The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-19 00:00:00

GROUP XVI.

The Committee to whom the f_ I iowing Bills have been re-
ferred met this morning in No. 23 C mmittee-room, at half-
past twelve o'clock ; Mr. liemble in toe chair :
London and North-Western (St. Alban's, Luton, and Dun-
stable).
Great Northern Railway (Hertford, Hatfield, and St.
Alban's).
Eastern Counties Railway (Hertford to Hitchin, &c )
Enfield and Edmonton lfailway Extension.
The CHAIRMAN said he entirely concurred in the justice of
the rule which had been laid down by many of the other
Committees, that no counsel who was absent at the exami-
nation in chief of a witness should be allowed to cross-
examine him, except under special circumstances, and by
the express permission of the Committee, because enormous
expense would be thereby obviated; but they did not think
it necessary, in the present instance, to adopt that rule ; yet,
at the same time, he begged distinctly to state that the
Committee had reserved to itself the right of acting upon the
rule at any time they might think tit.
The appearances fur the various parties having been
entered, _ _ _

The CMAIRMAN intimated that they were ready to hear
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham open the case of the Great Northern
(Hertford, Hatfield, and St. Alban's).
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM said he was prepared to pro •
coed at once; but as the Railway Commissioners had not
yet reported on the capital of the Eastern Counties' branch,
and as in some respects it might be looked upon as a com-
peting project, he suggested to the Committee whether it
would not be advisable to postpone the consideration of the
two lines until they could both come before the Committee in
a similar positioa, so far as the reports of the Railway Com-
missioners were concerned.
After some discussion,
The CHAIRMAN intimated that he would first take the
GREAT NORTHERN BRANCH,
and, at the completion of the case, they would take the
Eastern Counties project.
Mr. Sergeant WILANCHIAM then proceeded to open the
case. He said, at present the county of- Hertford was
traversed by three lines of railway—tewards the west by the
North-Western, the east by the Eastern Counties, and
directly through the centre by the main line of the Great
Northern Railway, and that one of the great objects of the
branches was the supply of that great desideratum to the
county—namely, a connexion between these three lines.
Although the county was, as he had said, traversed by these
three lines, each line only accommodated the districts in its
immediate vicinity, and then only northward and south-
ward, not giving any lateral cemmunication, which was
much needed. For instance, the two great towns of the
county, Hertford and St. Alban's—and at the first the
seeeitaes and assizes we-e held, and the county business trans-
acted—were entirely cut of from each other, so far as rapid
and cheap railway communication was concerned, and they
were but fourteen miles• distant from each other. To get
from.Hert ford to St. Moan's by railway, a person must go
round by London, and strike off at Watford, on the North-
Western line, and travel to his destination by the Luton
branch. The connexion, therefore, of the three lines, by
'stretching across the county in a lateral direction, was suffi-
cient, if that were the only advantage of the branches, to
ensure the passing .sf the Bill. By them every town or dis-
trict possessing 2,000 inhabitants would have railway com-
munication. terley would be transmitted from the districts
in the west to the malting districts in the east—Ware,
for instance—and at one quarter of the present
rate by cart, which was Bd. per ton per
mile. By the Luton line, a communication would
be given with the manufacturing districts, with which the
Birmingham line was connected, and coals would be brought
to the district, by the aid of the Direct Northern, at 16s per
ton, instead of 305., as at present. The Hertford and Hitchin
branch, proposed by the Eastern Counties, omitted all the
important towns in the county. True, it would be four miles
and a half shorter between Ifitchin and Hertford than by the
Great Northern and the Hertford branch; but what would
that avail, when it would afford little or none of the local
communication sought by the county, and would cost
270,00,/., whilst their line, which would offer accommoda-
tion to one-fourth of the population, would cost only
300,0001.? the length of their line being fifteen miles
and a half, and .the Eastern Counties fourteen miles.
Hie Learned Friend rnicht say that Vie Eastern Cennties
could bring coals from Huntingdonshire to Ware at half the
price they (the Great Northern) could, 'a account of the
difference of the distance to which be had referred; but a
clause was inserted in the Direct Northern Bill c, mpelling
them to charge for the transit of goods only by the geogra-
phical distance. The line would commence at Hertford in
connexion with the Eastern Counties line, and run to Hat-
field, where it would join the Great Northern; it would then
run on to St. Alban's, where it would join the proposed Luton
and St. Alban's line. After reterring to the opposition
which the Great Northern had expeiienced at the hands of
the Eastern Counties and the Midland Company, he con-
cluded by confidentht trusting that the Committee would
pass the preamble of the- Bill.
The Marquis of Salisbury, examined by Mr. Sergeant
KINGLAZE. —His Lordship said, his residence was at Hat-
field. He had lived in the county all his lite, and had paid
much attention to the railway wants of the county, and was
well acquainted with the sentiments of the resident gentry
on the subject. All the general business of the county was
transacted at Hertford. The liberty of St. Alban's amounted
to about one-third of the county, and the county business
transacted there was considerable. The connexion of the
three lines was indispensaiile. Hertthrdshire was an
agricultur.l county, and the great markets were St.
Albau's and Watford for the west, and Hertford
and Ware in the east. There was a great demand
for malt for maltirg at Ware. Formerly there was some
demand at Hitchen, but it was not great now. Straw plait-
ing was carried on at St. Alban's, which would find an outlet.
by the proposed hue. He did not understand the use of the
Hitchin line, but the other he considered would be•most
advantageous. There was a general teeling in the countfin
favour of the cross lines.
Cross-examined—Had insisted upon a deviation of the
London and York, which brought it nearer his house, in
order that it night not be s..en from it. Hertford was
generally in favour of the line. The Hertford and St.
.Alban's markets vrire on the seine clay. Gave evidence last
year in favour of a St. Alban's and Hatfield line, which was
rejected. There were no public conveyances between the
two points of the line.
Cross-examined by Mr. Rows, for Baron Dimsdale—Was
not aware of the way ui which the line would interfere with
thin nobleman's property, but if it crossed immediately op-
posite the house, and ran for a distance of .500 yards on an
embankment 13 feet high, and cut off communication with
the gardens, it would be a great inconvenience, and would
intercept the view.
His Lordship was examined with respect to Mr. T. Smith's
property at Hertford, hut
Knothing material was elicited.
Re-examined ibv
Hertford and St. Alban's
Lord-Lieutenant
xo:—Parties asratmiees
day. attended both
Lord Verulate, the of the county, was
next examined. He said his seat was in the vicinity of St.
Alban's. if the line were not the western part of the
county would, as heretofore, be) shuedtiiit from railway corn-
nerally concurred
littlUication with the ccunty town.
The other ma-
in the evidence of the Marquis of Salisehugre
giatrates, he believed, generally concurredY'in the necessity of
St.
ezopulation
the line.
Mr. Durand, the clerk of the peace, said, ttb
of the county, including the liberty of
157,207; the population of St. Albaa's 10,430, It wrads
6,663. Jurymen were summoned from St. Alban's to attendt
the assizes at Hertford. Magistrates residing in the western
aide of the county did not attend the assizes in the east,rn
awing to the want et proper communication.
Other evidence in favour of the line having been adduced,
the Committee adjourned until to-morrow.

GROUP XXVIII.
1111LSTEILIAT COUNTIES EXTENSION.
The Committee in this grain, comprising Mr. T. D. Ac-
land in the chair, the Earl of March, Sir R. Lopez, the Hon.
Ed. Herris, and Lord Edwin Hill, met this morning at twelve
o'clock, when, after some discussion, as to the right of oppo-
sition held by Mr. Sergeant Clark, the Committee proceeded
the
' - VSOSTON DEVX&TION BRANCH.
fir. PAM opened in its favour, by stating that this was
vgry abort line, in or near the town of Boston. By the ori-
- • gm' iiilVhs loop branch of the London and York line
massed tat ugh the town of Boston, but would be in a Yen,
' incaor-F-soiiint position, and the object of thi* Bill was to change
the cour‘e of that loop in the town of Boston, so as to bring
,iut)Xe centre of one of the principal streets. Th. first '
NI it S'

I object, therefore, was to gain a more convenient station, and
then
the traffic
cro-s the river Witham at a more convenient distance
for
traffic than that originally designed. The London
and York Company, and the Eastern Counties Company, had
both obtained their Acts, and had agreed to form the devia.
tion, but yet it was necessary that there should be an Act
for the purpose.
Mr. Cubitt, the engineer of the London and York line,
stated that as the line was now planned, the passage would
be above the grand sluice, where the whole of the traffic of
the county passed. By the alteration sought by this Bill
the crossing would be below, instead of above the sluice,
where, in fact, there is already an iron bridge, and where the
crossing would in no way interfere with the trade. It was
proposed by the present Bill to carry the railway traffic on
one line, and at one rate. The new works would cost about
3001. more than those originally designed ; and those works
were to be executed at the expense of the London and York
Company, and the change would be of great advantage to
the country at large.
Mr. Sergeant CLARK was about to oppose the Bill, when
some discussion arose as to his right to appear, as the title of
the Bill had been changed. . _ _

It was stated by the agent that the Bill had been originally
introduced under one title, but was now prosecuted by the
agency of another, under the sanction of the Committee of
Selection ; but as it was shown that the petition of the land-
owners, for whom the Learned Sergeant appeared, bad been
put in against the Bill under its original title, he was allowed
to proceed.
On cross-examination, Mr. Cubitt stated that Mr. Locke
was originally employed as the engineer of the London and
York, but he had himself bees Engaged in the October of last
year; and although the line designed by Mr. Locke was a
good line, that which he had himself was a better, although
he would not say that there was a better through Boston, for
there was but the property on both sides of the river pre-
vented its adoption.
To the CHAIRMAN—Mr. Cubitt described the position of
the loop branch of the London and York line, of which this
formed a part.
To the CutlaMAN—Mr. Cubitt replied that the Act of the
London and York Company was obtained last year, and that
the line of the Ambergate and Boston line had been subse-
quently devised, and the station now designed was to be close
to the station of that company, but in his opinion it would in
no way interfere with the station, although the alteration
would cross the Ambergate station rails.
An objection was here taken that the application required
by the Railways Consolidation Act had not been made to
the Admiralty, but after much discussion it was allowed that
the application had been made, but the answer had not been
received. This, however, in no way invalidated the advisa-
bility of the line, for no objection had been, in reality,
alleged on the part of the Admiralty.
To the CHAIKIO.N'S suggestion, it wits replied that there
was an underntatitlitag.tbat, in the event of the Eastern COUTI.
*tits and the Lottcloti:. and York companies raceding,either.
or both companips mightrge ever the Ambergate lines.
• Mr. Cockotacs, Q.C., wished to know what the proposi-
tion really was, and after some further discussion,
Mr. 13.1GliT said that the company had no objection to
withdraw the branch, provided they had an outlet granted
to them, and this they might obtain if either the East
Lincolnshire or the Ambergate Company would enter into
arrangements with them. The East Lincolnshire Company
were at the present moment in possession of the ground in
consequence of their Bill being passed previous to the Act of
the Ambergate Company.
Atter some further discussion between the counsel engaged,
it was arranged that. the Bill should be adjourned till to-
morrow.