The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-19 00:00:00

WEST COUNV7A.LL.

GROUP XIII.
This Committee met at 12 o'clock, it Wm. Clay In the chair.
GLASGOW AND BZLP&ST UNZON.
The clauses of this Bill were proceeded with.
An argument of some length took place on a clause providing that
any company entering Ayr from Dalmellington should be allowed
free: access to the Glasgow and Belfast Union—Counsel for the
Ayrshire and Galloway contending that this company should be
named specially in the clause, and that certain rateS for the use of
the former line should be specified, while Counsel on'the other side
maintained that the clause should be general and open to all rail-
ways, and that the rates should be left for consideration of another
Parliament, or to the Board of:Trade.
The room was then cleared, and. after being out for upwards of an
hour, the parties were called In.
The Cuslamatt intimated that the Committee had proposed a
clause to meet the case in point, generally providing for the admis-
sion of any railway coming from Dahnellington, which the Legisla-
ture might In future sanction, at certain rates of toll to be fixed by
arbitration.

The other clauses of the Bill were agreed to, and the Chairman
instructed to report the Bill, with the amendments, to the House.
CALEXIONIALN EXTENSION.
__

The CHAIRMAN intimated that he had consulted the Speaker
respecting the point raised yesterday, and the Speaker concurred in
the opinion of the Committee, that parties petitioning against a
scheme had still a locus 342=14 though the promoters of it might de-
cide to withdraw a portion from the consideration of the Committee.
It being now near four o'clock the Committee adjourned till
Monday, at one o'clock.

GROUP XVII.
lILANCNESTER. AND SOUTICAIVI
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

'ON.

Mr. HATHERTON protested against the chairman instituting com.
parisons between the testimony of the witness in his examination in
chief, and asked when his Learned Friend on the other side would
have an opportunity of cross-examining him as to his testimony. He
was sure no member of the Committee would become an advocate of
the line sitting there, as they did, in their judicial capacity.
The Clubman said, without any wrangling, he would state why
he instituted such a comparison between the testimony of the wit-
ness and of Mr. Addington, the gentleman to whom he referred.
That gentleman was actually engaged in business in the
Potteries, and he distinctly stated that the line would
be of the utmost benefit to him as he should save
several hundreds in the course of the year by the proposed
Manchester and Southampton line—the witness, who was not en-
gaged in the trade. stated diametrically the reverse. He considered
then that a person not engaged in the trade, but filling the avoca-
tion of a farmer, was not a proper witness to give testimony on this
point. If they brought a person from the Potteries, who made a
similar statement, they would be bound to listen him.

Mr. ATHERTON said the witness was one whom the opponents
of the line, in their Judgment, considered a fit person to give testi-
mony before the Committee.
The examination of the witness was then continued, and he reite-
rated all he had stated, and generally disapproved of the line, as not
required by the wants of the district.
In his cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant WRANGEIAM, he stated
that he did not know the cost of getting sand to the north of the
Mersey. The cost of sending a ton of sand to Birmingham from
Southampton would be 10s. a ton
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM called his attention to the fact that Mr.
Addington had stated that the cost of getting a ten of sand to the
north was 30s. It was unlikely that they would use the present
route if the line were made, and the charge was only 10s. a ten in-
stead of 30s.

Witmess—lf Mr. Allday, a cattle dealer, or any person, stated
that he and his friends drove 60,000 sheep to Gloucester, and sent
them to the north by the existing railway in the course of a year, he
should not believe him. Ile was certain he would not make sucii a
statement before men of business in the locality.
In his cross-examination by Mr. ALEXANDER, he stated that he
gave evidence last year before the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Committee, to the effect that direct railway communication
from Droitwich to the south, for the conveyance of salt for agricul-
tural purposes, would be advantageous. lie was of that opinion still.
Mr. W. Griffiths, residing in the Isle of Wight, produced a speci-
men of the sand raised there for the purpose of being converted into
glass, and stated that the conveyance of the commodity by ships was
preferable to a railway. A vessel carried from 100 to 110 tons.

In his sross•examination, he stated that several days were occupied
in loading a vessel—sometimes several weeks—and that it would be
of advantage to be able to carry it away in small quantities.
Mr. Dangerfleld, coach-master at Cheltenham, formerly ran
coaches from Cheltenham to Southampton, but discontinued them as
they were unprofitable; but attributed this in a great measure to
the opening of the existing railway ; if, however, he were going to
Southampton, h., should use the most direct line. The inhabitants
of Cheltenham were migratory, and went frequently to Southampton
and the Isle of Wight.
_ _

Mr. B. Palmer, lessee of the Luggg~ershall•gate, on the road between
Southampton and Cheltenham, sold the tolls amounted to 2001. a
year, but the traffic from the neighbouring fairs did not come that
way, so that that gate was not a fair criterion. The large tolls were
not taken at that gate, and some thousand persons going north did
not come through it.

The Committee then adjourned to one o'clock on Monday.

GROUP XVIII.
MZETZIL DISTRICT.

The Committee met at the usnal hour, Mr. E. Denison in the chair.
The Committee proceeded this morning with the consideration of
the various clauses of the Exeter, Yeovil, and Dorchester, and the
London, Salisbury, and Yeovll Railway.
The clauses relating to the tails were postponed.
The several clauses having been agreed to,
Mr. SLADE, on the part of the Great Western Company, proposed
to the Committee to recommend the insertion, making It imperative

upon the company to lay down additional rails for the accout.noda.
tion of the broad gauge between Exeter and Yeovil.
Mr. MERYWETIIER objected to it on the grounds of the inconveni-
ence it would cause to the through traffic of the line.

The room was then cleared. -
Upon the parties being called in they were informed that the Corn•
mittee had decided that the line be laid down in this manner.

Rather an animated discussion took place at tin.) period of the
[tidiness.

The CnaritmAN stated, that he wished to call the attention of the
parties, but more especially to Mr. Saunders, the secretary to the
Great Western, to a statement which had been made to him by Mr.
Creed, the Committee clerk, to the effect that some observations had
been made in the course of a conversation a hich he (Mr. Creea) had
had with Mr. Saunders outside the door of the Committee.
Mr. Saunders having stated, that he had taken advan-
tage of his situation, as clerk to the Committee, to make re-
marks, or give expression to certain opinions calculated to
prejudice the minds of the Committee against the scheme of the
Great Western. Now- he (the Chairman) begged to state, In justice
to Mr. Creed, that in the opinion of the Committee that gentleman
had not, in the slightest degree, overstepped the bounds of his duty
as a servant to the House of Commons, and further, that anything
he might have stated to the Committee would not, lu the
slightest degree, have affected the decision to which the
Committee would have felt It their duty to arrive. If the charge
was persisted in by Mr. Sanders, of course he should think it his
duty to represent the case to the House.
_ _

Mr. Coaxanatv stated that the interference alluded to by Mr.
Sanders, had been very generally noticed by the members of the bar
among tt,emselves.

The CHAIRMAN did not think that such charges could be brought
against that gentleman, at least, however, so fur as that Committee
was considered, he would say there was not the slightest ground for
such charge ; he had not, in the opinion of his Hon. Colleagues, done
any more than was actually required of him in his capacity as clerk
to the Committee.
The matter then dropped.

After some discussion a clause was inserted for the protection of
he property of the Earl of Digby.
The Committc e then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP =I.

BRISTOL AND BIRMINGHAM (GLOUCES,
TER AND STONZHOUSE =IQ CTION).
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

The room was shortly after thrown open to the public. We ascer-
tained that the Chairman and Committee-clerk had been to con-
sult the Speaker as to whether or not any communication had been
received from the Board of Trade with respect to the break of gauge
►etween Gloucester and Stonehouse,
The CHAIRMAN, on his return, after consulting with his colleagues,
announced that the Committee were of opinion that the preamble of
the Bill had been proved, and that the line was to be constructed
on the narrow gauge, so as not to interfere with the broad gauge,
which is already laid down.
Thq Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XXXIII.
VIARVITICHSHIRD AND LONDON (THREE
BRANCHES.)
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

Mr. Locke confirmed the engineering evidence of Mr. Stephenson.
Mr. COCKBURN opposed the Bills on behalf of the petitioning land-
owners, Lord Willoughby de Brake, Lord Saye and Scle, Sir John
Cope, and thirteen others.
The Committee then adjourned io twelve o'clock on Monday.

The considerationoi this case was resumed. Evidence was ad-
duced on behalf of the opposing landholders to the line. The object of
this evidence, it would seem, was to show that. Mr. Branch had not
secured the best line the country would afford.
The Committee was occupied with the opposition until its rising at
four o'clock.