The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-08 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARer 7.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
The Manchester and Oldham Road Bill was read a second
time and ordered to be committed.
The Standing Order Committee reported that the Standing
Oeders had been complied with in the Dundee Improvement
Bill, the Montrose Harbour Bill, and the Dundee Water
Works Bill.
TORQUAY ROAD BILL.
Colonel SEALE presented a petition from Dartmouth, in
favour of the Torquay Road Bill.
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, DEPTFORD AND
GREENWICH RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman WOOD, this Bill was
read a second time, and ordered to be committed.—Referred
to the Middlesex list.

GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH RAILROAD.
Mr. WALLACE presented a petition in favour of this
Bill.

BLACKWALL RAILWAY.
Mr. CRAWFORD presented a petition front the inhabi.
tants of St. Olave, Aldgate, against the extension of the Black-
way Railway into the city of London.
YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY.
Sir G. SINCLAIR presented a petition from Lord Howden
against certain clauses in the York and North Midland Rail-
way. The Hon. Baronet also presented a petition from the
Trustees of the Doncaster Road to the same effect.
Referred to the Committee on the Bill.
The Manchester and Oldham Road Bill was read a second
time.

BELFAST HARBOUR.
On the motion of Lord BELFAST, the Belfast Harbour
Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed.

PORTSMOUTH JUNCTION RAILWAY.
Mr. MACKINNON presented four petitions in favour of
he Portsmouth and Southampton Junction Railway Bill.

LONDON AND SOUTHAMPTON RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. M'KINNON, the London and
Southampton Railway Bill was read a second time and or-
dered to be committed.
The same HON. MEMBER next moved the second reading
of the Portsmouth Junction Railway Act.
Captain PECHELL objected to the motion. He had peti-
tions to present against it from shareholders on the line, who
were induced to become proprietors under the belief that the
managing Committee was composed of respectable persons,
but who had since found themselves mistaken. In the pre-
sent case a monstrous injustice would be done to se-
veral parties, and he should state that public con-
fidence was not reposed in the Southampton line. The
shareholders were impressed with the belief that there
would never be any return, and they prayed that the line might
not pass during the present Session. There was now a de-
mand made of a power to raise 400,000/. additional, which the
petitioners objected to, and he trusted that the circumstance
of the shareholders opposing the Bill would have due
weight with the House. No necessity had been shown for
a line between Portsmouth and Southampton, for there
was already a water communication four times a-day.--
( Hear.) The shareholders already saw that their interests
had been sacrificed. He bad no objection to the parent track
from Southampton to London being carried, but he should
certainly oppose the present ; and would therefore move as an
amendment, that the Bill be read a second time that day six
months.

Mr. MACKINNON would assure the House that he had not
the slightest interest in that Railway. He was surprised, after
the resolution that that House had come to, that every
Railway Bill should have a second reading, that the Hon.
Member should now resist it. He had not brought
forward a single argument to oppose the motion. What was
the real state of the case? The people of Portsmouth were
desirous of joining the Southampton line, which would be
done at about the 64th mile.stone, and by this means they
would be enabled to get to London. The expense of the line
would be only 300,0001. There was no tunnel, and
gradients were very easy, and the only argument that
had been :urged against it was, that some of the share-
holders were opposed to the extension of the line.—('Hear.)
As a further proof of the line being a desirable one, he might
state the fact, that it was supported by the Ordnance Depart-
ment—it was not opposed by the Admiralty, and was almost
unanimously supported by the inhabitants of Portsmouth. He
was so satisfied of the justice of the case, that he would confi-
dently press the second reading of the Bill, which would prove
a public good.
Mr. F. BARING said his appearing there to oppose the
Bill proved that the feeling of the people of Portsmouth was
not so favourable to it as was stated by the Hon. Gentleman
who moved the second reading of the Bill. Neither could he
agree in the doctrine laid down by the Hon. Gentleman that
the House was bound to give a second reading to the
Bill. He thought there were circumstances in this case
which ought to induce the House to throw out the
Bill, unless they were to abrogate the power they undoubtedly
had of refusing a second reading to any Railway Bill. The
terminus of this line was not in Southampton—in fact it de-
pended entirely upon the support which the Southampton line
might receive. The estimates were very incorrect, and the
Company were obliged to come to Parliament to ask for
a further loan.—( Hear, hear.) On the part of the in.
habitants of Portsmouth, who were not at all friendly to this
railroad, and also on the pal t of the large number of landed
proprietors, whose property would be cut up by this railroad,
he asked the House not to put them to the expense of a Com-
mittee. They ought at least to postpone the Bill till they
had an opportunity of knowing whether the London and
Southampton Railway would have the power of raising a suffi.
cient sum of money to complete their own line, as otherwise
'there would not be a fair chance of the branch Railroad being
completed. He thought it only fair that the Bill should be
postponed for a short period.
Mr. C. PELHAM did not think that the Hon. Gentle-
man, the Member for Portsmouth, had stated any sufficient
reasons for postponing the second reading of this Bill.
Mr. T. DUNCOMI3E thought that the House would
be doing a very great injustice if they threw out this Bill
on the second reading. He knew very little about this
Bill—(Hear, hear, and laughter)—but he thought he knew
quite as much as many other Hon. Members who came there
to vote on it.—( Hear, hear.) He had sat on the Com-
mittee of the London and Southampton Railway, and lie
could inform the House that it was always in contemplation
to extend the line to Portsmouth. Full thirty miles of that
railroad had already been completed, and it would be exceed-
ngly hard on the parties, if they threw out the Bill on
the second reading, when the London and Southampton
railroad had been undertaken in the full confidence that they
should have the benefit of its extension to Portsmouth.
Sir J. GRA HANI agreed with the Hon. Member who had
just sat down that the House ought to require a strong case
before it threw out a Bill on the second reading ; but in this
case he thought that a strong case had been brought forward.
Now what were the circumstances stated by the Hon. Mem-
ber for Portsmouth, which had been mistaken by the Hon.
Member opposite? It was the-fact that the terminus of the
London and Southampton Railway was at Southampton ; but
it was not the fact that it was at Southampton : it wa between
that and Portsmouth. Now the Southampton and London Rail-
way was not completed ; not only so, but it could not be pro-
ceeded with unless four hundred thousand pounds beyond their
estimated capital was advanced. Now the owners of the land
through which it was proposed that this undertaking should
pass, thought it but reasonable before their property was cut
up, that time should be given in order to see whether the
London and Southampton line would be completed or not.
For his own part, he thought the House would do well to ex-
ercise its undoubted right, and throw out the Bill upon the
second reading.
Captain PECHELL said that five-sixths of the land-owners
were against the line.
Strangers were thee ordered to withdraw.
The House divided, and the numbers were—
For the Second Reading
Against it
77
Majority against the Second Reading
—33
The Bill is consequently lost.
BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. HOPE, the Birmingham and Glou-
cester Railway Bill was read a second time and ordered to be
committed.