The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-23 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

ROUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY).
GRU I.
The Select Committee appoOinte P.
d to consider the merits of
the Mils comprised in this group
,re-assembled at the usual
hour this morning in Room 30; Mr. W. O. Stanley in the
chair.
TUE intaGHToiv (MID SENT) SCHEME.
Mr. Sheroad's engineering evidence in favour of this line
as resumed. The total cost ,he estimated at 1,500,0001.,
xclusive of stations. The main line to Tonbridge would
coat 392,M, and the branch 18,541/. The construction of
the works would occupy about two years.
The witness was cross-examined at considerable length by
Bir. MBRREwrrimn.
The Committee adjourned at the usual_ hour till twelve
o'clock to-morrow (this day)'

GROUP V.
,The Committee met at twelvUe this morning; present, Lord
„.arry Vane, Chairman ; Hon. M. Gore, Hon. M. Sutton,
air. Rice, and Sir E. Filmer.
WINDSOR, STAINES, AND SOUTH—WES-
TERN (HXCHIYLON33. TO ‘TATINDSOId.).
WZNESOI7., STAIN S, AND SOUTH—WES-

TERM (STAINES TO ASCOT,
Mr. Locke, the engineer-in-chief of the ,South-Western
Company, said the principle on which he laid out the pro-
jects Was how far he could accommodate the district comps-
pobly with a great through line. He preferred a system of
op lines for that object to one of branches. The routes
now fixed on differed in several advantgeous respects from
the scheme of last session. It had been laid out with a view
to connect all the towns of the districts with each other. as
well as with London—to give facility of communication
through Wokingham to Reading, and so to the north, by a
harrow gauge line, and to connect Windsor easily by the
Main line of the South-Western with Southampton and
Portsmouth. It was proposed to provide depot accommoda-
tion at Brentford for coals brought up the river, whence
they could be distributed through the district on the rail ;
for it was supposed that the same tide would take the barge
to Brentford, and perhaps the same expense as would take
the coals to Nine Elms. The eat imated cost of the works for
Making the new road through Windsor Park, and the bridge
carrying the road to the station, as furnished by the Crown
ngineer, was 20,0001., exclusive of land. The gross esti-
- 19ate on each of the two Bills was 500,000/. On the Rich-
Mond and Windsor line the earthwork was 30,672/. ; bridges
3.03,220/. ; permanent way, 118,904/. ; sidings, &c., 37,1961.;
Aatt„ d 'and compensation, 131,3301.; contingencies, 78,678/. ;
On the Staines and Wokingham, with branches, the earth-
-,Work wai ).13,729/ ; bridges, 77,485/.; permanent way.
150,100/. ; sidings, &c., 23,2961. •, land and compensation,
71,100/. ;and contingencies, 64,230/. The gradients were
very eas
,)--,
the deepest cutting, or the highest embankment,
Was 'about 20 feet. The only important bridge was that
crossing the river at Richmond, which had received the
sanction of the Admiralty and the other authorities.
_ Mr. Tite, surveyor to the Company, estimated the pur-
chaseof the land on the Richmond and Windsor line at
131,3301,_e and on the Ascot line at 7.1.001.
onTtte witnesses were cross-examined at considerable length
part of private proprietors, &c.
The
Twelve.t4minittee adjourned till to-morrow (this day) at

GROUP VI.
SALISBURY AND YEOVIL.
rilt2llEß. YEOVIL, AND DORCHESTER.
tthe commencement of the proceedings this morning,
. DEEDES, the Chairman of the Committee, stated that
the Committee thought it desirable, in order to avoid a waste
Of time to themselves and expense to the parties concerned,
to state that it was the opinion of the Committee that they
bad heard sufficient evidence to convince them of the exist-
ence of a traffic between Salisbury anti Yeovil, which would
Irtyrant the construction of a railway in that district. They
Wished, however, to guard themselves against the supposi-
tion that they had come to any conclusion with respect to
the merits of the line before them. At the same time he
thought it desirable to state that, in the opinion of the Com-
mittee, any
further evidence upon the consequences of the
break of gauge should be confined to professional men, who
Were acquainted with the whole nature of the subject.
Mr. Q.C„ felt obliged to the Committee for the ex-
pressions they had thrown out, which he considered were
kindly intended on the part of the Committee for their
guidance rather than for their government.
ThegiummAN—The Committee do not wish, in the slight-
est degree, to interfere with the course which counsel may,
under such circumstances, think it their duty to adopt.
Mr. Forman, collector of harbour dues at Southampton,
gave evidence as to the amount of the exports and imports
into that pore.
to
Mr. Rutter solicitor residing at Shaftesbury, and agent
in the South-western Railway. He had taken great pains to
form
himself of the district round Shaftesbury and its
Wants, and it was his opinion that the construction of the
proposed line would fully meet the requirements of the
district.
Mr. T. Ensor, a large glover in the neighbourhood of Mil-
bourne Port, paying upwards of 2001. a week in wages, was
the next witness examined. lie thought it of great im-
portance that there should be a continuous line of railway
to London-bridge.
Mr. Dingley, draper, of Sherborne ; Mr: Alexander, an ex-
tensive carrier in the western districts; and Mr. Hannam,
grocer, of Wincanton, also gave'evidence in favour of the lines
proposed by the South-Western Company.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow (this day)
at Twelve o'clock.

CROUP XI.
The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits
of the Bills comprised in this group re-assembled at the
%%nal hour this morning ; Mr. Forbes Mackenzie in the
Chair.
C
--ferrEsTzn. AND STOUR VAiLEY (LA
NrElv riArd AND BURT ST. EDMUND'S
3CTE.IITSION).
kr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM opened the case for the pro-
itaoters of this line. The object of the Bill was to extend the
line passed yesterday on to Bury, where it would join the
Ipswich and Bury Extension line to Norwich, and thus form
a competing railway to the line of the Eastern Counties and
Newmarket and Chesterfield, from the metropolis, to Nor-
wich and Yarmouth. It was proposed that the Eastern
Union and the Norfolk Companies should lease the line at
five per cent., with half the surplus profits.
A number of local witnesses were called to prove the ad-
vantages of the line, and the Committee adjourned.