The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-28 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN (numruxEs AND LANG-

HOLM BRANCHES), ---
rejected by the Commons, was resumed.
Mr. Como:tutor was rising to address the Committee, when
Mr. ANDREWS interfered, and said that, after the evidence which
had been offered yesterday on behalf of the Caledonian branches, he
was about to offer some rebutting evidence.
Atter a few observations on the point, this course was assented to.
Mr. Miller, civil engineer, was called and examined. He said the
object of the Nithsdale scheme was to connect in the completest
manner with the north and south. The Caledonian had no proposi-
tion last year for the accommodation of Annan and Dumfries,
whereas the Nithsdale scheme of last year was substantially the
same as the scheme of this year. Besides, the Caledonian branches
afforded no accommodation whatever for Ayrshire to the south. He
considered the break of Annan would interfere with the working of
the traffic in an efficient manner. The Dalmagadder branch would
not accommodate the Nithsdale traffic, and with regard to the Dum-
fries and Edinburgh traffic, it could be arranged that the earlier
trains of the Nithsdale line would run to meet the later trains on the
Caledonian.

Mr. COCKBURN then rose to address the Committee. In the course
of his observations he said he would not trespass on any of the
decisions which their Lordships had come to, but he would submit
whether it would not be consistent with those decisions, and in order
to do justice to the Caledonian, that they should at least postpone
that portion of the scheme of the Nithsdale Company which was in
competition with the branches proposed by the Caledonian, or at
least such part of it as would protect the through traffic of the Cale-
donian Company. He would not on the present occasion struggle against
the granting to the Nithsdale company a portion of their line between
Dumfries and Cumnock, but he would, at the least, take his stand on
the letter of Mr. Hope Johnstone, and pray that a portion of the
scheme between Carlisle and Dumfries should be granted to the Ca-
ledonian. No doubt they had been told that the Nithsdale would not
compete with the Caledonian Company, but any one at all conver-
sant with the country must know, that to the through
traffic would their attention be sure ultimately to be
directed. It had been clearly shown by the evidence,
offered in the earlier stage of the case, that the course of trade from
Kilmarnock was in the direction of Glasgow, and therefore there
could be no doubt that the through trade would be aimed at, in order
to make up for the deficiency of local traffic, t% hich he was certain
would be sure to arise. With regard to all the traffic passing from
Ayrshire or the south, it 'would be perfectly indifferent whether the two
companies met at Annan or at Gretna, while by making the break at
Annan, the Caledonian Company would have that protection which
their through traffic imperatively required. Again, with regard to
the mineral traffic upon which so much had been said, it would be
a matter of perfect indifference whether these minerals came from
Canobie along the Nithsdale line all the way from Gretna to Dum-
fries, or whether it came as far as Annan, or on the Caledonian
scheme, and then passed from Annan to Dumfries on the
Nithsdale. With regard to the sheep and cattle
coming from Galloway, the most of which, as had been shown,
would get on the Nithsdale line at Dumfries, it would be a matter
of no moment whether the break between the companies existed at
Annan instead of Gretna. It would be as much the interest of the
Caledonian Company as of the Nithsdale Company, to afford every
accommodation to such a traffic. Thero must be a break
somewhere, and he submitted with confidence, that with
regard to the whole traffic passing along the line, it
was a matter of perfect indifference where it took place. So much
as to the question of convenience. He now came to the main argu-
ment adduced on the other side against giving the Caledonian any
portion of the line. It was stated that the portion of the scheme
south of Dumfries was the best paying portion of the line, and that
it was required to make the portion between Dumfries and Cumnock
remunerative. This sounded strange from parties who had at-
tempted to show such a strong case of local traffic. If the local
traffic on the Cumnock portion, adduced before the Committee, was
sufficient to warrant the construction of that portion of the line,
then there was no plea left why they should have the portion south of
Dumfries ; but if it was otherwise, if the Cumnock portion could not
pay without that from Dumfries to the south, that was soma reason,
he admitted, why they should have the portion between Dumfries
and Annan. But with regard to the remaining portion
between Annan and Gretna, that was absolutely necessity for the
protection of the Caledonian interest, in fact, to save that Company
from ruinous competition. If the Nithsdale was so good a scheme,
if it was a bona fide undertaking, then surely it could not be essen-
tially injurious to a line of 92 miles, to take seven or eight miles from
it. Besides, a great deal of the claim of the Nithsdale scheme
to the portion from Annan to Gretna was based on
the assumption that Annan would be a port of considerable trade,
whereas, he submitted, that as soon as the Caledonian was opened a
great deal of that traffic which had been alleged to be shipped at
Annan would pass south along that line. Regarding the Canobie
branch, he submitted that the Caledonian (Langliolm branch) was
better than that as a means of accommodating the district.

Room E.

EXETER, YEOVIL, AND DORCHESTER

The comnaittee met at the usual hour, Lord Beaumont, chairman.
Mr. T. A. Mitchell examined by Mr. SLADE —Deposed that he was
personally acquainted with the trade of Bridport, and had been so
for many years. It was the largest town between Plymouth and
Southampton ; its staple production was cordage and sailcloth. It
was most Important for its interests that it should be connected by
a coast line with Southampton and Plymouth. The population was
about 8,000.

Cross-examined by Mr. ITlLnYsitn —lre did not reside at Bridport,
and did not know whether the harbottr was formed of two wooden
piers of 80 feet in length.
....

Mr. Acland, examined by Mr. TALBOT—Is a magistrate of the
counties of Devon and Dorset, and resided in Dorchester, formerly
lived at lloniton, Bad was well-acquainted with that portion of the
country. A marked contempt was shown of the towns of Bridport
and Lyme, and the other towns upon the coast by the scheme at
present before the Committee. He thought that the line proposed
by the Great Western was deserving of support, in consequence of
the communication which it afforded to the country north of Exeter.
Coals and other fuel would be brought by means of the Great Western
scheme from Radstock and other extensive coal fields to the southern
districts of Dorsetshire, and also to the manufacturers of Bridport,
much better than by the narrow gauge lines proposed by the Exeter,
Yeovil, and Dorchester Company.
Cress-examined by Mr. HILDTAID—Tie thought it was desirable
to have railway communication between Exeter and Yeovil.
By Lord DENBIGH—There was at present a line constructed or in
the courme of construction between Yeovil and Radstock.
Captain White examined by Mr. TALBOT—Had commanded the
from
mail packets fm the port of Weymouth for 28 years, since the
railway had been made at Southampton, the port of Falmouth had
considerably fallen off. If a railway were made direct to Exeter,
the packets would return to Weymouth.
Cross-examined by Mr. HILDIESED—There were no packets run-
ning new from Weymouth to the Channel Islands, they had been
discontinued by the Government because they could get the mails
carried much cheaper from Southampton.
Mr. Bine, glove manufacturer at Yeovil, gave evidence of the
amount of goods he manufactured, and the opinion he entertained of
the line proposed by the Great Western Company between Exeter
and Yeovil.