The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-06 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—An imperfect version of the evidence alleged to
have been given by me, before the committee of investi-
gation of the Eastern Counties Railway, having been
published, I am compelled to trouble you with the real
facts of the case.

I was appointed by Mr. R. Stephenson (the referee be-
tween the Eastern Counties Railway Company and Mr.
J. V. Go, eh) to examine and make myself thoroughly
acquainted with the state of the rolling stock of the lines,
in order to its being maintained in a state of efficiency
during the term of Mr. Gooch's contract. I was there-
fore requested to attend upon the committee on the 29ti
October, and to afford them all the information in my
power. This I did in an interview lasting one hour
and three-qu irtere, when subjects of great interest and
importance were discussed. I was surprised that a short
hand writer was not employed, but that notes of my
evidence were made by or under the dictation of the
chairman, and these not, in all cases, in accordance with
my replies, besides omitting much which, in my opinion,
was essential to elucidating the truth.
I therefore applied for a copy of the notes taken, in
order to their being corrected ; my request wa., how-
ever, refused, and when I wrote on the following day to
the committee the letter (copy of which is enclosed),
"offering to revise the notes," and thus to " furnish
full nod accurate information " as " my evidence was
so imperfectly recorded as to be liable to mislead any
who might read it," the only reply I received was
that the committee " considered the evidence so little-
important," that they would either "send it for re-
vision," or, " what appeared to them preferable, ex-
punge it altogether," and stating that my evidence had,
at my request, been read over to me before I left the
room, and that I approved it. To this my reply was,
"that the committee were at liberty to decide whether
my evidence should be expunged, but I denied that the
notes had been approved by me." The evidence was
not sent for correction ; but to my surprise it is pub-
lished in the incomplete form objected to by me as cal-
culated to mislead and to produce a false impression.
Now, as the trustworthy character of the report must
mainly depend upon the truthfulness and completeness
of the minutes of evidence, if the statements of other
witnesses have been treated as mine were, and appear
in as incomplete and distorted a form, the report cannot
be worthy of much credence, or be of any value to the
shareholders of the Eastern Counties Railway. —I arn, &c.,

GEORGE BERKLEY.
Enclosed are copies of the correspondence.
24, Great George-street, Westminster,
Dec. 6th, 1855.

24, Great George-street, Westminster,
30th October, 1855.

SlR,—Referring to what took place at the Committee
of Investigation yesterday, I beg again to offer to revise
the notes you made of what I said, and thus to furnish
you full and accurate information, as I am sure that my
evidence is so imperfectly recorded as to be liable to mis-
lead any who may read that part of it which you
noted. I must respectfully express my surprise that
a short-hand writer is not employed, as then you
would be able to record what was really said, instead of
your own version of it.—Your obedient servant,
(Signed) GEORGE BERKLEY.
Horatio Love, Esq.

Eastern Counties Railway, Bishopsgate-street,
Committee of Investigation,
31st Oct., 1855.
Sir,—ln reply to your letter of the 30th inst., the
committee beg to observe that they consider your evi-
dence so little important that they will, as you may
determine, either send it for yourirevision, or, what ap.
pears to them preferable, expunge it altogether. The
other portions of your letter, and its suggestions, the
committee corsider deserving no further notice. You
ought to have recollected that, at your own request,
your evidence was read over to you before you left the
room, and that you approved the same.—l am, sir,
your obedient servant,
(Signed) HORATIO LOVE, Chairman.
Gesrge Berkley, Esq.

24, Great George-street, Westminster,
Ist November, 1855.
Sin,—It is for the commatee to determine whether
the information I was enabled, by a ()Ireful and impar-
tial examination during several months of the stock
management and accounts of the locomotive department
of the Eastern Counties Railway, to give them, is, in
their opinion, of sufficient importance to be stated fully
and accurately, or whether it should be expunged
altogether.

I do not recollect, nor is it the fact, that I requested
"evidence" to he read over to me, nor that I ap•
proved it as a faithful record of all I had said ; but, on
the contrary, I do remember that I requested that I
might have a copy of the notes you had made for revi-
toon.—Your obedient servant,
(Signed) GEORGE BERKLEY.
' Horatio Loye, Esq.