The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-05 00:00:00

GROUP XXXI.

us.NCHZSTE22, SHEFFILLD, AND LIN-
C 3LNSEcinz (JITNC TIC) N WITH MIDLAND
nz.nr..-tvAlr), &C.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHA3I opened the case for the pro-
moters. It would be necessary for him to say something
about the railways in that district, together with the nature
of the district itself. On the map they (the Committee) had
a fall view of the country from Liverpool to the port of Hull.
That district was traversed by the line of the Manchester
and Leeds Railway Company. That line of railway passed
northward from Manchester, and then in an eastern direc-
tion by Wakefield, where it joined the Midland Railway for
a very short distance. Now that was a most circuitous
route, and the existing line joined the Midland Railway,
but for a very short distance, by Rotherham. The line
proceeded thence in a very irregular direction till
it joined the Hull and Selby Railway, and so on till it
reached Hull. Such was the existing route from Manchester
to Hull. There certainly was the Huddersfield Railway, but
it was not suited to the wants of the district. He would not
trouble the Committee with any further details on this part
of the subject. There was another communication, which was
in the hands of the Manchester and Leeds Company, so that
there was no competition. The line of the company which he
represented proposed to proceed to Pennistone, thence south-
ward to Sheffield, where it joined the Midland Railway, the
great object being that there should be a second field for
the great traffic between Hull and Manchester, and not, as
at present, the whole being absorbed by the existing com-
pany. Another main object of the present Bill was to
afford efficient accommodation to the town of Barnsley,
-which was at present isolated with respect to railway accom-
modation. An Act that had been passed last year did not
give that accommodation. Barnsley required a communica-
tion. east and west, and as direct as possible with Manchester.
In order to get on the line at present it was necessary to go a
distance of eight miles through a rugged country. The distance
of Barnsley from Manchester at present was about thirty odd
miles, and the inhabitants of the town, between 13,000 and
14,000, were compelled to go twenty miles. The coal of
Silston and Barnsley, which this line traversed, was of the
best quality for general purposes, and the circumstances of
the district were most favourable for its beir g
supplied to the inhabitants, who, before railway cow_
raunicaticn, used to derive their supply from the pits
in the neighbourhood of Barnsley. So strong had the want
of railway accommodation been felt in that neighbourhood
that :n 1842, 1843, 1844, and 1845, Bills having such an
object as that of the present Bill were brought before Parlia-
ment, which unfortunately failed in the passage through
the standing orders, or at some other stage, owing to some
want of care or other such cause. The present line would
give admission to 300,000,000 tons of coal to places where
there was a great want of such an abundant supply. The
distance from Manchester to Hull at present was 99 miles,
which this line would diminish considerably. There were
several netitions in favour of this Bill signed by no less
than 5,647 respectable persons, who employed no less than
13,722 persons. Under these circumstances, which would be
proved by witnesses, he trusted the Committee would be of
opinion that the present Bill was entitled by its merits to
succeed.
Mr. Charles Tee and Mr. Thomas Taylor, linen manu-
facturers of Barnsley, gave evidence in favour of the line.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock.