The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-04 00:00:00

DIRECT.

Mr. HILDYARD opened the merits of the Bill, stating that
it proposed connexion with the Barrhead Railway and the
town of Paisley, with Lesmahagow, and with the Renfrew
Railway, The whole length was eighteen miles, and the
estimated cost 350,0001.

Mr. Henderson, late provost of:Paisley, gave evidence in
support of the line as a great advantage to the town of
Paisley, and to the surrounding district, for coal.
The Committee adjourned till to-morrow.

GROUP LI.
CALEDONIAN.

The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock.
Present, Sir John Yarde Buller (chairman), Lord John
Manners, Mr. Tollemacho, Captain Plumridge, and Mr.
Newdegate.
John Chantler, superintendent of the goods traffic depart.
ment on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway—He knew the
carrying trade of the district well, and he considered that
Annan was more peculiarly the port of Newcastle on that
side of the island, as it had many advantages over the rival
ports. The class of vessels trading to Ireland ranged from
70 to 200 tons, and Annan could accommodate the largest
of these. He calculated that 100,000 tons per annum would
be shipped if the communication were opened to Annan, to
Belfast, Drogheda, Dublin, and the north of Ireland. Kirk-
cudbright' would not compete with it, because the carriage
cost of coals to that port would be so much greater, the
increased charge from Kirkcudbright being at least 3s. lid.
per ton greater. He did not know that Kirkcudbright had
any independent trade with Ireland. The Belfast exports
would be sure to be landed at the port of Annan. The prin-
cipal exports were flax and linen, and pigs and limestone,
the latter being used not for agricultural but for alkaline
purposes. The witness detailed the different quantities
of coal sent from the different pits lying between Newcastle
on the east, and Carlisle on the west, to Ireland, the aggregate
amount of which was about 40,056 tons per annum.
Cross-examined by Mr. ANDlimvs—He knew nothing of
the navigation; he was not at all a nautical man, and de-
rived his information principally from others. The whole of
the evidence he had given as to the respective advantages
of Annan and Kirkcudbright were founded on calculations
contingent on this branch being granted. He did not think
that the passengers from Carlisle to Newcastle would be in-
creased even if a railway were opened front Dumfries to Port
Patrick.

After some general evidence had been taken which in-
volved no new points,
Mr. Errington, C.E., was called to prove the advantages of
the Caledonian Company's branches as compared with the
rival companies. We need not enter into the evidence ad-
duced on the small branch under consideration, as the
whole scheme must be afterwards examined before the
Committee. The witness gave general evidence in favour
of the junction between the companies at Annan, instead of
Springfield, because Annan was the larger town, and trains
would necessarily require to stop there more frequently than
at the other place, Springfield being framed for nothing but
the blacksmith's residence, who welds the bands of Hymen
as well as the bands of iron. He also entered into the rail-
way history of the south of Scotland, detailing the progress
of the commission of 1840, and the appointment of Messrs.
Locke, Errington, and Miller, to survey the line; the
recommendation of the Royal Commissions that the
line should be carried through the centre of the country in-
stead of round by Annan. If the Dumfries Company had
the whole of their line free to Gretna, and the Brampton
branch, they would be able to compete directly with the
Caledonian Company for the traffic of the west and north of
Scotland. The Caledonian line had been constructed and laid
out on the principle laid down by the Royal Commissioners in
1844, as the best scheme for the accommodation of Scotland.
If the Caledonian had the line between Annan and Spring-
field their interest would necessarily consist in promoting the
traffic between these places, and to Galloway and Ireland,
Annan had always as yet been set forth as the most impor-
tant place ; Kirkcudbright till the present time had not been I
mentioned. The distance between Edinburgh and Annan by
the
and
__te
carry
,ri
roy
the Caledonian would be 86 miles; by the Nithedale, 924 :
and by the North British, 103 miles. The arrangement of
the trains could be better done at Annan than at Springfield.
The latter was not a place requiring a station on the main
line, and the Nithadale Company could not expect them
twh:aoeamy:i
Ipwaa,onsueyml
send
id, putaud al
shol
the
minerala
nbuepyoen
? storp
nsthere anti take on carriages, and re-arrange
. pit
atoy AnnanGlasgow
_ l
Io
4acgwowa s of that importance to make stop-
ping there always troper. It had been suggested that
therho:Kgiohl
on to
Kilmarnock nt oh it.cekp
oirrtahtioelfcc tAaolnend
aonn Annan,Annan.
, and so to Annan; but the Caledo-
-10 totheßwraitmnestsown
as An agreement
had been concluded
The further examination of with the CarlisleP ..
agreement
Railway that they
adjourned
till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.
_____

on
EEs ATE BILLS.
LIVERPOOLIT WATERWORKS.
Committee on the Liverpool. Waterwot-•iS. metyesterday
I COMMITTEES
morning at twelve o'clock ; Sir J. Johnstone ianth
Mr. Hawkesby, the engineer, gave evidence eacsilltir.
e
quantity and the quality of the water in the several
streams streams which supply the reservoirs of the corporation
waterworks, and underwent a long cross-examination as to
the different sources of the supply, and as tO the correctness
of the gauge which he had used.