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

GROUP XXI.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-
HAMPTON, AND STOUR.BRIDGE AND
WEST anolviwzmi.
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, Mancheiter, and Wolverhampton, was absolutely neces-
sary to complete toe 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 auvantagos 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
cf 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)

GIIOUP XXVIII.

The Committee, Mr T. D. Acland in the chair, met this
morning at twelva o'clock.
SLEAFORD BRANCH.'
Mr. Foster was cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Wawc-
HAM, on behalf of the London and York Company, with a
view to show that the Sleaford corn market waz one of great
importance.

Mr. Peacock, a partner in the bank of Handley, Peacock,
and Company, and residing at Thorp Hall, which is about
ten miles from the town, testistied 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. He therefore decided, from an
intimate knowledge of the trade of the three towns, that
the branch to Hougham was the best. Lord Bri-tol'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 CHAIRMAN, 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 oat their views. The price was
lower than at Grantham and Newark, in consequence of
the deficiency of communication, bi,t yet there was a
large trade in corn, as there was canal communication
wi h 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 'hums, 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 Smith, 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 which 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 mi-acles 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, fir 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 heart ••
heaping abusiN:e.''w.
cf his travels
oVrdery different from this are the accounts
having
come
to
Dorsetshire. While there, we hear of his
with missiles,
species of
insult,
village where he was received with every ,
The wretched people, not content with
port, the sellers
in
whi4i upon the holy visitors, assailed than
of
fish
awrork, the place being probably a sea-
, were
ie,irVated to have been peculiarly ac-
tive. Hands, too,
effortupon the Archbishop and his
company. Finding all
off the dust from their feet anacluseless' tti
godly are said to have suffered the penalty of impieties
generations.
ed Allh e thera ceachildren„ 2...
their
—Life
The inhabitants
bandeNs.he
no shook
born from that time
parents' sin, in the
distant iosrtea natndtransm
itt
shape of a loathsome deformity.
,1-'-i of Se. du •
327.—The insult put upon the saints was that gu.sttne, p.
the tails of fish behind their robes. To explain theofattaching
the deformity, it will he enough to state that, according to
(f
the narratoref this miracle, the inhabitants of the villagen -13
question Were ever afterwards; born with tails! It was,
bably in reference to this judgment, pronounced on some of
their countrymen by their great apostle, that the English
crusaders who accompanied Richard I. are reported to have
been mocked with the title of catidati, or the people having
taiLt—Edinbrugh littceial