The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-28 00:00:00

GROUP XIX.

Tlds Committeee assembled this day at twelve o'clock ; present,
Lord Harry Vane (chairman), the Earl of Marsh. the Hon. Frances
Scott, Mr. David Morris, and Mr. Phillip Bennett.
The Bather consideration of the proposed line of the
EXETER. AND EXMOUTH
was proceeded with.

Mr. Rows and Mr. Commit; appeared on the part of this Bill,
who produced several witnesses, residents In Exeter, Exmouth, and
Topsham, all of whom advocated the present line now
under consideration, as it afforded more facility and ac-
commodation to :the public than tae opposite scheme. The
principal objections they advanced against the rival Bill were—the
passing the canal, and the stations they had selected, more parties
Aril the one at Topsham, on account of Its being so far removed
from the quay.
Mr. Locke, engineer of the Exeter and Exmouth Railway, did not
approve of the application of the atmospheric principle in crossing
the canal, and considered that when an equally advantageous com-
mtmicatler. ,could be effected without, it ought to be selected in pre-
fererc:. Ills estimate for the construction of this line was 100,0001.
Yr. Winter had been on the Croydon Railway, in order to ascer-
tain the success of the atmospheric rrinciplo on that lino. A long
discussion ensued relative to the respective merits and advantages
of the locomotive and atmospheric principles.
This witness was still under examination, when at four o'clock the
Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock on Monday next.

GROUP XXI.
LONDON AND OXFORD.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Win. Hatton, farmer and carrier, in the parish of Ashton
Rowell, 11 miles from High Wycombe, said he carried 700 or 800
tons of goods a year, which he should send by the line if It were made.
The line to Wycombe proposed by the Groat Western Company would
be of no advantage to him as It would be 11 miles from his place of
business and was indirect. The station of the London and Brighton
offered advantages which the Great Western station did not possess
because it was near liorgate and Smithfield markets.
Mr. VENem as, who appeared on behalf of the landowners who
have petitioned against the line, inquired of the promoters of the line
if they intended to proceed with the Southall branch ?

Mr. CALVERT said ho was not in a position to say that they would
not proceed with this branch. He believed, however, that Parlia-
ment would adopt such a course as to preclude its construction, on
account of the diversity of gauge.

- -
Mr. Payne, a farmer, at Saunderton Lea, six miles from High
Wycombe, spoke to the advantages which the line would confer on
the inhabitants and trade of the districts through which it was de-
signed to pass.
Mr. Simmonds, chemist and gas manufacturer, at Theme, stated
that he used 115 tons of coals a year, which he had from Newcastle,
for which he paid 15s. M. per ton in the pool. The cost of transits
would be materially reduced if the line to Aylesbury were continued
to Theme.

Mr. Tiplock, a linen-draper at Theme, said he bought his woollen
geode in London, as they got them better there. Thinks if they had
a line from Thame to the north that they should still buy them in
London. He now went four times to London yearly ; but if the line
were made he should go twelve times in the same period.
Mr. It. H. Cowland, carrier, Thame, said he now sent the goods he
had to convey, at three tons a week, to Aylesbury, and so on to
London by the London and Birmingham line, or by the same line
to the north. A line front Theme to join the Aylesbury line would
be very beneficial. Trade had greatly fallen off in Thame, owing to
the Great 'Western and Birmingham lines.
Mr. I. Stone, also a carrier, and Mr. Phillippi, cattle-dealer,
Thame, gave evidence in support of the line.

Mr. TALBOT inquired if the promoters of the Bill intended to pro-
ceed with the short branch into Oxford, which is proposed to form a
junction with the Great Western?

Mr. llttnrean said, as he stated in opening the case, the branches
to the Great Western were proposed in order to obviate the difficulty
in which they were placed by the report of the Gauge Commissioners.
He world answer the question of his Learned Friend if he would tell
him whether the broad or narrow gauge would be adopted or not on
all the lines in the Company.
Mr. TALBOT said the question was one which the Prime Minister
could not answer. It was important that the question should be then
decided, as the construction of the branches would affect the es-
timates.

After a short discussion,
Mr. MILDTARD undertook, at the request of the Committee, to re-
reply to the question, if possible, on Monday.
Tho Committee then adjourned until that day.

GROUP XXV.

The Select Committee apppointed to consider the merits of this
group' re-assembled at the usual hour this morning, in the West-
minster Sessions House, the Hon. M. Lascelles in the chair.
lI.A.RIXTICR AND EASTERN UNION.

The business of this morning was commenced by Mr. ALIsTIN
opening the case on behalf of the promoters of the East*. a Urban ind
Harwich Junction Railway. It was clear, he said, raom the fair and
very creditable evidence of Mr. Braithwaite, that, so far from
shortening the distance between Harwich and the metropolis, the
advantages of the two lines were about equal ; but between Har-
wich and Ipswich the Eastern Union line had a great advantage over
its rival, in so far as it shortened the distance by six miles. It
shortened. in fact, the present distance between Harwich and Ips-
wich, which was nineteen miles by six miles. It must
be remembered too that formerly parties wishing to go from
Harwich to the midland counties, and the centre of Eng-
land, had to go round by way of London, but this he hoped
would never occur again • indeed it could not, for there was a line in
the course of construction from Ipswich to Bury St. Edmund's,
which was now reported to be extended to Norwich and Cambridge,
passing by way of Stowmarket and other important towns, and
between all these places and Harwich the distance by the
line he was now advocalkig would be shortened by six
miles. It was clear, therefore, that the Easterfi Union line
was upon broad merits the best of tke two ; but some inci-
dental opposition had been raised to it, by bringing forward some-
thing which had taken place with respect to the Admiralty. Now,
he wished to have this point cleared up. Ho would admit that
the Admiralty could stop the construction of this portion of the
the project; but the Committee ought to discard this consideration,
and look at the two Bills and decide upon either upon its merits, as
adduced by evidence. This was the course adopted last session In
the case of the Great Western and South Wales Railway, which
proposed to cross the Severn a little below Gloucester, by meathrof a
bridge, planned by Mr. Brunel; but the Admiralty, who were
extremely jealous of schemes which could be in any way supposed
to obstruct the navigation of the Severn, objected to this bridge.
The Committee, however, saw that the proposed line would be of
great public advantage, and they determined upon reporting to the
House in favour of this railway, Including the project for the bridge ;
but the Admiralty's objection was supported by the Government, and
the consequence was that the Bill was ordered to be re-
committed. Accordingly the Bill was recommitted, and
the Committee again , reported in favour of the Bill,
leaving out the bridge. It was aftenvar.ls sanctioned by the
Legislature, and now the use was being made without the bridge.
Now that was precisely the course which the present Committee
ought to adopt. Let them report on the merits of the two Bills, and
if they did so, he was sure they would decide in favour of the Eastern
Union line. Now with regard to the matter of the Admiralty, he
contended that the Board of Admiralty had given no adverse deci-
sion in respect of the Eastern Union line, but he would admit that they
had declined to receive a deputation from its promoters. But it was
said that the Admiralty bad sanctioned the rival line, and if they
had, he could assure the Committee, that if such were the case, it
must apply only to the pier at Harwich ; and if the Com-
mittee would just look at the plan, they would see that
Mr. Locke had so prepared them, that he could make Mr.
13raithwalte's pier within his own limits of deviation. But
without wishing to impute anything improper to the Admiralty, he
complained that if they had given any opinion at all in faveurof
the rival line they had arrived at that opinion through e.x parte
statements and ex parte information. It was just as if the judge
had called in the plaintiff and the Jury into a private room, and there
decided the case in the absence of the defendant, and when
the poor defendant applied for permission to urge his
defence, instead of obtaining a hearing, the door was slammed in his
face. He could not help thinking, therefore, that the Board of Ad-
miralty's opinion in favour of the rival line had been obtained through
the manoeuvring of the promoters ; indeed, the correapodence which
had passed between the promoters and the Admiralty bore out this
conclusion. The Committee, he trusted, would throw overboard this
opinion, and decide upon the merits of the two Bills. If they did so,
be was satisfied they could not do otherwise than pass the Eastern
Union Bill, because the evidence preponderated in its favour.
Evidence of a general character was then adduced in favour of the
line. Witnesses from Manningtree, Ipswich, and. Harwich, were
called to prove that the Eastern Union line would afford more ac-
commodation to those towns than the Harwich and Eastern Counties
Junction line. _ . . _

„...........____.
Mr. Ransom, an extensive ironmonger at Ipswich, who was well
acquainted with the trade of the East Anglican districts, preferred
the Eastern Union line, because while it gives a direct communi-
cation with the metropolis, it also shortened the distance between
Harwich and Ipswich. At present, the steam-boat communication
between those places was extremely uncertain.

On cross-examination, the witness admitted that there was a
project before the present Committee, known as the Stour Valley
Railway, which would carry that traffic from the midland counties
and the north, altogether away from Ipswich, but he thought it
would be more advantageous to take the traffic through Ipswich.
The Stour Talley line ran to Sudbury. The local authorities of
Ipswich had laid out 120,0001. in the improvement of the port, and
it was altogether a rival port with Harwich.
The Committee adjourned, at four o'clock, until one o'clock on
Monday.

Sub Committe No. 2.
BRITISH AND IRISH UNION RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

Several allegations were abandoned, and some were admitted.
The next class of allegations was to the effect that the lands, &,c.,
on the line were not numbered on the plans.
Some instances of the alleged omission were adduced and sus-
tained, which concluded the case for the petition.
The Committee found that in the case of this Bill the standing
orders had not been complied with.
GREAT EASTERN AND WESTERN.
The object of this Bill was to connect the iron district of South
Wales with Merefordshire and the maufacturing districts of Stafford-
shire. The length of the line was about seventy miles, and the
amount of capital 1,210,0001. Engineer, Mr. Griffin; Parliamentary
agents, Messrs. Burke and Co.
There were two petitions against the BM.

....._ • _ - --.
Mr.Buasn said that, with respect to one part of the formal proo&,
he had to solicit the indulgence of the Committee. It was that which
related to depositing the plans. These plans had unfortunately not
been deposited tintil the Ist of December, in consequence of the illness
of the minter, who broke down through physical debility ; but he