The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-27 00:00:00

DECISION.

The CHAIRMAN said I have to inform you that it is the
opinion of the Committee that the preamble of the
South-Eastern (North Kent line) has been proved—
that the preamble of the South-Eastern (Stro-d
and Maidstone line) has been proved—that the pre--
amble of the Mid Kent, Direct Tonbridge, and Paddock
Wood Branch has been proved, omitting the branches to
Sevenoaks and Maidstone, and the branch from Maidstone'to
Chart, and the branch to Bromley and Croydon, that the
preamble of the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Bill, Mid-Kent, and Direct Tonbridge line,
has not been proved. It is the opinion of
the Committee that it is of importance with the
public interest that the North Kent and Strood and Maid-
stone lines should be constructed first, and therefore it is the
intention of the Committee in those cases to limit the time
for the compulsory purchase of land to three years, and the
completion of the lines to five years; but considering the pre-
sent state of the money market, the Committee proposed to
extend the time in the case of the Mid-Kent lines to five
years and seven years.

The consideration of the clauses was adjourned till to.
morrow.

GROUP VI.
SALISBURY AND YEOVIL.

EXETER, YEOVIL, AND DOELCIIESTEIL

The Committee met this morning at twelve; Mr. Deedes,
chairman.

The first wit seas called by the promoters of these lines
was Mr. Cuff, the late mayor of Chard. His evidence went
to show the great facilities which would be afforded to the
inhabitants of Chard by the continuation of these railways.
Mr. Divett, M.P. for Exeter, was the next witness called
—He gave evidence in favour of the desirableness of a com-
peting and independent line between Exeter and London.
With respect to the comparative merits of the gauges, he
gave it as his opinion that the broad gauge line was a luxury
to the inhabitants of Exeter, and he believed that the re-
moval of that gauge would prove a positive injury to that
part of the country. He was a director of the Bristol and
Exeter Railway, but, at the same time, he could not help
thinking that the construction of a competing line on the
narrow gauge would prove of great service to the western
districts of the country. The feeling of the people of Exeter
was also decidedly in favour of a narrow gauge competing
line.
Sir J. Duckworth, M.P. for Exeter, gave evidence corro-
borative of that given by the last witness with respect to
the feelings of the people of Exeter in favour of the proposed
lines, and the advantages to be derived to the inhabitants of
Exeter and the west of England by their construction.
Several other witnesses were examined, and the Com-
mittee adjourned till twelve to-morrow.

GROUP IX.
WEST CORNWALL AND IinIINCIIES.
This Committee met, for the first time, to-day. ➢lr. Tatty,
Egerton, chairman.
Mr.*SAtint opened the case for the promoters of a branc'
to `t. Ice's.

The length of the line was three miles, the cost of con
struction, with quays, 70,0001.
Evidence was gone into to prove the preamble.

GROUP XVI.
The Committee assembled to-day ; Sir James Graham,
chairman.

STOUR VALLEY (No. XI),

The witnesses called this morning in favour of the line
proposed by the Stour Valley Railway were Mr. Scott, M.P.
for Walsall, and Mr. Thompson,, manager of the British Iron.
Works at We and several'others, all of whom gav,e evi-
dence favourable to the line as proposed by the Skit. Valley
Company, in preference to the accommodation proposed
to be given by the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Railway.

GROUP XVIII.
CHELTENHAM AND OXX'ORD.

The Committee assembled this' morning at twelve o'clock ;
the: Earl of Lincoln in the chair. The whole of the morn-
ing was consumed in the cross-examination of Mr. Brunel,
chiefly on the minor points of the deviations that would
affect certain parts of the town of Cheltenham, the details of
which would, withcut a very lengthy elaboration, be totally
unintelligible; and if that were given it would be utterly
uninteresting.

GROUP XXI.
EASTERN COUNTIES AND ar4x.a.T