The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-23 00:00:00

Room B.

The Committee on the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Rail-
Way—the Vale of Neath Railway—the Llynvi Valley and south
Wafes Junction Railway and the Monmout hs hire Railway Bills, con-
sisting of Lords Fortescue (chairman), Suffolk, Liverpool, Beverley,
and.Lliford, assembled at eleven o'cloek.
VAZF OF ~VATS.

Precedence having been given to this Bill, Mr. Calvert opened the
cue for the promoters.

Mr. Harris was examined, and stated that the present price of
Coals at Merthyr Tydvil was 7m. 10/1. per ton, owing to the insufficient
supply afforded to that place, which would be remedied by the pro-
posed railway.
Mr. White, F.C.S., residing at Dowleis, and had about a hundred
patleats . under his care daily, at ironworks and collieries.
The highest wages were about 30s. a week, and the lowest about I 4s.
a week. Swansea was the favourite resort of persons of that class,
and if a railway like the proposed one were constructed. the number
that would avail themselves at it would be illimitable. Had himself
recommended, as a medical men, persons to take these excursions
wen in a state of convalescence.
The Committee, having heard &yam further evidence. adjourned.

• Room C.
LONDON AND GRAVESEND.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
•
In answer to Mr. GOLD6MID, Mr. Clough replied that with respect
to the public institutions he did not speak as a public servant, but as
a town commissioner.
A. discussion here ensued with the Committee as to whether
the evidence was satisfactory.
Lord Sondes, Mr. Plunipire, BLP., Sir Edward Filmer, and two
or three witnesses from Gravesend, confirmed the assert:on that the
line would be generally acceptable to the district.
Colonel Menzies, of the Chatham garrison, was called to show that
the line in a military point of view would he highly advantageous,
0,1,14 a quick and easy communication with Woolwich, Deptford,
and Portsmouth.
Mr TALBOT was proceeding to cross-examine as to the point
whether the line would not be equally advantageous as a fnilhary
ceihinunication if carriedon to Canterbury, when

--...—.
Mr. Minsacwrruau objected to the questions, and the room was
cleared.

Atter a very lengthened discussion the parties were again admitted,
when

The CHAIRMAN read a resolution to the effect, that there being no
3111 before the Committee for any line below Rochester, no inquiry
ought to be entertained which affcct6d any point below that place.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow.

Room I),

GLASGOW. DUMFRIES, AND CAILLISLE.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
After the absence of about three-quarters of an hour the parties
were re-admitted.
The Cam:uteri intimated that as the Committee had considered
railway communication was required for the district, they desired
that the parties against the Bill should confine themselves to showing
that the estimates for the line were inadequate, or that the line, if
made, would not be remunerative for the capital invested. Till this
was done they could not entertain any other proposition.
After some conversation between the Learned Counsel on both

Mr. COCKBURN said he was willing to go now into the question of
estimates, and reserve any other point that had been raised till after-
wards, should tho Committee then think such to be necessary.
The examination of witnesses against the Bill was then proceeded
with.

Mr. CoUlster, civil engineer, examined—Said he was acting engi-
neer of the Caledonian line. He knew the route of the present line
well. He knew the price paid for work on the Caledonian and the
Lancaster and Carlisle Railways, and he brought those prices to bear
on the estimates of the present line. He had gone over the esti-
mates of the present line carefully, and he felt confident It could
not be made for the sums named. He considered it could not be made
for less than 1,453,0001. The estimate of the promoters was 1,200,000/.
From the nature of the country he considered the line could not be made
for less than he had stated. He had endeavoured to take cross sec-
tions of the country, to know the extra works necessary, but his
assistants had been prevented by the agents of the Duke of Buc-
cleuch. In fact, they had been assaulted on the highway. He
considered that the estimate should also have included houses for
workmen engaged in making the line. They had included these
in the Caledonian line of last year. There were now
ten thousand men engaged on the Caledonian line, and a
proportionate number of men per mile would be required for the
present line. , The country was: so thinly populated that these
houses must be required. He thought, also, 100,0001. should have
been added for working stock, plant, &c. These items were in ad-
dition to his estimate of 1,453,000/. Now with regard to the latter
estimate, which was 253,000/. over Mr. Blythe's estimate, he as-
sumed nearly the same amount of earth-work as they did, while
he estimated the cost *at 311,5361. He calculated it at 12N d.
per yard, whereas they had set it down at 10d. It was often thick
blue clay, and the price be stated was the least it could be done for.
The whinstone and sandstone cuttings had been much underrated.
He considered froth the survey he had made there was not less than
622,300 cubic yards of these rock euttings. Their quantity was
336,000. There was more than this on the Crawick branch alone.
He calculated this kind of cutting at 2s. 10%c1., whereas they
had set it down at 2s. 6d. He calculated the work

at the prices on the Caledonian line, and if the works
were to be done the next three years, from the almost certain nature
of the labour-market, it would be impossible to do the work for less.
He calculated the whole rock cutting at 88,9401. instead of theirs,

which was 42,0001., being 46,0001. more. The masonry, also, he con-
sidered to be much understated. They made it 92,2301., or about
1,0001. a mile. Me made it 199,5161. (The witness here
passed over in detail several bridges along the line,
which he represented to be under-estimated considerably,
coinpared with the prices he was paying on the Caledonian line. He
also characterised the bridges in most instances as inadequate for the
safety and proper accommodation of such a line of railway. Both
tilt bridges over the streams along the route of the line, as well as
those over turnpikes and public roads, had been overstated. With
regard to occupation bridges there was a glaring defect. They had
only fifteen of these in an extent of ninety-two miles, whereas
he considered there shoula not be less than seventy-three. He
said so from experience on the Caledonian line. Per there
bridges they set down only 5,0701., whereas he estimated them at
29,1631. The level crossings and ledges had also been under-estimated
both in number and expense. The tunnel at Drumlanrig he esti-

mated at 451. per cubic yard, against their estimate of 35/. He cal-
culated it at this price, as he considered it would have to be lined
with brick-work. In similar works, where there were different
layers of strata, it was usual to line the tunnels. His
calculation would be 15,0001. more than theirs. The per-
manent way he made 5,5741. per mile • their estimate was
5,23201. Resting roads they made 7,0001. ; he made it 11,000/. In
his opinion the working expenses, Ai bleb had been stated at 33 per
cent., was flxed too low. A per tentage on the gross receipts could
nor fairly represent the working expenses, as, whatever might be the
amount of the traffic, there would be fixed expenses going forward.
A certain number of trains would have to be run daily, officers and
clerks paid, and the way maintained. He considered a line of 92
. _ _

_
miles would require 150/ per mile yearly to keep It in repair. This
was 32,5674 10s. in all. To accommodate the traffic four
trains would be required each way daily, and two on Sunday.
This, at Is. 3d. per mile each train, would be 15,382/. Goods trains,
two a-day, he estimated at 8,810/. • police, 1,0001.; station ex-
penses, 1,6501. ; rates and taxes at 201. per mile, making 1,8151.;
management and chief office expenses, 2,500/. ; Government duty on
passengers, 1,9501. Total, 46,352/., or 45 per cent. en the estimated
receipts.

:CrOss-examined by Mr. Sergeant BELLasts—He went over the line
about Whitsuntide with Mr. Errington. He left London, and was
absent about a fortnight. They started at Springfield to go over the
line on Monday, at ten o'clock, and were engaged till
Wednesday. Witness was the assistant of Mr. Locke. Mr. Locke
I(it.d only completed one line as yet in Scotland—the Glasgow and
eeneck. Mr. Miller had, he believed, completed In Scotland about
2 0 miles of railway. With regard to Mr. Miller exceeding the
f o iginal estimate on the Edinburgh and Glasgow line, he was not
ir
at are of any branches beyond what were provided for in the
original estimate, but there was the expensive entrance Into
Eldinburgh, which was not originally given. It ought in fairness to
liftve been stated. He was not aware that the plant and stack of the
company were not included in the original estimate. He was in
pbssession of most of the data he had given three weeks ago, but
it was put into its present shape last night. He had no doubt the
North British line was completed for lower prices than those he had
stated, as there had been a great competition. He was not aware
t at the Edinburgh and Hawick, or the Ayrshire line to Cumnock,
,
ere contracted for at less prices than he had stated. The Cale-
dbnian line had not been contracted for by public competition ; it
Was agreed for at a certain price, which he was satisfied was as
Buie as it could be well done for. The Caledonian Company were
paying in some cases 2s. 6d. a yard for rock cuttings and supplying
the parties with waggons and other conveniences. The prices he
i'ad named were similar to those on the Lancaster and Carlisle, and
lackburn and Preston. The same contractor was enaged on the
rmer as was engaged on the Caledonian line. The working stock
Of the Caledonian he calculated, last year, at 137,000/. He did not
Add any additional working stock this year fer the Dumfries and
4angholin branches. There was about 16 miles of the Caledonian
line higher than the Dumfries line—not more. (The Learned Gen-
tlemen then went over the Nithsdale line along with the witness,
With the object of showing that there were villages along the route
that would accommodate the workmen without the erection of the
houses spoken of.)
The witness was next subjected to a rigid cross-examination on
the details he had given respecting the bridges and viaducts, with
the object of showing that the scale and principle on which he had
timated them were exaggerated and unnecessary, and that the
tees of masonry had been fixed too high. He made an esti-
Mate of the whinstone rock cutting three weeks ago, but
he had it not upon him. He estimated this rock from
the examinations he had made by borings and by observa-
tion of its repeated protrusions on the surface. After a few
/bore questions on the details by which he had arrived at his condo-
Mons of the amount of rock and whinstone cutting, the witness, at
the request of Mr. Sergeant Belles% promised to furnish them in
writing by the morning with the particulars which he sought to
obtain.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock.