The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-03 00:00:00

GROUP XII.

GLASGOW AND WZST OP SCOTLAND
DISTRICT.
The Committee sat to-day at the usual hour, Mr. V. Smith
chairman.

GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREZNOCK
(NURSTON AND BRIDGE OP WEIR
BRANCH).

Mr. Robert Stephenson, civil engineer, knew the country to be
traversed by the lines, and he had seen the plans and sections. The
line at present existing—the Greenock line—was a first-rate railway
as respected gradients ; whereas the one proposed by the Ayr Com-
pany was a most unfavourable one. He thought that coals could be
taken from Johnstone to Greenock and Port Glasgow, round by Pais-
ley, at a cheaper rate than by the so-called Ayrshire Improvement.
The station at Port Glasgow was most objectionable, on account of
the long descending gradient of 1 in 75, and the very short level at
the bottom.
By Mr. PirznAmicit—The curve on this line was much better
than the one on the Eastern Counties.
Mr. Andrew Brown, manufacturer at Linwood, thought the pro-
posed line would facilitate trade in the district. He codsidered it su-
perior to the blue (or Ayr extension) line.
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Hope on minute points,
whieh fully established the equality, if not the superiority, of the Ayr
over the Greenock extensions.
Mr. William Hardie gave similar traffic evidence.
The CHAIR/JAN suggested that this was but a repetition of evidence
they had had on former days, but the witness was allowed to pro-
ceed. . . . . .

The general impression in the district was, that the red line would
not be made, because the traffic between Johnstone and :Pert Glas-
gow could not possibly pay the cost of construction. He knew , the
country, and quite coincided in this opinion.
Cross-examined by Sir T. Pilluars—He knew that many of the
gentlemen of the country were in favour of the red line. He did not
think that they would deceive the public.
Mr. Malloch, manfacturer, Johnstone—He employed 400 hands,
and 29,000 spindles were at work. The markets for the mills were
Glasgow and Paisley. He knew the lines, and he thought the blue
line would best serve the wants of the district. They had many fa-
vourite watering places on the coast, he might mention Gourock,
Helmsburgh, Dunoon, Rothesay, and Largs, and the line would be
useful in carrying persons there, The witness gave evidence similar
to that which had been given by the other witnesses.
Mr. George Stirling Napier, Mr. James Allure, Mr. John William-
son, Mr. M'Clintock, and Mr. Robertson, all preferred the blue line,
as giving greater advantages to the distriet.
Mr. Davidson, C.E., had prepared the plans and estimates of the
blue line. The steepest gradient on the main line was I in 100, and
on the branch lin 92. The witness was not examined as to the es-
timates in detail, these having been given in former evidence.

Mr. Buchanan, goods manager of the Greenock Railway, did not
think that the Ayrshire trade would ever increase to Greenock or
Port Glasgow, the great markets for Ayrshire being Glasgow and
Paisley.

The counsel on either side consented to prefer their right of ad-
dressing the Committee.

The Committee then retired, and on their return,

The CHAIRMAN announced 'that the Committee found that that
part of the preamble of the first Bill (the Ayrshire, Bridge of Weir,
and Port Glasgow Junction), which referred to the line between
Johnstone and Bridge of Weir, with the small branch to Kilbarchan
was proved, and they decided that the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock
Branches, to Houston and Bridge of Weir, was not proved.
The Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XIV.
3017TH-EASTERN.

This Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock, present Mr. Prothe-
roe, chairman, Lord Evelyn, General Lygon, Mr. J. O'Connell, and
Mr. Grogan.

Mr. AnsTIN resumed the examination of Mr. George Bidder, who
stated that the South-Eastern line joins the Ashford and Canterbury
line at Chilham. The country between Canterbury and Dover is a
difficult country for railway operation, and the works on both lines
are necessarily heavy. There are two ridges to cross. After passing
the second ridge both lines get into the same valley. There is no
other course. On the South-Eastern line, the aggregate
amount of tunnelling is 2,796 yards in length, and on
Mr. Vignoles's line the total amount of tunnelling is 2,760 yards,
being a difference of 36 yards in his favour. On the South-Eastern
line there are to be two stations, one for general purposes and the
other for local traffic. The South-Eastern Company's station will
join with the Dover terminus of the existing line from London to
Dover. Such a junction will afford many facilities and conveniences
to both lines. A pilot-engine should always be kept at the terminus,
to go forward in case of any emergency arising. Such emergency
would be most likely to arise on the existing heavy gradients between
Dover and Canterbury. In case of the junction of the two stations,
the expense of maintaining two separate pilot-engines would be
avoided and many advantages would be gained. The Deal branch,
aS proposed by Mr. Vignoles, is a good line; but the traffic of
Deal would not support the lime. The length of the
branch is seventeen miles. The cost of the branch would
be about 200,0001., exclusive of stations, and various other incidental
expenses. The entire cost of the South-Eastern line would be
2,600,0001., and the cost of the North Kent would be 3,200,0001., but
the South-Eastern would have to raise 3-50,0001. more for the Graves-
end and Rochester branch, still leaving a balance of 250,0001. in
favour of the South-Eastern line. The Parliamentary estimate of
the North Kent is only 3,000,0001., but witness believes that it will
cost 200,0001. more. The South-Eastern scheme, if in connexion with
the existing lines would afford travelling accommodation from .Maid-
stone to all parts of the county without any change of carriage. The
North Kent line is to be an independent company, and is to be
worked on a plan of its own. The South-Eastern Company will
have less station outlay at Canterbury, Dover, and Deal. Mr. Vig-
notes proposes to work the traffic by quarter-hour trains to Wool-
wich, half-hour trains to Chatham, and one-hour trains to
Do Ter. There arc also to be two independent quarter-hour trains to
Woolwich, not going beyond Woolwich. One independent half-hour
train to Chatham, also stopping there, and that train will accom-
modate one of the quarter-hour trains to Woolwich, and also one in-
dependent hourly train to Dover, which will accommodate both the
Chatham and Woolwich trains. Suck an arrangement would not be
a difficult one, but would occasion considerable inconvenience and
delay to the public and to the traffic. The through traffic of the
South-Eastern from Dover would be carried up from Chatham by
the southern loop, taking up at Chatham the passengers to London
from the Sheerness branch, and transferring to the Sheerness train
there the local passengers for conveyance to Woolwich by
the northern loop. The adoption of the system proposed would
cause difficulty at Dartford by the clashing of the through and
local traffic. The express trains would take precedence of the local
traffic trains at Chatham and Stroud. The superiority of the levels
of the South-Eastern at the London end would compensate for their
inferiorny at the Canterbury end. The relative merits of the two
schemes being taken into consideration, witness is decidedly of opi-
nion that the South-Eastern scheme is preferable.
The CHAIRMAN here stated, for the convenience of all parties con-
cerned, that on Thursday next the Committee would adjourn until
the Tuesday week following.
The Committee then adjourned.

Group XIX.
The Committee assembled this moring at the usual hour. Present,
Lord Harry Vane, chairman ; the Earl of March, the Hon. Francis
Scott, Mr. David Morris, and Mr. Phillip Bennett.
The consideration of the case of the
BRIDGEWATEN AND innwEssax) NATL..