The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-07 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the committees on railway and other bills
commenced their sittings. The first committee, consisting
of Mr. Scourfield, chairman, Mr. Shaw-Lefevre, Viscount
Holmesdale, and Mr. Onslow, had referred to them a group
of 15 railways intended for the accommodation of the
Eastern Counties districts. They proceeded to consider
first the bill for the Colne Valley and Halstead. Mr. Deni-
son, Q.C., appeared for the promoters, who sought to be
enabled to run over and have station services on the neigh-
bouring portions of the Great Eastern,to interchange traffic
facilities with them, and to raise £40,000 by shares and
£13,000 by loan. The committee, without hearing the case
for the opposition, threw out the bill. Mr. Ingham, chair-
man, Mr. H. G. Langton, Mr. D. Fortescue, and Mr. Law-
son met to consider bills connected with the counties of
Kent in Sussex. The proceedings were delayed an hour
in consequence of the report of the referees who inquired
into the merits of the bill last week not being forthcoming,
Mr. Millward, Q.C., and Mr. Johnson then opened the case
for the promoters, Mr. Merewether, Q.C., opposing for the
Brighton Company, and Mr. Burke, Mr. Phinn, and Mr.
Clerk for the South-Western and landowner; the evidence
adduced being the same as that elicited before the referees
and the committee.

Another court of referees, now making two, commenced

its inquiry yesterday, Mr. Hassard in the chair. Mr. Round
stated the ease for the Great Eastern Company's line from
Somersham to Ramsey, to enable the Great Eastern to make
a line of seven miles from a junction with their St. lye's
and March line at Somersham to a junction with the Ram-
sey Railway, to raise £52,000 by shares, and £17,330 by
loan. The opposition of the Great Northern Railway and
Middle Level Commissioners having been withdrawn, the
bill will be referred to the Select Committee. The ease of
the Bedford, Northampton, and Weedon for a railway of 31
miles between those points, and to raise £500,000 in shares
and £166,000 loan, was opened by Mr. Cripps, Mr. Round
opposing for the London and North-Western, and Mr.
Staveley Hill for the Northampton and Banbury Railway ;
Mr. Liddell, C.E., was examined for the bill, and Mr. Burke
against it, and the referees adjourned. The bill for the
Deal and Dover was opened by Mr, Somerset fora railway
from the London, Chatham, and Dover at Buckland to
Deal, near the South-Eastern, to raise £150,000 and X. 50,000
loan. Mr. Sergeant Atkinson opposed for the Dover, Deal,
and Sandwich, on the ground of competition, and the referees
will report thereon, as well as upon the Crofthead and Kil-
marnock Extension Railway. The opposition to the London
and South-Western Company's Torrington Extension Bill
was withdrawn.

In the Court over which Mr. Dodson, Chairman of Ways
and Means, presides, the opposition to the bills of the Mary-
port and Carlisle and Whitehaven Junction and Cocker-
mouth and Workington being withdrawn, the Committee.
after hearing evidence and the arguments of counsel, agreed
to report them, together with the bills for the London and
South-Western (additional powers) and Mellis and Eye
Railway.
The Great Robberies in the City.

Yesterday, at 1 o'clock, a man named Frederick William
Wilkinson, otherwise Erskine, but better known among his
acquaintances and to some of the police by a sobriquet, was
placed before the Lord Mayor, at the Justice-room of the
Mansion-house, on the charge of being concerned in break-
ing and entering the shop of Mr. Johnson, jeweller, in
Threadneedle-street, on the 4th of July last, and stealing
jewelry of the value in all of about £4,000.
Mr. Lewis, jun., of Ely-place, conducted the examina•
tiod, which he prefaced by a brief statement of the cir-
cumstances under which the prisoner had been arrested,
as they were afterwards proved in evidence,
James Brennan, an inspector of the F division of metro-
politan police, Bow-street station, whomhe called, deposed
that at 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, in company with In-
spector Potter, of the G division, City Detective-sergeant
Moss, and Police-constable Rayner, he went to the first
floor front room of the house No. 10, Tabernacle-walk,
Finsbury-square, and saw the prisoner sitting in a chair by
the fire. Calling him by the name of " Fred," by which ho
was known, he said they had come to apprehend him for
being concerned with others who were in custody in seve-
ral robberies of jewelry in the city, and more especially one
at the shop of Mr. Johnson in Threadneedle-street. The
prisoner replied that he knew nothing about them, and that
he had done nothing of the kind for the last ten months.
Witness searched him and found in his possession a silver
Geneva watch, a gold Albert chain with a locket attached,
a pin, and signet ring, all of which he was wearing. Ho
knew the prisoner by the name of " Carroty Fred," and
also as Frederick Erskine. On this occasion he gave the
namo of Wilkinson.

Sergeant Moss said ho had found what purported to be
the prisoner's marriage certificate, from which it appeared
;hat his name was William Wilkinson.

Tho prisoner declined to ask inspector Brennan a ques-
tion, denying all knowledge of the matter.
Sergeant Moss said he accompanied the previous witness
when
odelnthgeinEl/2pgrisoner was apprehended, and afterwards searched
where he found two bankers'
pass-books
in the ofn the
London name
Lon
of F. H. C. R. Erskine. (A laugh.)
Mr. Lewis—A high-sounding name, certainly. What
else did you find ?
Witness said ho found in one of the banker's books the
entry of a deposit of £5O under the date of the 14th of
November last. He also found five keys, some of which
had been filed and altered, three metal chains, two rings, a
brooch, and 13 duplicates, one of which related to a silver
watch, another to a pin, and the rest to wearing apparel.
The prisoner said he was an agent, and on being asked for
whom, he replied for himself. werewas he lkept a littleiving recently in
Fryer-street, Blackfriars-road, cigar
shop.
Mr. Lewis, upon that evidence,-asked to have the priso..
ner remanded, in order that he might be brought up with
the rest of the ten prisoners now in custody.
t o
uhim,sin and
as show
which
ti
t hv howea sk nowe
y_ ho
The Lord Mayor acceded to the application, and the
e
prisoner was remanded accordingly.
The prisoner asked on what grounds he was remanded.
He did not think there was any evidence to justify his
detention.j.yorethteh Ho s
ee articlescoofu ll
odfcopk
sirmo
of
dfuutcphe
tTemye upon
witnessesm e
living, as he could prove by a locksmith.

The Lord Mayor told him he might urge those points
on another occasion. He should not let him go.
The prisoner was then removed.

The diver has now recovered 12 watches in all from the
bed of the Thames, at the place near the temporary bridge
at Blackfriars where he has been at work for the last week,
all which have been identified by Mr. Walker as part of the
property stolen from his premises. For the present the
operation, which cost at the rate of about £25 a week, has
been discontinued, in the belief that no more of the missing
property is to be found there.