The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-26 00:00:00

GROUT MIL

This Committee resumed their labours this morning at the cus-
tomary hour in Room 26 (Grand Corridor); present, the Hon. E.
Lascelles (in the chair), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Mr. Hild-
yard, Captain Dalrymple, and Mr. R. Clayton.
BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND
DUDLEY.

Before the evidence was resumed in favour of this line, in answer
to the Hon. Chairman, who desired to be informed of the nature of
the Bills comprised in this group,
Mr. RICKARDS stated that the South Staffordskire Junction (Wil-
lenhall and Bloxenhall Branch) had been withdrawn; the Trent
Valley, Midlands, and (rand Junction was under arrangement, and
no one intended to appear on behalf of the South Staffordshire
Junction.
Charles Shaw, Esq., magistrate of Birmingham, stated that for
the last forty years he had been extensively engaged as a merchant,
factor, and manufacturer, in the towns of Wolverhampton► and Bir-
mingham, and he had long felt the necessity which existed for some
railway communication for that district. In the year 1835 he had
devised such a line as the present, and when the prospectus of this
company was published he immediately became a shareholder, for the
purpose of forwarding the scheme. He preferred this line principally
because it would afford accommodation to many important towns
which were left entirely unaccommodated by its rival lines. It was
decidedly of the utmost importance to the public that the line which
should be formed in the district in question should be an entirely in-
dependent line. This line would possess this advantage; its rivals
would not. The witness then gave a history of the origin of the
competing schemes. This scheme was unanimously approvel of at
a large meeting of the principal ironmasters of Birmingham. Lord
Dartmouth and himself were directors of this line. It would be in-

dependent of the London and Birmingham, and supposing the
Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line were opened, :it
would afford a direct communication with London. On
these grounds, amongst others, he decidedly preferred it to its
rivals. lie then gave his reasons for preferring the station at Snow-
hill to that proposed to be erected at New-street by the Shrewsbury
and Birmingham Company. Snow•hill (which was in the widest
part twenty yards) was the widest thoroughfare in Birmingham,
and the outlets to it were much wider than in any other part of the
town. Passengers arriving from Wolverhampton also arrived by
Snow-hill. Within a quarter of a mile radius of Snow-hill there
were 556 buyers of goods arriving from Wolverhampton, whilst
within the same distance of the New-street station there were only 76.
To the Hon. CUAraMAN—I proposed Newhall-street as a proper
site for a station for say project of 1835. I should have proposed
Snow-hill, but the capital required for the purchase of sufficient pro-
perty there was so great, that I dare not ask for It.

_ _
Examination resumed—The proposed station of the Shrewsbury
and Birmingham, at Wolverhampton, would be almost useless to the
town. A low level would be much preferable there than a high one,
because the goods exported were of the heaviest description. The
people of Wolverhampton were decidedly in favour cf this line, and a
vast majority of the influential inhabitants of Birmingham were in
favour of the Snow-hill station. They were in favour of the New-
street and the Snow-hill stations, but if one only were to be granted
[they would decidedly prefer the Snow-hill station.
Cross-examined by Mr. RICICARDS.—IIe had some property in the
neighbourhood of Snowhill, but it was not of much importance to
him. A portion of it would be required by this line for the erection
of a station, and he should not have the slightest objection to part
with it. When he said he preferred this line because it was an in-
dependent one, he meant that it would be independent of any exist-
ing line between Birmingham and London. The Great Western had
150,0001. invested in this company, and the Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton (which had a large pecuniary in:erest in this line),
would be leased to the Great Western Company. Those two com-
panies between them possessed shares to theameunt of a quarter of a
million in this company. The word " independent " for the district
under the consideration of the Committee meant, according to his
notions, no connexion with the London and Birming-
ham Company, with which he had no sympathy,: be-
cause they had raised their fares. He himself was
connected with-the London and Birmingham before their Bill-was
obtained. There were some parts of the district that would be better
accommodated by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham than the Bir-
mingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley line. The Shrewsbury and
Birmingham line would pass shrough Darlaston, but, in his opinion,
it was not a town of very great importance. The station of the
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley line would be about a
mile distant from Darlaston. The distance between the Snow-
hill and New-street stations was certainly more than three
fttrlongs, it was at least half a mile. To a traveller the dis-
tance would be undoubtedly more than 200 yards. The station
which he proposed ten years agolfor his project, was nearer to the New-
street station than the Snow-hill, but that was by no means a final
1,`!!!ion. The reason why he fixed on it was, because the site was
to uncovered and very central; that was to say, within a mile of
athyar itrrilf:el?meintgn, whilst the Snowhill-station would be within
The station at the Crescent might be larger
comparatively '='lL),Tc.Portion of five to three, but it would be
next to High- r5Ol, The end of New-street,
two policemen were, m nt,":l3;,_ost dangerous spot in Birmingham ;
Lion of life and property to be kept there, for the protec-
many pickpockets at thatp.lZ !lung there. There are a good
Re-eXamined by Mr. R05ix50u....,71,
ar to the present road between pa run Parallel with and
very ne
ton. The London and Birmingham tine we.ghtlisam and_ Wolverharep-
passenger ran-
plalneycoantsindearreidasttheant
wthoeupldrow,..dbe
thi,matiou.t.zoputuraredranind
jthaenekittne
all by the other line,
prpally
Wen
aswasoff"myucalicc;rrelanitelatediraportwith"tbY e°uldth: anbed
gadocmem.
aDfoeartrmiaaetsdt.on.Great Bridge, which
fn
and the neighbourhood or
dnesbury,
from West Bromwich, We
waTyo
mMr.
the Bit
hCgLdAeYmT.O NT—hTeheiosailv
usedould gtargeahtaemst
came
Bilston.i
superiorityngha , ee ne-f
firlmledr. Samuel
euvelideTaheoernehf Thornhill,
' 1. Snow hill was
becoming
the Snow-hill over the: New-street 'Olio:
the town and the bulk of
every day the greatest business portion of
thechemistpreceding and
t Hessgisstloßtirmhe
bourhood of Snow-hill, which was decidedly eons'
to be the most desi-
rablethe passengers ariviing from Wolverhampton stdoperpeedd ibnythtehenemigah:
jority of the Influential people of Birmingham
site for a railway station.
Cross-examined by Mr. llicksans—lf the Snow-hill station were
granted, this company proposed to purchase his freehold shopt
Snow-hill.
Mr. George Ileaton, millowner and metal dealer, Birmingham,
also gave evidence in favour of the Snow-hill station.
The Hon. CHAIRMAN—I suppose all the inhabitants in the neigh-
bourhood of Snow-hill are in favour of the Snow-hill station ?—Yes.
Mr. Samuel Briggs, builder, Bradford-street, Birmingham, said
that that street was nearer to New-street than Snow-hill. He did a
great deal of business for people living at Wednesbury. He consi,
tiered that an independent line such as this would be a great boon
to the people in this district. Although his place of business was in
the neighbourhood of New-street he preferred the Snew-hill station,
and so did the majority of the people of Birmingham.
Cross-examined by Mr. RICKARDS—I have no connexion with this
company. The town is extending much more on the Snow-hill than
the New-street side.
Mr. William Collins, factor, Birmingham, preferred the Snow-hill
station (in which neighbourhood his place of business was), and an in-
dependent line to an amalgamated Company.
Mr. Jas. Baslow, brassfounder, Birmingham, said that the greater
part of his customers resided at Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton,
and the mineral districts there. He had no doubt about the superi-
ority of this Company's station at Birmingham, and that was the
general opinion. He had no connexion with this company.
The Hon. CHAT/MAN said the Committee had heard quite sufficient
evidence on the question of the proposed stations at Birmingham.