The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-21 00:00:00

Room D.

GLASGOW, BILWIFRIES, AND CARLISLE.
This Committee met again this morning at eleven o'cle zlc Earl St
Germans in the chair. All the other Members were present.

The evidence on behalf of this Bill was resumed

Mr. Christie, mining engineer, was examined, in corroboration of
the evidence of Mr. Geddes. given on Saturday. He had had con-
siderable experience of mining operations, and he generally agreed
with the statement of Mr. Geddes. He was prepared to go into par-
ticulars if required. He would explain that the ton of coal at Mans-
field was more than the wual quantity of 20 cwt., so that the actual
,price of the coal used there was 3s. 9d. a ton. He calculated the
consumption of the district on the lino between Cumnock and Dum-
fries, at 34,000 tons. This was calculating the consumption at a ton
and a half per head, including the supply for lime works, and adding
50 per cent. for increase of traffic. This 34,000 tons
would come from the Sanquhar and Mansfield coal
works. He also estimated the Canobie coal field to send
84,180 tons along the Canobie branch towards Dumfries.
A portion of this would pass along the Caledonian line from the
Springkeld station, 18,000 tons would be exported, and the rest con-
sumed at and on the route to Dumfries. He estimated 12,800 tons
of lime would be carried on an average for Mx miles.
Cross-examined—There was considerable supplies of limo on the
line from Dumfries to Carlisle. He had estimated a ton and a half
of coal for each individual, and he did not think it a high estimate,
as it was the same as that given by the Caledonian last year. He
thought Canobie and Sanquhar coal would meet at Dumfries on about
equal terms, and hence the consumption would be about halved. The
price of screened coal at Canobic at the pit's mouth was ss. 4d. a ton.
He had been informed that such was the price. He calculated that
Canobie coal would be put on board ship at Annan for 7s. 4d. a ton.
To Mr. MURPHY—He thought the Canobic Goal would compete
with the Cumberland coal in the Irish market. The Canobie coal
was quite as good as the Whitehaven coal. He admitted, however,
that the English coal was superior to the Sanquhar and Mansfield
coal. He only judged by looking at them, as be had not made ex-
periments by burning them. A good deal of English coal at present
came to Annan ; but he considered the opening of this line would
exclude the English coal from this district entirely. He thought the
Canobie coal could be laid down at Dumfries for 9s. 4d., and if the
English coal could then be laid down for I Is. 4d., still he did not think
a pound of It would be used. lle had made this calculations from in-
formation furnished him, and by looking at the snap. lie had not
been over every part of the district himself. There were, no doubt.
many slips or breaks in the Sanquhar coal-field, but they occurred in
every coal-field. Ile had not been down the Mansfield coal-pits,
but, looking at the character of the strata, he considered there was
a large supply of coal. lie was geologist enorgh to draw conclusions
to satisfy his -own mind.

,
Re-examined—fle was quite satisfied that the estimate he had
made of the coal and lime to be carried was a moderate one.

Mr. Wright, manager of the Canobie coal-field, under the
Duke of kuccleuch, deposed that, at the instance of his Grace,
he had gone over the route of the railway. He had reported favour-
ably. He was acquainted with both Sanquhar and Canobie coal
fields. The former was 7 miles long by 3 broad; the aggregate thick-
ness of the seams was 15% feet. At present the quantity raised was

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15,600 tons a. year. This was for local purposes, as the expense of
cartage to Dumflies was too great to take it there. Dumfries was
supplied at present by English coal, of which 16,000 tons were an-
nually consumed. The present price was 16s. Bd. at the ship's side.
With the railway Sanquhar coal could be laid down al Dumfries
for 85. 11d. There were no disturbances in the Sanquhar field that
materially interfered with its working. Until a year ago the working
of coal had been in the crop. With regard to the Canebie coal-field,
it was 3 miles by 2 in extent, and contained ten seams of 55 feet
thickness in the aggregate. The present openings were calculated to
yield 100,000 tons a-year for seventy years. Another field had been
proved, which would extend the supply of 100,000 tons a-year for 200
years. The present price of English coal at Annan was 14s. a ton,
whereas by this line they would be supplied at 7s. 4d. By this means
Annan, instead of being an importing, would become an ex-
porting town. The Crawick branch would be of great ad-
vantage to the • lead mines near that line. These mines
were the largest in Scotland, and used about 2,500 tons a
year, which were principally carted Prom Sanquhar, 12 miles.
They would go by the branch railway. He agreed with the table
put in by Mr. Geddes.
Cross-examined—The line ran for 22 miles through the property
of the Duke of Bucclench. He did not think the Sanquhar coal as
good as the Cumberland coal. It might be worth a shilling a ton
less. In the beginning of the present year, the price of coal at Dum-
fries was 16s. Bd. at the ship's side, and in 1844 it was 12s. 6d. He
did not think the difference had arisen from the strikes at coal-pits,
but from the increased trade of the country. He had not taken steps
to prevent parties from the Caledonian Company getting information
respecting the mineral fields. He was not aware that such bad been
done. He was not aware that there was any clay fit to make bricks
or tiles in the neighbourhood of Sanquhar. . .

Mr. Kennedy, a landed proprietor of Kirkland, Dumfriesshire, ex-
amined—He resided on his property in Dumfrieshire, but held
extensive farms in the counties of Sutherland, Inverness, and Argyll.
He rented land to the amount of 6,0001. a year, and the extent of it
was 200,000 acres. The sheep that he raised in the north he trans-
ferred to Dunfermline, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Roxburghshire. He
sold considerable numbers 'of these to dealers in the district, to be fat-
tened and sent into England. A considerable number of fat sheep
and lambs were now sent to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and if they had
a railway both for England and these cities, they would be sent by
it. The half-fed sheep, or " hoggets," would also he sent by the
same mode. Ho thought from 130,000 to 140,000 sheep and lambs
of all sorts would be sent to England, and Ed;nburgh, and Glasgow
annually. This was an incatase on his former examination from re-
cent inquiries he had made. The larger proportion would find their
way on to the railway at Dumfries. He agreed with the table which
had been drawn up of the sheep, cattle, and horse traffic. He thought
it quite correct. He thought 36,000 stone of wool would be sent out
of the country which the line intersected, partly into the west of
Scotland, and partly to England. He did not think the Craw!ck
branch would injure the property of Mr. Thomas Colebroke, but ra-
ther improve it.

Cross-examined--The principal portion of the fattening district of
the south of Scotland was between Castle . Douglas and
Dumfries, and the most of the sheep and cattle raised
want south from Dumfries. The English markets were the
beet for them, He did 1143 tIII4IE a groat deal of the %zaftig he had