The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-18 00:00:00

GROUP XVI 11.

IMPORTANT DECISION.
The Committee met at the usual hour; Mr.B. Denison, chairman.
After hearing evidence this morning, the Committee declared
that the preambles of the
EXETER, YEOVIL, DORCHESTER, AND THE
LONDON, S....MISEUELY, AND YEOVIL
Bills were proved, and that the preamble of the Exeter (Great
Western) Bill, promoted by the Great Western Company, was not
proved.
The Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XXXI.

BRISTOL AND BIRMINGHAM (ASH-
CHURCH, TEWKESBURY, AND MALVERN).

The Conynittee assembled this morning at the usual hour, awl
were engaged In hearing evidence on the part of the opponents f the
line. The case having been concluded the room was ordered to be
cleared.

On our re-admission, the CHAIRMAN said that the Committee were
of opinion that the pi eamble of the Bill had not been proved by the
evidence.

The counsel for the promoters ished to know in what respect the
evidence was deficient.
The Ca./mm.414 said that it was not the duty of the Committee to
make out the case of the promoters or to show in what way It was
deficient. The case had certainly not failed through any deficiency
in the engineering evidence.

GROUP XX.XIII,

The Committee on this group met to-day at twelve o'clock in
room No. 24 (Grand Corridor); present Sir Robert Ferguson (chair-
man), the Marquis of Worcester, Viscount Newry, Mr. Smollctt, and
Mr. Fellowes.

They proceeded with the further consideration of the three branches
of the Warwickshire and London Railways, namely—
WORCESTER AND WEED ON,
HAMPTON AND ASECHURCH,
HAMPTON AND BANBURY.

Sir Willoughby Gordon, Quartermaster• General, was examined by
Mr. KENNET MACAULEY. Be attended in obedience to a postscrip from
the House ofCommons. He could not be supposed to know anything of
railway s, much less of their relative merits, exceptas to the conveyance
of her Majesty's troops. The accommodation proposed to be afforded
to Weedon would be of importance to the service. That place was
an ordnance depot. There was not a large number ot troops keys
there—oily a competent number for. the protection ot the depot. It
would, be of great importance to have_ a railway from Weedon to
Northampton, the distance being, however, only seven miles. The
Weedon and Worcester line would be advantageous, as it would
make the communication by railway between Weedoti and the port
Of Plymouth complete and direct. In fact, every railway was of im •
portance to her Majesty's military service, and that line was the most
so which had the fewest breaks. Every break was inconvenient to
a private faintly in travelling. It was more so, in the ratio of the
numbers, to a body of troops.
',*:111 cross-examination by Mr. WAHLEY, Q.C., the Gallant Officer said
that lie could give no opinion as between the competing lines. In
this case the competing lines, by Connecting Wolverhampton with
Weedon, Birmingham, Worcester, and Plymouth, would be of im-
portant advantage. The break of gauge and increased distance were
disadvantageous. But shortness of distance was not always an ad-
vantage of itself. The consideration of shortness was frequently qua-
lified by circumstances of convenience. e could give no opinion as
to the comparal ive merits of the broad and narrow gauges. He was in
the habit of transmitting by railway an average of sixty thousand
troops per annum, and he had found the accommodation afforded to
her Majesty's service by the directors of both systems such, that he
could not have effected the transit of the troops more conveniently if
he had directed it himself.

Colonel Thornton, commandant of Birmingham, gave evidence of
a similar character.

Sir Charles Knightley, Bart.. M.P. for North Northamptonshire.
was examined 1).% Mr. K. MAcatmetr, and gave evidence strongly in
favour of these lines, as regards the advantage to the agricultural
interests in the conveyance of produce, &c., and to the general inte-
rests of the public in the conveyance of coals and other articles of
consumption. However, it was chiefly a ith a view to the agricul-
tural benefit he was favourahle to the Warwickshire and London
system of railways.

GROUP XLII.

LIVERPOOL, onavissizz, AND PRESTON,

The Committee assembled in Room, No. 23, in the New House;
this morning, and proceeded with examinations with respect to
the value of the land and the sufficiency of the estimates for the line.

GROUP XLVIII.

The Committee appointed to dispose of the cases in this group
met at one o'clock, hi Room 31, Mr. Oldham, chairman.
The following are the Bills to be heard :—Monmouth and Hereford,
Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford, Carnarvon, Coalbrook Steam
Coal, and Swansea and Loughor, the Tenby, Saunderafoot, and South
Wales, Lynvi Valley and South Wales Junction, Taft' Vale, and the
Monmouthshire.

The first case taken was
THE LYNVI VALLEY AND SOUTH WALES

ZUN CTION.

Mr. Mills appeared for the promoters. The Bill was opposed by
certain landowners. _

The Learned Counsel, In a brief address, laid the merits of the case
before the Committee, after which the evidence was proceeded with.

GROUP LIII.
This Committee resumed its labours at twelve o'clock to-day, in
Room 26 (Grand Corridor). Present, the Bon. G. Lascelles (chair-
man), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Mr. It. Clayton, Mr. ilndyard,
and Captain Dalrymple.
SEIREVISMTRY, 33IRDICINGUAIST and STOUR
V-11.1.1.EY.
The business of the morning commenced by a cross-examination of
Mr. Stephenson, Jun., the engineer of the line, by Mr. F. Robinson,
counsel for the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line. Re was
also subjected to a cross-examination on the part of Mr. Corbeltetn,gbtthlt
nothing of much importance was elicited.
Mr. Hors then re-examined 31r. Stephenson at
greatlletiu
entrance u
as to the advantages which would result from the i
u
this with the London and Birmingham line,
The
to Birmingham, he said, was flay-five feet above the levels of
the rival lines ; and as the Birmingham Canal intervened it
would be Impossible to ameliorate the lines. The station of this line
at Birmingham was an exact mode l of the station of the Manchester
and Leeds Railway at Manchester,
the world. which had the largest traffic ill
extensive practice at Birmingham,Mr. Wm. Ilayes, a solicitor of
stated that his offices were in New-street, and that he has been
clerk to the town commission for the last twenty. five years. He
was also agent to Colonel Gouch, and other gentlemen over whose
properties this arid its rival lines
line at .1;11111,1„ra/19Xa y.olial LI dwould pass. The station of this
eCltrily praeratis to its rivals • 111

inhabitants of Birmingham were of the same opinion. The other
lines would enter the town by tunnels, whilst this would enter by a
*viaduct which was a preferable mode. It would stop op narrow
streets, and instead give a wide one. The junction of the London
and Birmingham with the Shrewsbury and Birmingham would be
of great advantage to the public. The rival companies did not con-
template such &junction.

Cross-examined by Mr. RoatrisoN—He understood that it would
be necessary to descend a flight of about 24 steps to get upon the
level of this line at New-street.

Mr. Alderman Weston, of Birmingham, stated that he had served
the office of Mayor of Birmingham, and that about a week ago
the stations of these rival lines in Birmingham formed the subject of
a discussion by the Town Council of Birmingham, and the
result was a decision in favour of this company's station ;
the majority being 16 to 6. He considered New-street
the most favourable position for a station, as it was
the central part of the town. and the approaches to it were easy.
The station of this line would give the best accommodation to the
people of Birmingham, and all with whom he had conversed on this
subject were in favour of it. The approaches to the Snowhill sta-
tion would be very narrow, and it would be on a steep acclivity.
Cross-examined by Mr. ROBINSON-111s place of business was
close by New-street, and so were those of the majority of the people
with whom he had conversed on the subject.

EXETER and EXMOUTH RAILWAY

COMPANY.—(THIS DAY.)
A special meeting of the proprietors and shareholders of
this Company took place this day at the London Tavern, in
compliance with the sessional orders, to consider the pro-
priety of proceeding with their Bill at present before Parlia-
ment for the purpose of making a railway from Exeter to
Exmouth.

The meeting was advertised for ten o'clock, but it did not
commute until eleven, in consequence of the non• attendance
of the proprietors, at length three or four shareholders having
assembled, E. Woolmer, Eq., was called to the chair.
The SECRETARY having read the advertisement convening
the meeting,

The CitatnnAN said that the non• attendance of the pro-
prietors arose, he considered, from the great confidence they
vested in the directors. Their Bill bad passed the House of
C munons Committea, and had received the sanction of that
House. It had also passed the Committee on Merits, and
stood now awaiting the decision of that meeting, before it
could receive its third reading and become the law '.t the
land. The directors had received a sufficient quantity of
scrip to constitute a meeting, and he would, therefore, pro-
pose a iesolution to the effect—" That it was the opinion of
the meeting that the Bill should be proceeded with."
'1 he resolution was put, and declared to be unanimously
carried.

The CHAIRMAN observed that, although the expenses
would be exceedingly moderate in carrying out the line, the
directors considered that the proprietors would be much
better satisfied with the arrangement which had been effected
with the South-Western Company,who had guaranteed them
5% percent.—(hear.)
The Bill was then read to the meeting, which declared
that the capital of the company should be 160,000/., in 16,000
shares at 101. per share, and that the calls should not exceed
2/. per share, and that interest of four per cent. should be
paid upon the calls. There was a clause of sale also in-

serted, where;►v the company were authorised to sell the line
to the Exeter,-Yeovil, az,d Dorchester Company, and a pro-
vision which enacts that the Bill is not to come into opera-
tion until the Exeter and Yeovil, or some such other com-
pany, obtain an Act for the construction of an Exeter and
Yeovil line within the sessions of Parliament of 1846 and 1847.
The meeting then separated.