The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-22 00:00:00

GROUP XI.

The Select Committee.ap—poin- ted to consider the merits of
the Bills comprised in Group 11 re-assembled at the usual
hour this morning, Mr. Forbes Mackenzie in the chair.
COLCHESTER .B.ND STOUR. VALLEY (LA-
• VENHILIK EXTENSION).

The general case for this line having been closed,
Mr. Peter Bruff was called,
. and examined upon the engi-
neering features of the lThe works were easy, the
length about fourteen miles, and the cost 400,0001., and
70,0001. for widening the existing line, and laying it down
with a double line of rails.
The landholders' opposition was then gone into, and after a

few minutes' consultation, the Committee decided that the
preamble to the Bill was proved.
The remainder of the day was occupied in going through
the clauses.

GROUP XVI.
GREAT NORTHERN (BRANCHES PROM

HERTFORD TO ST. 41.1.11.8.N"5).
The Committee re-assembled this morning at the usual
hour; Mr. Kemble in the chair.
At the sitting of the Committee the Chairman intimated
that the business was proceeding slowly; before they called
any more witnesses to show the necessity of the branch, he
thought it right to inform counsel that the Committee were
agreed that a line of railway was required between Hertford
and St. Alban's.
Mr. HILDYARD admitted, on the part of the Eastern Coun-
ties, that such a line was required.
Mr. Sergeant WII.ANGIIA3I said, if the Committee were sa-
tisfied of that, it would be unnecessary to call any more wit-
nesses with-respect to the local advantages of the line, but
simply to adduce engineering evidence, and evidence as to
the advantages which it would confer upon other parts of
the country; he would, however, with the permission of the
Committee, call Mr. Repton, M.P. for the borough of Saint
Alban's.

Mr. Repton, M.P., was then called and examined by Mr.
Sergeant WRANGIIAM. His evidence went to corroborate
that already adduced in favour of the line—that it would be
of the greatest advantage to his constituents, and to Hatfield
and Hertford, and would open up communication east and
west, and, by the existing lines and those to be made, north
and south, which the district did not possess at present.
Mr. West said he had been employed to ascertain the popu-
lation in Hertfordshire immediately contiguous to each of
the lines which traversed it, and the following were the
results :—On the London and North Western, 47,020; the
Eastern Counties,44,o9s ; and on the Great Northern, 65,597.
The Hitchin population was included in the number allotted
to the Great Northern.
Mr. Wrigley, a mining engineer, said he was well ac-
quainted with the coal mines of Yorkshire, Derby, and Lei-
cester, and that he had visited the district traversed by the
proposed line, in connexion with the coal trade. The price
of coals, owing to the circuitous and expensive route, was very
high in the district. In Hertford the price of the same kind
of coal had varied from 18s. 6d. to 325. The Silkston
coal had not yet found its way into the district.
The consumption of coal in the district was at the rate of
one ton per head of the population. By the aid of the Direct
Northern and the proposed branches, coals could be brought
into the district at 12s. 6d. per ton less than at present,
particularly the Silkston coal (Silkston is near Barnsley).
Cross-examined—Knew that Parliament had granted a
line from Lynn to Ely, thus giving a continuous line of rail-
way between that port and Hertford; but coals would not
be brought by sea to Lynn and transmitted to Hertford by
railway, as the price at Lynn would be the same as that at
which they could be delivered by railway in the district.
Mr. Webb, a corn-factor at Hackney, gave evidence in
favour of the line.
Mr. Cubitt, jun., the engineer, was then examined at c•m-
siderabie length with respect to the line. It would be 1!
miles long; would cost between 300,000/. and 400,000/., and
presented no engineering difficulties of any kind.
By the COMMITTEE-It was advisable to carry on the line
from Hertford to Ware, parallel with the line of the Eastern
Counties, in order to avoid any interference with the traffic
of that line, which was considerable between Hertford to
Ware ; and because it would be well to have an independent
terminus. . .

The witness was also examined with respect to the pro-
perties of the petitioning landowners—Baron Dimsdale, Mr.
Smith, and Mrs. Chambers; but he denied that in either
case residential injury would be done, as the properties were
crossed in the most objectionable parts.
Adjourned until to-morrow (this day).

GROUP XVIII.
The Committee, the Earl of Lincoln in the chair, met
this morning at twelve o'clock, when several witnesses were
called to show the facility which this branch would give to
the trade of Gloucester.