The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-12 00:00:00

GROUP L.

The Committee met this morning at twelve. Present,
Mr. Bankes, in the chair, Mr. Carew, Sir B. Hall, Mr. Hind-
ley, and Mr. Henley.

GLASGOW, PAISLEY, KILMARNOCK, AND
AYR, AND AYRSHIRE AND BRIDGE OP
WEIR (NO. six).
The CHAIRMAN said Mr. Hope might proceed, if he
thought proper to do so after the strong opinion expressed
by the Committee that they would not grant the Bill.
Mr. HOPE assured the Committee that their recommenda-
tion had been considered, and that most carefully, but he
trusted to be able to show reasons wherefore the company
should proceed. The statement put in before the Com-
mittee showed that the balance of mortgaged debt
only amounted to 318,0754 on a share capital of
3,854,5661.- The Bills sanctioned by Parliament had
a capital of 1,966,0001., and the company had already
sixty-six miles of railway made and opened. It appeared,
therefore, that the whole amount of debt on a capital of
3,854,5661. subscribed for and available, did not amount to
one-tenth of the whole capital. Besides this, it ought to be
recollected that Bills applied for this year, and included in
the data upon which the Commissioners had founded their
report, had been lost on the standing orders to the amount of
near 2,000,0004 and also that the Act of Parliament gave
them the power of borrowing to the amount of 400,000/.
These considerations bore inspection, and the company would
not suffer from comparison with the financial practice of any
other before Parliament. So much for the financial status of
the company. But now for the scheme projected by the Bill.
iiro.nedThbiys-
hPraarhl icahmewnast tra,h,mortJ;o h
then-
-1
Ayr
s Last
o stone e
Company to year
the alin
Bridge line
hwaa sd of sanctioned
Nin 'ecpowerst to lease the line, but it was
thoughtmoArerr Company.
desirab T
le to amalgamatehatwas it
one
altogetherobject
with theof
the Bill. Again, Parliament had so far commit-
ted themselves to the present project, for the traffic
to the Bridge of Weir and Crossley formed a large im-
portant element in the case for the Bill last year. But these
places were still unsupplied, and the Bill proposed to meet
that. A third object of the Bill was to continue the line
down to Port Glasgow, a distance of nine miles. The same
project was before the Committee last year, and was
thrown out only on the engineering difficulties, when the
line joined the Greenock Railway at an incline of 1 in 7a.
It now avoided the Greenock station, by joining the line a
quarter of a mile before, and with half a mile of a dead level.
Port Glasgow was a harbour of very considerable import-
ance. It was included in a Bill promoted in 1837 by
the Greenock Company,, and powers were obtained to
make a rail way to the port ; but, as Greenock
port was a competing harbour, these forms were neglected
and allowed to expire. In 1840 powers were again sought
by the Greenock Company, and obtaned, to make the
branch. A clause was inserted, binding them to make
the branch in five years, and open it at the same time
with the Greenock branch ; but it was not made.
Now, the importance of Port Glasgow was such as not
to deserve this. The customs last year amounted to 135,800/.
It was important to bring up the Ayrshire coals to compete
with those front Lunatic, and also to offer a means of ballast
to the outward-bound vessels. There was another branch
171, miles long, from Kilmacolm to Largs by lnnerkipp.
But, in deference to the committee they were prepared to
postpone that this Year, deducting from the proposed capital
an amount of 380,600/., and they took their stand on the
other branches, which might be made for 990,000/.
Sir B. HALL said his own opinion was, admitting all the
statements of counsel, that the branch to Port Glasgow was
entirely to be made from minerals, that a case had not been
made out for the prea'rble of the Bill except for the amal-
gamation, and for the Bridge of Weir and Crossley Mill
branches, if these were unopposed.
The CHAIRMAN intimated that that was the opinion of the
Committee.

Mr. Miller, engineer in chief, who was called on these two
branches, said, when the Bridge of Weir line was passed last
year, it was thought proper that it should be leased to the
Ayr Company, but it was believed better that it should be
vested in the company entirely. The two branches to the
Bridge of Weir and Crossley-Mill were very short and very
necessary, and not opposed. The estimate was under
30,0001.

The preamble of the Bill for these objects was then de-
clared proved. _

Mr. Hs u% said they would withdraw their opposition
to the preamble of the next Bill, if a clause were inserted
giving the Ayr Company running powers over the Linwood
Branch down to Port Glasgow.
After some conversation, in which the Committee evinced
an opinion that this should be conceded, it was agreed to
consider this privately to-morrow, and therefore the consi-
deration of the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock (Amendments
and Branches), and the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock
(branches to Port Glasgow). was postponed till to-morrow.
PAISLEY AND RENFREW (SALE AND

PRO VEMEN T).
Sir T. Pliti.x.irs said this Bill was to all intents unop-
posed. The object of the Bill was to sell the railway and to
complete the works and improve them, for which a Bill
already existed. The Clyde trustees opposed it, but the
Admiralty had given their consent, and a petition against it
was put i❑ by the Barrhead and Neilston Railway Company.
Mr. MILLER said the Paisley and Renfrew Railway had
been acquired by the Ayr Company, and was to be improved
by. widening the rails from 4 feet 6 inches to 4 feet Bfr inches
throughout. That was necessary, and several large works at
the part now proposed were also necessary. The estimate
was 38,000/.

The preamble was declared proved, and the clauses were
read and agreed to.

The Committee then adjourned till Thursday.

GROUP LI.

THE NORTH BRITISH.

The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock; Sir
John Yarde Buller, chairman. There was a full attendance
of the members of the Committee.

Mr. Miller, civil engineer, Was cross-examined by Mr.
FORSYTH, on the part of Miss Anderson, of Clifton Lodge,
and re-examined by Mr. BURKE, on the general merits of the
line, after which,

Mr. WHATELEY addressed the Committee for Miss Ander-
so►,, whose property he contended would be destroyed by the
line.

The room was then cleared, and on the re-admission of
the public,

Tile CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee were of
opinion that North British Railway Company had not made
out a satisfactory one, and they decided, therefore, that the
preamble was not proved.
Mr. COCKBURN then proceeded to reply for the Caledonian
Company. lie was glad to find that the decision just ar-
rived at wi:uld confine the observations he had to make
within somewhat narrower limits ; and he trusted
that when the whole circumstances of the case were laid
before the Committee the opposition which was given by the
Dumfries and Carlisle Company would be equally unsuccess-
ful. That opposition divided itself naturally into two dis-
tinct branches—first, against the leasing power granted to
the Caledonian Company, in the last session of Parliament,
of th,t portion of the Dumfries scheme which was compre-
hended in the branch between Annan anti Springfield; and,
secondly, the powers which they sought to obtain
for making i line to Brampton, and other branches.
To the first of these objections he would direct
the attention of the Committee; and here it would be
necessary to review (and he should do so as rapidly as pos-
sible) the events of the last few years, in as fr.r as these
affected the interests of these rival schemes. It would be
remembered, that when the Caledonian schemes were first
projected, Mr. Locke and Mr. Errington were appointed to
survey the line of country from Carlisle to the nortii of Scot-
land, with the view of laving out one great line which should
afford the best accornmohtion for the southern traffic, at the
same time that it did not overlook the local requirements.
These gentlemen, in their report, recommended that the
line should be
.taken round by Annan and L.,:ekerby,
and thence carried northwards through the centre
of the country, then dividing—one fork being car-
ried west to Glasgow, and the other south to Edinburgh.
This scheme was submitted to the Royal Commissioners.

who recommended triaiacieviation A bouidbomade, leaving
Annan to the south, and the promoters deviated accordingly.
The Board of Trade, by a subsequent report, confirmed the
Royal Commissioners, and gave the preference
toopitnhioneCs of theentral
or Catedonian line over its two competitors—
Gt hl ea
s.Ng' o.
wr t,hDßurrni tifsrhi
e,so, r
andE asct
jCriiiisalset line,(n
tl, oe no thethe
other.
n side,oh n 1
84a5n
tdhtesh
ee
lines came before the Legislature, and the Dumfries, which
announced that its object was to supply the local wants of
themw:rse7so-
ct country,chsesiul;
but, aot•nah siatdespite
proceedingstliheect
succeeded
otiej(ei oppositioniLnogr Lord,
ei
hisir) tg I 4
clientst bhl; s
clause 'in-
serted
w,
sfaerrtfeodrtiunnatthee Dumfries Company's Bill, as
which he
of pro-
tection to their through traffic, a
Company Lad not
pthreeteCnodmedmittoteeastko.rerlnveemnb;;rhatht
accepted their Bill
with this clause; they brought it down to the House of
Commons, and there, and in the
i House of Lerds, not a word
of protest was entered against
insertion, and they ac-
cepted it in its present condition at the hands of the Legis-
lature. What was the contsheequence? This, that the Cale-
doniangwhetr,etvbis;kthh etAhect
tain ri
Dofumfries Company
Legislature vested with a cor-
set aside. Could anything now sought to
be more monstrous? The Cale-
donian Company sought to protect themselves; they had had
the sanction of the
Royal Commission ; they had been pro-
nounced the best line by the Board of Trade, after a minute,
and patient, and searching investigation; and, lastly, they
had received the confirmation of Parliament itself. In the
confidence that no other main line would be promoted
through this district, the promoters of the Caledonian Com-
pany had invested their capital, they had constructed their
line, and they looked with security to the implied compact
entered icto with the Government. This Company now
came forward to ask one section of the Legislature to set
aside an Act of Parliament, and what was the reason they
advanced? They distrusted the Caledonian Railway. They-
surmised that certain obstructions would be thrown in tI
way of their traffic between Annan and Springfield. Who
ever heard of reasoning like this ? Why it was
the interest
of the Caledonian Company to encourage the traffic upon
their line, and the very best security for their
abstinence
from all obstruction would he found in their
owninterests.
The Learned Counsel then proceeded at great length to show
that the branches sought tor by the Dumfries Company to
be constructed to the east belorged properly to the Cale-
donian, and could be better supplied by them ; and he ridi-
-1 culed the idea that an export and import trade could be es-
tablished between Kirkc.ndbright and Ireland. He entreated
the Committee to affirm the decision of the kloa:x of Lords,