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

CIIZLTMITMEA= AND oxponn LINE.

Mr. Philpotts, an extensive corn merchant at Gloucester, said
that the articles sent from London were chiefly expensive ar-
ticles for domestic consumption. The line between Oxford
and Gloucester had now been for some time in work, and the
break of gauge would therefore be a serious evil.
To Mr. TALBOT the witness replied, that Wexford was
the port to which they principally traded, but the for-
mation of the Irish railway would, in all probability,
change the character of the country, and the goods or
corn which had been hitherto sent by Limerick or
Wexford might possibly come by Waterford. He feared
however, that in the event of the opposing line being formed,
that much of the traffic would be driven from the neigh-
bourhood.

Mr. Paul stated that the distance between Cheltenham
and London, the railway distance, was miles; between
Cheltenham and Oxford the distance was at present 79
miles, and between Gloucester and London, 1031 miles, making
a saving of five miles. 'raking the average of fare at 2d. a
mile, the saving between London and Gloucester would be
Gs. Bd., and between Cheltenham and Oxford the saving
would be Bs. 4d. in the double journey. The saving between
Cheltenham and Oxford, so far as distance was concerned,
would be twenty five miles, The distance to North
Leach from Cheltenham would be by the proposed line
twelve miles, while by the narrow gauge line it would be
fourteen miles. The next station was Burford, and
the town after that was Witney, the celebrated manu-
factory for Witney blankets. There was already a Bill
sanctioned by Parliament for a line from Oxford to Witne3,-,
and the stations had been devised with an especial view to
meet the arrangements for that line. On the contrary, the
proposed station of the narrow gauge line was fixed
behind the church, upwards of a mile from the centre of the
town, and without any communication whatever with the
railway which had already been granted. The line, of course,
was placed in connexion with the Great Western station
already formed at Oxford. The witness then explained from
the plans of the several towns the positions of the stations.
Mr. Thompson, of Cheltenham, late chairman of the Tring
line, and other witnesses, confirmed what had been previously
affirmed, and the Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XXI.
oxroTtE, WORCESTER, AT WOZATEM-
ZZAVIPTON, AND STOURERIDGE AND
WEST ISROPILWIECH.
The Committee met this morning at the usual hour; Sir
J. Graham in the chair.
Mr. Thornycroft, the deputy-chairman of the company,
was the first witness examined. He said the line of the Ox-
ford, Manchester, and Wolverhampton, was absolutely neces-
sary to complete the railway communication of the district;
that the want of it was greatly felt; and that it was, strictly
speaking, an integral part of that line. The other project
being simply a narrow gauge line, and the Oxford, Manches-
ter, and Wolverhampton, having both, would not be any-
thing like so advantageous. The witness detailed at length
the advantages which the line would confer upon the district
by opening up communications with South Wales and other
mineral districts.
Mr. Malyns, a partner in the firm of Matthews and Ma-
lyns, extensive ironmasters, gave corroborative evidence.
Some discussion ensued with respect to the Act of last ses-
sion, which provided that all railways to be made should be
laid down on the narrow gauge.
Mr. COCKBURN said those for whom he appeared intended
to construct their line on both gauges.
Mr. WHATELEY intimated that the promoters of the Stour-
bridge and West Bromwich intended to propose the insertion
of a clause in their Bill to empower them to lay down the
mixed gauge.
The remainder of the day was occupied in hearing evidence
in favour of the first-mentioned line.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day),

GROUP XXVIII.
The Committee, Mr. T. D. Acland in the chair, met this
morning at twelve o'clock.
SLEAFORD BRANCH.'
Mr. Foster was cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant WA /LNG-
HAM, on behalf of the London and York Company, with a
view to show that the Stanford corn market was one of great
importance.
Mr. Peacock, a partner in the bank of Handley, Peacock,
and Company, and raiding at Thorp Hall, which is about
ten miles from the town, testisfied that the price of
corn at Sleaford is almost always less than at
Grantham and Newark, in consequence of the want
of facility for transit. Ile therefore decided, from an
intimate knowledge of the trade of the three towns, that
the branch to Hougham was the best. Lord Bristol's pro-
perty lay around Sleaford, but he did not reside there, and
the proposed branch would be certainly less injurious to it
than the opposing lines. This, in fact, would become their
trunk line, and it was, of course, necessary that branches
should be formed to render it available. He had signed a
petition in favour of the Great Northern Branches, but was
not cognisant of any in favour of the Eastern Counties.
To the CtratnmAN, Mr. Peacock replied that the reason
why Sleaford had become so important a market was, the
benefit which it enjoyed from the farmers in the neighbour-
hood being a wealthy and enterprising set of men, in pos-
session of the capital to carry out their views. The price was
lower than at Grantham and Newark, in consequence of
the deficiency of communication, but yet there was a
large trade in corn, as there was canal communication
with the River Witham, which was a feeder of the Humber,
and thus there was an open communication with the north of
England as well as with the continent of Europe.
To Captain HARRIS, Mr. Peacock replied that he had
no apprehension that in the event of this line being formed
that Grantham would take the place of Sleaford as a corn
market. The greater portion of the corn sold at Sleaford
was grown chiefly in the neighbourhood of Tattershall, which
is about eleven miles to the east of the town, and went prin-
cipally to the manufacturing districts. Certainly he believed
that nothing would disturb the importance of Sleaford as a
corn market.
Mr. Parker Smitb, an extensive land agent and auctioneer,
residing at Caythorpe, a village about two miles from
Sleaford and nine from Grantham, stated that se-
veral important • properties, for ich he was the
agent, would be injured by the proposed Eastern Counties
Branch, although they would not be affected, except that they
would receive a benefit from the intended branch of the Great
Northern Company. At any rate, the district lying between
the direct line of the London and York, and the loop line of
that group, would be quite as well served as by the Eastern
Counties' project, and in the event of the latter being carried
out, the Great Northern branch would be useless.
Mr. Nicholls, of Sleaford, and some other witnesses, gave
further evidence to the same effect.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow (this day).

A MIRACLE OF AN ENGLISH SAINT.—We have
taken our examples very indiscriminately, from less than a
tithe of the materials of this description which have been
committed to print, and among which may be found many
more absurd miracles than any here alluded to. Several, in-
deed, of the very worst class, are retailed with becoming
gravity in the "Lives of the English Saints," which are lying
before us. What, for instance, shall we think of the follow-
ing? We are told of St. Augustine's missionary wanderings,
that "there is no record, or even tradition, of his reception in
the north of England having been otherwise than favourable,
and even hearty. Very different from this are the accounts
Ghfahviivr_avmelas in Dorsetshire. While there, we hear of his
ng abusive wordsb.h The
upon w wretched ttebhee d
holy people,
species of instoulotneTrillage where he was received with every
heapi
with missiles, in visitors,u? con
assailedtent themw iwith
the sellers ofsfilli work, the place being probably a sea-
port,„ds, too, sb are related to have been peculiarly ac-
company, Finding wereai laid upon the Archbishop and his
off the dust from their feetefforts useless, the godly band shook
are said to have suffered the and withdrew. The inhabitants
distant generations. All e penalty of their the children impieties even to
bore and transmitted the trace born from that time
shape of a loathsome deformity!"" their parents' sin, in the
327.—The insult put upon the saint .fe °f
St. Augustine, p.
the tails of fish behind their robes. laeals that of attaching
the deformity, it will be enough to atilt:tali: the nature of
the narratorof this miracle, the inhabitants of'tbacecording to
qtp,stion were ever atlerw.rils born with tail, ! It
tywilleage in
bably in reference to this judgment, pronounced on ~osmPer°,-f
their countrymen by their great apostle, that the English
crusaders who accompanied Richard I. are reported to have
been mocked with the title of caudati, or the people having
tail&—Edinbrugh Rreeiw!