The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-07 00:00:00

GROUP XLIX.

This Committee assembled at the usual time to-day.; Mr.
Cripps in the chair; all the members present
CALEDONIAN AND - GLASGOW, AND

GREENOCK JLIKALGAMILTION.
_...

The case on behalf of this Bill was resumed.— ---
-
Mr. Cubitt, C.E., examined—Deposed that he was con-
sulting engineer of the London and Brighton line, and bad
experience of its working. Formerly the London and Croy-
don was an independent company between London
and Croydon. Then came the London and Brighton
Company, which constructed the portions from Croydon to
Reigate. Since then the South-Eastern came in, and the
London and Croydon portion was worked by the three com-
panies. The London station was jointly used by them. From
what he had learned of the Glasgow and Paisley joint sta-
tion, he apprehended no difficulty in the working of it. If the
present amalgamation took place it would lead to a great
economy in the working of trains and management.
Mr. Harding, formerly secretary and manager of the
Greenock Railway, and now superintendent of the Bucking-
ham lines, deposed as to the financial condition of the
company when he was connected with it. They
could, on several occasions, barely pay a dividend of one per
cent., and had to abridge their expenses very much in
officers, trains, and general management. He was firmly
persuaded that the proposed amalgamation would serve, not
only the shareholders, but the public.
This closed the case for the promoters.
After an adjournment of about an hour
Mr. TALBOT addressed the Committee at some length in
review of the evidence adduced in support of the Bill. He
said the whole objections he had to urge were resolvable
into two heads. The one was, that it would be the means
of enabling the Caledonian Company to bring its traffic on to
the joint line free of expense. on the terms of the agreement
entered into between the Ayrshire and Greenock Companies.
The other point was, that the public would suffer by putting
the key ofthe line to Greenock into the hands of the Caledonian
Company, who had the strongest interest in throwing diffi-
culties in the way of passengers going to the steam-packets,
in order to send them through to England by their main line.
On these grounds, which the Learned Gentleman amplified
at some length, he submitted that the preamble of the Bill
ought to be rejected.
IMPORTANT DECISION.
The room was then cleared for a decision.
On the re-admission of the parties.

The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had decided that
the preambles of both the Bills, viz., the Glasgow, Dum-
fries, and Carlisle, and Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and
Ayr, (No. 4), and the Caledonian and Glasgow, Paisley
and Greenock, and Greenock Railways Amalgamation, were
proved.
_ _ _

The clauses were postponed till to-morrow, and the Com.
raittee adjourned.

GROUP L.
The Committee met at twelve o'clock;
chair. Mr. Bankes in the

GLASGOW, ilimagguLD AND NDZLSTON

DIRECT.
GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCE
(AMENDMENTS AND DRANCRE"
Evidence on the Greenock Branches from Paisley to Dyke-
bar was called. _

Mr. §tirratt, bleacher, in" Paisley, believed the accommo-
ileasteiodn, offerede
rbyyntelicee
s?Garre;neohcke
e linee
uhwt a se
f ttheh ebesp
rt
eosfenatny pricesp ro-
of coal.
Mr. Galloway said there was a strong necessity for getting
to the Lanarkshire coast, as the Hurlet coal would easily be
exhausted.
Mr. Hector said there existed strong necessity for the
line at Pollockshaws. There were large works at the place;
but there was nu direct communication to Paisley since the
canal was shut up by agreement with the .Ayr Railway.
The weaver preferred Paisley work, but was obliged
to seek work in Glasgow.
Other witnesses were called to give similar evidence of the
b;rantchhe E
sdixers
necessity of accommodation to the district.
5.1 r. Robson, the engineer, said the Paisley branch was
three miles two furlongs long, with the steepest gradient at
one in eighty eight. The length of the Renfrew branch
twhaes
Lseven o
hfsudr
el oi
en"
branch at Barrhead, 3 furlongs; the East Dykebar branch,
1 mile and 3 furlongs; the flaw its branch, 1 mile and 3
furlongs; the branch to the Waterloo Pits, 6 furlongs; the
!e)
furlongs bra
n,• the Maidsley
c three miles ;
Househill branch, 6 furlongs; the Lesmabagow branch, 3
h
miles and 6 furlongs. There are two other short extensions
and deviations, which, with the others, made a total length of
18 miles, at a cost of 287,255/.
The Committee adjourned till to-morrow.

TGROUP LI.
Committeean. ay
met to-d at twelve o'clock; Sir J. Y.
Buller,he hairm

NORTH BILITISII.
Mr. Dudgeon, farmer, near Kelso, corroborated the evi
_ence given yesterday by Mr. Rutherford, as to the expe-
diency of Connecting Hawick and Carlisle by a railway
which would give the agricultural district. of Roxburgh and