The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-18 00:00:00

Room B.

-ine 1...,1:111.111.4"...... .......... v......-_'
....,,.

Lonsdale in the chair.
X.MICZSICEIt AND 1 ED7oR.D.

Some formal evidence from the land valuers closed the
case far the promoters of the line.

The CILAIitMAN intimated to counsel, that evidence had
not been laid before the Committee to show that there
would be sufficient passenger and particular traffic to support
the line.

Mr. PAGrr said he had only abstained from_ calling evi-
dence more in detail, that he might save the time of the
Committee:

He then proceeded to call
Mr. Robert Smith, who said he had taken the number of
passengers from*London to Derby, who would travel by the
Bedford and Leicester Railway as the shortest route, and
found it to be 606,000 of the first class, and 728,500 of the
second class. The witness produced detailed tables of traffic
of persons, horses, and carriages, and agricultural produce,
which were put in and proved byother witnesses.
This concluded the evidence for the Bill.

Mr. AUSTIN, Q.C., for the South Midlands Company,
called, in opposition to the Bill,
Earl Spencer, who spoke to thenecessitv of a railway to
Northampton and the district between gorthampton and
Market Harborough. He said he presented a petition in
favour of the South Midlands branch from about 1,700 of the
inhabitants of Northampton.
. .

Mr. Vernon Smith, 11. P. for Northampton, gave evidence
corroborative of Earl Spencer. He said he had looked gene-
rally to the scheme before the Committee and the South
Midlands scheme, and he gave his decided preference to the
latter, as it gave the best local accommodation, uniting two
country towns, Northampton and Huntingdon, which were
omitted by the other line. He did• not think the district
through which the line before the Committee passed wouhl
maintain an independent line. He was a shareholder of the
South Midlands line.
Mr. Sergeant WitANGIIAM cross-examined the witnesses.

The C(immitteo then adjourned till eleven on Monday.

Room O.

The Members of this new Committee, consisting of Lord
Hetherton, the Chairman; Lord Scarborough, Lord Bexley,
Lord Effingham, and Lord Foley, assembled to day at eleven
o'clock.

The following Bills are comprised in this group, via.:—
Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton, London and Blackwall
(widening), Richmond (Kew branch), Enfield and Edmonton.

imAczmunN, BlLE,Vizzr, AND BOLTON.
Mr. MERREWETHER opened the case for this Bill, and de-
scribed the line as being peculiarly suited to the wants of the
district through which it passed.
A long discussion ensued between the counsel for the Bill
and Mr. Sergeant Wranghatn, as to the right of the peti-
tioners against the Bill to be heard.
The Committee decided that counsel for the petitioners
should be heard.

Mr. Joshua Knowles, of Tottington, was examined, and
gave evidence in support of the line.
Mr. George Millington, calico printer and lessee of the
Wharton Vale Works was next examined, and stated that
if the present line" were established it would effect a great
saving in the transit of his goods, as 'well as for the dyes, &c.,
used in the process el business,- and that he fully con-
curred in the evidence of the preceding witness as to the
general benefits of the line.
This witness was cross-examined at length, but without
eliciting anything againt his direct testimony.