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

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HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY).
GROUP I.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of
the schemes comprised in this group, re-a.ssenibled at the usual
hour this morning in Room 30 ; Mr. W. 0. Stanley in the
chair.

TUE BitIGIITON MID KENT SCHEME.
Mr. Rice, M.P. ;or Dover, gave general evidence in favour
Of this scheme.
Mr. Selby, land valuer, proved that the value of the land
to be taken between London and Tunbridge and Maidstone
was 99,768/. 45 6d., including compensation and severance.
Mr. Austin, another land valuer, proved the value of the
land between Maidstone arid Canterbury to be 60,3871.
Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, the deputy-chairman of the Lon-
don, Brighton, and South Coast Company, was next
examined. He stated that no inconvenience had resulted
to the public from the joint use and occupancy
of the Croydon line. He had for two or three
years past
attended the various meetings which had been held in the
county of Kent to consider the various projects which
were from time to time got up for supplying the county
with railway accommodation. Ile attended the different
meetings held in February last to consider the two schemes
before the Committee, and certainly it appeared to him that
their meetings were unanimously in favour of the Brighton
line. He was an advocate for applying competition to
railways, because it tended to advance public convenience
and advantage. The original estimate of the Croydon line
Was 140,0001.; the actual outlay had been one million.
Mr. Wilkinson was cross-examined by Mr. MERE-
WETHER—! 1 e was aware of the low scale of fares which
the Brighton Company were prepared to submit to the Com-
mittee, but he had never stated a lower scale at any of the
numerous public eetings he had attended, nor had he ever
pledged the Brighton Company to charge the low scale men-
tioned by Mr. Talbot over all the existing Brighton lines,
though he believed that the company were quite ready to
do so. Last year he admitted that there was no case for
their going beyond Mddstone, or indeed for their going so
far as Maidstone, but this year the care was altered. He
was decidedly an advocate for competition on railways, that
was, so far as biddings for new lines were concerned. Last
year the Kent Atmospheric Company bid for their line fares
As low as Lid. per mile for first-class passengers, and
charges In the same proportion for the second
and third-class passengers, and had that bid been
accepted, he felt convinced it would have succeeded. The
first outlay on a railway was of minor importance as an ele-
ment in estimating fares. The regulation of the charges
to the public depended more upon the cost of work-
ing. What he meant by competition was not the
running of two parallel railways to one point, but
two companies having the power to work over por-
tions of the same line upon equal terms. For instance,
the Portsmouth Direct line would be open to the South-
Western, and the Brighton Company, and both would have
an interest in getting the most traffic, which would have the
effect of always insuring low fares to the public. That was
a wholesome system of competition, but competition in the
case of two parallel lines would ever be ruinous, and produce
disadvantageous results to the public.
On examination by the CHAIRMAN, Mr. Wilkinson stated
that the Brighton Company did not contemplate running the
continental traffic rid Canterbury, because with the level
line of the South-Western Company the through journey
going by way of Tunbridge could be performed in about the
same tirrae as going by way of Canterbury, or any extension
line from Canterbury to baYer. It was highly probable
that eventually there would be an amalgamation, or some
arrangement come to between the two companies.
EYGINERLiING EVIDENCE.

Mr. Sherrad stated that he had laid out the Brighton line
under the direction of Mr. Cubitt. The line of the Brighton
Company was four miles shorter to Tunbridge than
the proposed South-Eastern line. The new line to
be constructed py ' the Brighton Company between
London and Tunbridge would be twenty.five miles, six fur-
longs, and two chains. The present distance from London
to Tunbridge was forty-one miles. To reduce that distance
he should have to encounter considerable heavy works,
but although costly, they would be easily sur-
mounted. At Otford he encountered a tunnel of 2,596
yards in length, similar to the one Mr. Stephenson
had upon his line last year at the same point. The next
large work was a tunnel in the neighbourhood 6,f Seven
Oaks, 2,886 yards in length; but the strata were firm and
good, and the tunnel could be easily made. From that
boring to Tunbridge there were no very material works
encountered.
The Committee adjourned at the usual hour till twelve
o',ilock to-morrow (this day.)