING BILL. On the question being put for the House going into Com mittee on this Bill, Mr. ROSS said it would be his duty to detain the House for a few minutes before going into Committee. A meeting of merchants and others had, he said, been held in . the Hall of Commerce in Dublin, where resolutions were passed denouncing the present Bill, as being of a mischievous character, and in jurious to the best interests of the country. His own objec tion to the Bill, and he believed it was an objeelion very ge nerally-entertained in Ireland, was to the mode in which the averages were proposed to be taken. In consequence of most of the banks in Ireland having provincial branches, every banker would have to make a deposit of 3/, for every I/. they might have in circulation. He regretted that they proposed to abolish the 30s. notes, which were found most convenient in the markets of Ireland. By doing so, they would compel bankers to keep a greater quantity of silver in their coffers than heretofore, and entail much inconve nience upon those in the habit of making their purchases with these notes. He had been instructed to give his most strenuous opposition to the measure, and in doing so he could not but regret that the Irish Members were not in their places to oppose it. By being in their places they would be doing their country far greater service than sitting in Con ciliation Hall hatching vain empires. —( A laugh.) Colonel CONOLLY would be glad if some provision were made for the increase which might occur in the circulation of Ireland. The circulation of Ireland during the last year in creased one million, which was shown by returns which had been made to the House. This could not be assigned to any other cause than the general improvement and cultivation of the country. He was happy to see this in a country in which it was proverbial that idleness and poverty prevailed to a great extent. The exports from two of the most important ports in the north of Ireland had increased to an incredible extent. The exports from Dublin had also materially in creased. Although no one could admire the principle of the Bill more than he did, yet he thought the restriction very hard on local banks which had been encouraged by the improvement in the trade of the country to increase their circulation. He concluded by expressing his admiration of the principle of the Bill and with a hope that the Government would make a pro vision for increasing the circulation of the banks in proportion to the improvements in the commerce and with the demands of the country. Sir R. PEEL wished he could impress upon the represen tatives of Ireland the strong conviction which he entertained that the measure was intimately connected with the growing prosperity of Ireland, and that no country on the face o f the earth would derive more benefit from a sound system of banking and a staple sy s t em o f government. — ( H ear, T bar.) No country on the face of the earth had suffered more from a bad system of banking than Ireland. From his personal experience he was satisfied that many of the cases of distress which occurred in the south and west of Ireland arose from the simultaneous failure of almost all the banks in those parts of the country, causing individual cases of heartrending distress as well as general injury to the country. By the failure of these banks the Irish Exchange has been so greatly affected that in 1804 no less than 50 banks had failed. Since that. year many more had been established, but these all failing the whole community had been plunged into general and universal distress. Of these banks four had been established in Dublin, three in Bed fast, and one in Bala. but, these had all failed he believed' without exception. Of the case of Lord Ffrench's bank he could say nothing. But there had unquestionably been great distress about that time, and one of the main causes was the supposition that inconvertible paper was wealth. It might have been supposed that the exclusive principle held by the chief banks of Dublin would have prevented that run on the provincial banks, but such had not proved to be the case. In several parts joint-stock banks had been established, and he believed that on the whole they had been managed with pru dence arid ability, but their chief source of safety had been their acknowledged liability of their notes being convertible into gold, and the consequence had not been as was supposed the prevention of this course of rendering them convertible into gold. The conduct of a certain portion of the joint stock banks had been to render the system suspicious, and had exposed the other banks to a run. And what was the course of thejoint-stock banks in 1837 There was a bank at that time called the Agricultural Bank of Irelat d, which had far exceeded its amount of gold in its issues, and what was the consequence ? Not only had that bank failed but there had been very wide and intense distress, indeed never had he seen such a depth of distress as had been occasioned by the failure of banks at that. particular period, to the destruction of all confidence, and the entire disruption of all ties of property, and an injury to every other bank in the country. There was at that time another bank in Ireland, and he believed there still was, called the Pro vincial Bankof Ireland, which was, of the highest respecta bility, and had conducted its operations with great skill and sa tisfaction to the public. The secretary of that bank had been examined before a Committee of the House whether, in conse qaruiesni n c g e o t f o t t h h e failure of h e otherhank t s, a a t bank, ruihe h th a e d re ha replied rbe ! en any evil that toevery one it had caused great loss. He was further asked whether there had been at that time sufficient gold in Ireland to meet, the requirements of the public at that time, and he replied that he had not the slightest doubt that at that particular time muchthe t. e largerwa s unquestionably, soni o f specie for they onhand t h h a a d n been they actuallyobliged p from the apprehension of a run, and the sum was increased so as to greatly exceed the amount of their issues. The necessity had arisen from no:requirement of unusual business, but solely from the feverish state of excitement, and the excess was only wanted to meet that feeling. When asked whether he could tell whether that gold was in the country or whe ther it had been brought from England, he re plied that certainly there had been a considerable quantity in the hands of the bankers in Ireland, but that a very great portion of it had been brought from England, and that for the purposes of the run it had all been brought from England. When asked whether it was brought from Lon don, he replied, from London and other places ; a great pate from London, but some also from Liverpool and Bristol. The whole of it, he believed, originally came from the Bank of England, and he thought that not only the Provincial Bank, but also all the other banks in Ireland, had been compelled to pursue this course, in consequence of the conduct of the Agricultural Bank, who, though they professed to meet all theirissues in gold, had used every expedient to get their notes into circulation. When asked as to what amount he cancel ved this increase had been made, he replied, certainly not less than this2,o t200 ,,, , a C 5 0 n 0. i s l n a n l ly g gross. And or w h w e he n t he r ag i t a again, s it a meet ee tt inquired he e w x h t e r a t h o e r : dinary amount of issues, he replied that there was no doubt of the fact that it was simply for the protection of the banks. Now was it right that such a sum as 2,000,000/., should have to be kept for meeting an emergency arising from no real call, but only to save the inconvenience they could not controul, and to avoid a disadvantage for which they were in no way responsible. He thought, therefore, that it would be no small benefit to the country to give a check on this un limited issue. It would also he something to give relief from the state of painful suspense and excessive anxiety which such a system must inevitably occasion. The Hon. Member (Col. Conolly) said that the object of this measure was to reduce the amount of the circulating medium just at the time when tee increase of trade and commerce required its expansion, but he ( Sir Robert Peel) thought that this restriction on these issues, and the obligation to pay in gold, would be to enable the banks to extend their issues, as they would be freed from those liabilities to which they were now subject. An increased con fidence would pervade the country, and less expense would be incurred in the obtaining and keeping gold. He had also been accused of bringing this measure forward prematurely, but he thought that this charge was, at least, entirely without founda tion, for when he brought forward his motions respecting the banks in England last year, he had distinctly given notice that. he intended to deal this year with the banks of Scotland and Ireland, and he thought that during the interval there had been ample time for considera tion of the banks. When he had brought forward that mea sure he might with equal justice have included the banks of the other two countries. exactly twelve weeks before he had used, his speech introducing that measure, he'had given notice to the bankers of England of the nature of his intended project, and no difficulty had been experienced either by the banks or in the country. He had been told, also, that he had dealt unfairly with the banks of Scotland arid Ireland, as he had taken the average of one only thirteen weeks, and the other twelve months. In his opinion Ireland gained the ad vantage; but as there was a - difference, though he himself thought that the protection would be greatest for Ireland, he would take the larger suns as the basis of his calculations— ( Hear, hear)—and he would give the average of the twelve months. In addition to this he would give the privilege of issuing notes within the prescribed distance of sixty-four miles, which based on ichhad hithe s r p t e o e f ie e . rme ß d y t hethabt privilege oundarylt all banks havingne,providedthelssue was more than six partners were exc l u ded fro m not only circulating notes, but also from having any houses of agency, or conduct ing any transactions in their own name in Dublin, where they would interfere with the notes circulated by the Bank of Ire. -- - _ , !" -, , t