The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-21 00:00:00

GROUP XI.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of
the Bills comprised in this group met for the first time this
morning in Room 32; Mr. Forbes Mackenzie in the chair.
The Bills referred to this Committee stood on the list as

Braintree and Halstead.
Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead (Stour
Navigation Purchase).
Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead (Extension
to MeNord, Lavenham, and Clare).
Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead (Extension
from Lavenbam to Bury St. Edmund's).
Pasterni e, st esurw,
ittol
and
d ,dVtaullreyy,stS.ndbury,
Edmund's).aad Halstead (Lease of
union itaawaan Company)
Junction (Sale to the Eastern
Eaatern C°Untij (SlalnlidanonY, )Witham, and Braintree Railway
Purchase),Ea
way Amalgamationstern pswich and Bury St, Edmund's Rail-
COLCNEEMER, STOtrit VAL
AND HALSTEAD (13.1 m Inn)3:11711:r1
roux), Lis.vzzirsam, Awn 227 TO IVIZZ"'
CLASULI)
Mr. Sergeant Waawoium opened the e f
tars of the scheme. It was a Bill for extendinorg the ic
Stour Valley line from Sudbury through hleltOrd
to L ham and Clare, a distance of fourteen.miles and faunsnv n-
At present tlietraffic of the district is carried by,the.Stour•
Navigation. a most expeniiie of trail-sit, mid the-re
could be no doubt that the prrposed line would prove to be a
great public accommodation. It could be easily extended
on the one side to the port of Harwich, while on the other,
if the line were continued on, from Lavenham to Bury 6t.

Edmund's, the distance between the metropolis and Norwich
would be shortened by nine miles. The cost of the proposed
line was estimated at 200,0001., but it was proposed to raise
an additional sum of 70,0001., for the purpose of making the
existing line from Markotay to Sudbury, with double rails,
instead of single. There could be no doubt that the in-
habitants of the district line were anxious that the proposed
line should pass, while, to convince the Committee that the
scheme was likely to prove remunerative, he need only men-
tion the fact that the united companies, the Eastern Union
and Norfolk, were ready to lease the Colchester and Stour
Valley line, with all its extensions, upon a guarantee of 51.
per cent. and half the surplus profits. He fully relied, there-
fore, that after hearing the evidence in favour of
it.
The the Committee would have no difficulty in granting
The remainder of the day was occupied with general evi-
dence in favour of the line.
The Committee adjourned, at the usual hour, till twelve
o'clock to-morrow (this day).

GROUP XVI.
GREAT NORTHERN BRANCHES.
(Coatiuued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Among the witnesses were Mr. Burnley, the Mayor of St.
Alban's, who stated that the feeling of the inhabitants of the
town was generally in favour of it ; and Mr. Borden, of Lu-
ton, bonnet-manufacturer, employing 30A hands, who said
about 7,000 persons were engaged in that locality in the
trade, and that the line in connexion with the Luton, Dun-
stable, and St. Alban's would be of the utmost advent:lce.
Captain Lawes, a director of the Great Northern, spoke to
the great demand for the line in the district.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day).

GROUP XVIII;

CHELTENHAM AND ozrostu RAILWAY.

The Committee, comprising the Earl of Lincoln (in the
chair), Captain Jones, Mr. M. J. O'Connell, and Sir Walter
James, met this morning at twelve o'clock.
Mr. TALBOT opened on behalf of the Great Western Com-
pany, and expatiated for a considerable time, with the as-
sistance of Mr. Brunel, on the evils of the break of gauge.
On the discussion of the Manchester and Southampton
Bill, a sort of undertaking had been given that a double
gauge line should be made; but, as that companyiwas not
at present defunct, it was uncertain whether the district
between Oxford and Cheltenham would be supplied with
the broad or the narrow gauge. If the latter they would
have the obstacle which flowed from the break of the
gauge, and he would venture to suggest to the Committee
that it was worthy of mature consideration whether this
impediment would offer an insuperable obstacle to the trans-
mission of minerals from the westward of Gloucester to the
towns in the valley of the Thames; as also from the South
Wales and the Staffordshire coal-fields. The line proposed
by the Midland Counties would be, at all events, very cir-
cuitous; and even if the Great Western Company were to
carry it, they would, at any rate, be obliged to interpose a
check bar at Cheltenham. If this line were, therefore, to
be made, there should be no temptation offered to the Great
Western Company either to increase the expense or prolong
the distance. And this case both applied to the Forest of
Dean and other places in England, and, indeed, the Irish
traffic also. The saving between Gloucester and Oxford was
25 miles, and between Cheltenham and Oxford the saving
would be 40 miles, all the advantage of which would be
impeded, if not lost, by this break of gauge. The saving
from Irellnd would be less, for it was only five miles between
Fishguard and Oxford; but in these days, when we had
lived to go so fast, and when we required to go so fast, even
this was a matter of great importance. Now, there was the
advantage of retaining the opening which had been made by
the Great Western Company with the Swansea district, and
this line entirely provided the greatest convenience for the
local as well as for the through traffic; and it appeared,
therefore, the greatest absurdity to shut out Witney ; and he
would, therefore, put it broadly on the point of the advantage
given by the local traffic. With respect to the saving of
distance, the saving between Gloucester and London would
be five miles. and between Cheltenham and London 18 miles
and a fraction. The saving of distance by the competing
scheme would be something less, and that between the other
foci what he bad stated. The distance on the narrow gauge
line between Oxford and London was certainly a little
shorter, but it had a variety of severe gradients, while that
of the Great Western Company was nearly on a dead level,
being, in fact, only four feet in a mile. The Learned Counsel
then cited the statements of the Chairman of the North
Western Railway at the last meeting, and in which he said,
that in consequence of the increase of traffic, the directors
had determined to lay down two new lines of rails between
Primrose-hill Tunnel and Watford, in order to accommodate
the great traffic now in existence, and which had already
caused some irregularity. But, in addition to that, there
was likely to be an increase of this; for there was the Chester
and Holyhead, the Trent Valley, the North Shropshire line,
as well as several other lines, all of which would bring a
traffic equal to, perhaps, double the quantity of that which
was already hi existence. Now, was this inconvenience, and
the danger resulting from it, to be endured, when there was
an opportunity of carrying it all on a line comparatively un-
obstructed, as it was in consequence of the superior power
possessed by the Great Western Company? This observation
was borne out by the evidence of Mr. Stephenson, the emi-
nent engineer of the North-Western Company, for in that
evidence, which he read, he had intimated the necessity to
form a sort of loop line, in order to relieve the main line
from the traffic by which it is now overloaded. So much
for the through traffic; and for the local traffic
there was the same objections, and he trusted after
the great war which he saw brewing was over
that he should be able to prove that the stations
at the several places were not only superior to those of the
competing company, but the very best that could be devised,
for, practically, they shut out Oxford, as well as other places,
from the main line. The greater part of the rest of the day
was occupied by the Learned Gentleman in showing the
small amount of traffic which was likely to come on the nar-
row gauge line.
Mr. Baker, a banker and coal proprietor, at Gloucester,
expressed himself strongly in favour of a broad gauge line,
and stated that if this line were formed it would open the
way for the Forest of Dean line, notwithstanding that a large
quantity of the Derbyshire and Staffordshire coals were
brought up by the Gloucesterline.
Mr. Goole, also a coal-owner, gave evidence to a similar
effect. .

Some conversation ensued respecting the heads of houses
at Oxford refusing to appear, although they were represented
to be unfriendly to the plan, and the Committee then ad-
journed.