The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-08 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the committee of which Mr Baillie is chair-
man, after a long and laborious izquiry, decided on the pro-
posed new lines for Dublin, passing the bill for the Dublin
Trunk Connecting Railway, and rejecting those for the
Dublin Grand Junction Railway, the Dublin Metropolitan
Railway, and the Dublin Railway. The lino of the Dublin
Trunk Connecting Railway is proposed to be carried out in
connexion with the Great Southern and Western, Dublin
and Drogheda, Dublin and Kingstown, Midland Great
Western, and other local lines, and in conjunction and co-
operation with the port and corporation of the city of
Dublin. The Metropolitan Railway case for their extension
to Trinity-square, Tower-hill, was under consideration all
day, Mr Fowler, the engineer, being examined ; the case
for the promoters closed. Mr Denison and Mr Kerslake
opened the case of the Wilts and Gloucestershire, with a
capital of £299,000 in shares and £99,000 by loan, with
power to create a 5 per cent. debenture stock, for making
four railways on the mixed gauge, the first of 20 miles,
from a junction with the main line of the Great Western at
Christian Malford to Dudbridge, with two branches to the
Great Western at Stroud, and to unite with the Stonehouse
and Nailsworth Railway; witnesses were examined on the
general traffic against the bill. On the reassembling of the
committee on the Great Eastern Northern Junction Bill,
the promoters intimated that after fully considering the
whole question, they did not feel justified in accepting the
proposition made by the committee of mutual traffic facia
ties and reciprocal running powers as between the Great
Eastern and Great Northern system of railways. The com-
mittee on the proposed Glasgow and North British Railway
rejected that measure. The Lymington Harbour and Docks
Bill, with a capital of £200,000, for a harbour and docks
and reclamation of lands at Lymington, the Tottenham and
Hampstead Railway, and the Isle of Wight Ferry, passed
in Mr Massey's committee.

GREAT EASTERN.
The adjourned Wharncliffe meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the London Tavern; Mr, J. Goodson in
the chair.
Mr Owen, the secretary, having read the notice of ad-
journment,

The CHAIRMAN stated that there was only one bill suffi-
ciently advanced for their consideration. It was No. 6
"A bill for making railways from the Great Eastern Rail-
way at East Dereham to Norwich, to be called ' the Wen-
sum Valley Railway,' and for other purposes."
The Solicitor read the heads of the bill ; clause 44 gave
power to the Great Eastern Company. with the sonsent of
three-fifths of the shareholders at a meeting specially con-
vened for the purpose, to subscribe £72,300, or one-third of
the capital. The 45th clause authorised agreements for
working the line as part of one system.

A formal resolution approving the bill was carried unani,
monsly.

Mr G. P. BIDDER, a director, moved the adjournment
of the meeting to that day fortnight, and said he had no
doubt they had all heard with regret the decision in respect
of the Great Eastern Northern Junction Bill, which was
entirely against the company, as declared by the com-
mittee on the bill on Monday afternoon. He must say
that he could not deny that the decision had given him
great pain, as it was against the weight of evidence. In
point of fact, they had made too great a case. They would
see what had been stated by the committee, whose sympa-
thies were with the Great Northern. He would engage that
if they incurred all the expenses of the inquiry over again,
the result would be the same mass of evidence in favour of
the bill. He thought Parliament could not resist such a
case. The greater part of the extension was a level line
from their system to Doncaster, and that was how their
difficulties had arisen. He believed there had been no de.
vision on that principle since 1825, which was the commence-
ment of his experience in Parliamentary committees. It
was an unusual occurrence to reject such a bill, as in his
opinion no case could be stronger ; but it appeared to him
that the sympathy of the committee was with the Great
Northern Company. The great cause of that sympathy
was that the 174 miles of proposed line from the present
Great Eastern railway to Askern was the best line in the
kingdom. They had made out they would be able to save a
large sum on the cost of coal for the poorest district in Lon-
don, amounting nearly to the aggregate of the city dues.
They could have carried coal at such a price as would have
saved £175,000 a year, of which £75,000 would be in favour
of the poor, and £lOO,OOO would be available as interest on
the capital. They proposed to make the best line in the
country. The Great Northern had not got such a line, and
never could get such a line. It was asked in committee
what was to become of the Great Northern if such a line
were made, and 83 the bill was rejected to save the prospe •
rity of that company. They had shown the great advantages
of the line to the public and the company. He thought
the decision of 20 committees could not ultimately arrest
that bill, or prevent the advantages to the public which
should be derived from it. The Board of Trade would take
the opinion of the shareholders to renew the application to
Parliament. (Hear, hear.)
The meeting then adjourned.