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

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Room A.
CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD.

Their Lardships met ei usual et eleven ; Lard Mornington in the
chair.

The ease for the opponent.; was continued.
Mr. Smike, a farmer, near Baldock, was called and examined by
Mr. Ilitoreme. die gave similar •videnc• to that given by other
witnesses yesterday.

Room B.
NonroLß (DEREHAIST, WELLS, AND
ELAXENEY EXTENSION).

A Select Committee on this Bill met for the first time in the above
room at eleven this morning. The members were the Duke of Rich-
mond (Chairman), the Duke of Cambridge, and Lords Lonsdale,
Southampton, and Redesdale.
The Bill was opposed by road trustees ; but there was no case set
up against the preamble, the opponents only requiting the insertion
of a clause ; so that the Bill was virtually unopposed.
Mr. ArsrlN stated the case for the promoters of the Bill.
Mr. Bidder and Mr. Borthwlek, toe engineers to the line, and
several other witnesses were examined pro forma, and the Commit tee
being satisfied both with the general at,d the engineering evidence,
the preamble was declared proved.
A clause to refer the case of the road trustees to an arbitrator was
then inserted, Lord Sondes undertaking the character of arbitrator,
and the other clauses were read over. By one of these power was
taken to cross on a level a certain road, which it appeared from the
plans was 12 feet above the level of the railway.
Lord Redesdale, perceiving this flaw, proposed that the powers to
cross on a level should be expunged from the Bill, which was agreed
to, and the clause was struck out.

Clauses were also inserted providing for the building of lodges at
all level crossings.

Some other amendments were made, and the Bill passed.
The Committee rose at about twenty minutes past twelve o'clock.

No. 5.

The Committee met this morning at eleven ; present the Duke of
Montrose (in the chair), Marquis of Breadalbane, Earl of Craven,
Lord Forester, and Lord Tenterden.

READING, GUILDFORD, AND REIGATE.
Mr. Cockburn, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Merrewether, and other gentle-
men were retained for the line, and it was opposed by Mr. M. Hill
and Mr. Rowe, on the part of the Brighton Company.
Mr. CocxnunN, Q. C., briefly opened the merits of the line to the
Committee, and proceeded to call witnesses.
Mr. Hai having opened tile merits of the whole line by his cross-
examination, _ _

Mr. CocKnuaN objected to the Brighton Company being heard
before the Committee, except in regard to the six miles between
Dorking and Reigate, where their line might be said to compete with
the one before the Committee.
Some discussion ensued, and the room was ordered to be cleared.
The Committee intimated to parties on their re-admission that the
Brighton Company must confine their opposition to the six miles
from Dorking to Reigate,
Mr. RowE said that his clients withdrew their opposition before the
Committee.

Mr. Barclay, Mr. Thomas Elope, Mr. John Trotter, Member for
Surrey, and other; witnesses were called, who spoke to the public ad-
vantage which the line would confer on the immediate district, by
communication with the market towns of Beading and Guildford, and
with the assize town, and more generally by the through communi-
cation between the east acid west coasts and London.

Mr. Giles, son of the engineer of the line, gave evidence in the
absence of his father from illness, and stated that the pro-
posed line formed a junction with the Seuth-Eastern at
the Reigate station, and with the Direct Portsmouth
at Dorking, whence, for a short distance, both lines
passed along the same rail; it formed another junction with the
Guildford Junction line and communicated with the Farningham
and Alton line, aad with the London and Southampton Rail-
way. The heaviest works on the line would be executed by the
South-Western, there being on that portion of it two
tunnels, and the only tunnels on the line, one 1,022 yards long, and
one 200 yards long. The steepest gradient was 1 in 100 for eleven
miles. The estimated cost for the whole was 736,0001., which in-
cluded 204,9301., the expense of the works to be executed by the
South-Western. The South-Eastern had leased the line at 4;4. per
cent., and half the profits.
The Committee decided unanimously that the preamble of the Bill
was proved.

Mr. MERREWETHEIR reminded their Lordships of the frail tenure
on which Parliament continued its sittings, and applied
on behalf of his clients, who were naturally anxious
on the subject after having succeeded in passing through the House
of Commons at considerable expense, that the report of the Bill
should be made to their Lordships' House tonight, if possible.
The Committee assented, and adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP 11.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills
comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this morning,
Lord Morpeth in the chair.
TAW VALE EXTENSION.

The whole of the day was occupied by the landholders' opposition,
got up by the solicitors of the Great Western Company, who were
averse to the line. They contended that the bulk of the Barnstaple
traffic came through Bristol from the north, pad a line of this sort
ought, therefore, to run in the route of the North Devon, thus saving
a considerable distance between Barnstaple and Bristol.