The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-15 00:00:00

Room C.

Mr. TALBOT replied, resting chiefly in the outset upon
the opening made by the station at Brighton. The Sheffield
people were notoriously a persevering people; but it was a
fact which was patent to all the world, that just as the
London and York Railway had progressed to Parliamentary
success—a line which involved three hundred miles of rail-
way—so had the worth of its capital decreased. He
would treat with the contempt which it merited the hardy
assertion of Mr. Fowler, that the whole of that line would
be made before this little line of thirteen miles long was con-
structed. He would assert that on the line of the London
and York there was not a single town of the slightest com-
mercial importance, while on the other line there was access
to Sheffield, Nottingham, and Derby, and the several other
places connected with the great manufacturing interests of
the country. After going through the evidence upon
the transit of coal from the neighbouring coal-fields to
Sheffield, the Learned Counsel stated that the projectors
had reduced their capital by 50 per cent., in order to meet
the necessities of the times and the emergencies that might
arise to the business people of Sheffield, and the considera-
tion for the Committee was not the amount of capital to be
employed, but whether it would be judiciously ex-
pended for the public benefit. With respect to the
estimates, it was well known that half-a-dozen valuers
might be brought on one side or the other, and all speaking
to different portions of the subject, might speak the truth,
and vet flatly contradict each other, but he had opened this
case as one necessarily involving heavy works. The pro-
moters were quite willing to take upon themselves the ex-
pense, so that no objection could stand on that account.
The North Midland Company, into whose hands this line
must eventually fall, were quite ready to take it up,
The people of Sheffield were equally anxious for its success;
and after the rejection of the line last year a meeting had
been held, at which the repetition of the effort was strongly
recommended. For himself, he regretted that the pro-
moters had no better advocate; but he felt that in zeal and
earnestness he had fully done his duty by his clients.
The room was then cleared, and on the re-admission of
parties the Chairman declared that the Bill was not proved,
and it is, therefore, for the present lost.

Room D.

The members of this Committee re-assembled to-day al
eleven o'clock.

IPSWICH AND BURY ST. RDDIUND'S
(NORWICH EXTENSION.)

Mr. TALBOT, Q.C., opened the case for the promoters, and
in the course of his address stated that the line which his
clients had projected was entitled to the favourable consider-
ation of the Committee, as it possessed all the attributes de-
sirable in a project of tL is description. It met a great desidera-
tum, was supported by the landed proprietary of three- fourths
of the whole line, was opposed only by the Norfolk
Railway Company—a competing company, who had
themselves projected a similar scheme last year; was
favourable, as regarded engineering features, and could be
constructed for 550,000/., which was a very muderate es-
timate.
... . _

Mr. W. Barnard, a mill occupier on the line, was examined,
and deposed to the merits of the line in affording greater
facility for the transit of the traffic between Norwich and
Ipswich, which was very considerable.
After hearing some further evidence to the same effect,
Mr. Stewart, of Norwich, was examined, and stated that
the present mode of transit was quite inadequate to meet the
wants of that town, and that the proposed railway would be
very advantageous to the inhabitants.
Evidence was also given as to the feeling of the inhabitants
along the line, as well as in other places affected by the rail-
way, and which was represented as being very favourable to
the project.
. .

After some further evidence in corroboration of the preced-
ing, Mr. TALBOT said that the case for the promoters with
reference to the traffic was concluded, and that they would
defer entering upon the engineering evidence till to •morrow.
The Committee then adjourned till eleven o'clock to-
morrow.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES.
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships met at the usual hour, Lord Shaftesbury
in the chair.
The business to-day was rather heavy, there being 25 Bills
;24 Railway), besides 27 Bills (l 3 Railway) on the merits.
The following Bills were disposed of on standing orders :
SWANSEA VALE.

The amendment for which the case had been adjourned
having been made, the Bill passed in its amended form.
STRATHTAY AND BREADALBANE.

Standing orders complied with.
SOUTH DEVON AMENDMENT AND BRANCHES

(No. 2).
The promoters of this Bill had complied with the standing
orders.
HUDDERSFIELD AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY
AND CANAL (OLDHAM BRANCH).
The same was the case in this instance.
FURNESS RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Their Lordships declared the standing orders complied
with in this case also.
MANCHESTER AND BURY CANAL NAVIGATION
AND RAILWAY.
A similar decision was made in this case.
BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND STOUR
VALLEY (BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON,
AND DUDLEY LINES).
The same applies to this case.
OLDHAM, MANCHESTER, LIVERPOOL, AND
BIRKENHEAD JUNCTION.
A favourable decision was made in this case also.
MONMOUTHSHIRE.

Standing orders complied with.
Several other Bills were part heard and adjourned, and the
Committee proceeded to the cases which came before them
as a Select Committee on Merits.
Their Lordships decided that the promoters of the
HUDDERSFIELD AND SHEFFIELD, AND MAN-
CHESTER AND LEEDS AMALGAMATION
had proved the preamble of their Bill.
GRAND JUNCTION ( HUYTON AND ASTON, AND
OTHER BRANCHES).
The preamble of this Bill also was proved.
Their Lordships, after disposing of several other Bills, ad-
journed at a late hour.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
SELECT COMMITTEE
LARNE, 313nT.
---PAST, AND BALLYMENA.
The Committee re-assembledjat one o'clock to-day,.Mr. E.
Denison in the chair.
Mr. Baker, one of the opposing petitioners, stated that, at
the rising of the Committee yesterday, and also this morn-
ing, Mr. Lambert, on the part of Mr. Carr, had offered to re-
lieve him and the other dissentient shareholders of the corn.
pant of the shares they held. He (Mr. Baker) held thirty
shares, Mr. Drewitt twent shares, Mr. Cohen thirty,
y
and Mr. Marshall twenty shares. He replied that he
could not enter into any
mittee.
Mr. Lambert corroborated Mr. Baker's statement.
The object was that Mr. Baker's opposition should cease.
Mr. M'Donald also stated that Mr. Carr had informed him
agreement except before the Corn-
that he was very anxious to obtain shares in the company,
and therefore was willing to take Mr. Baker's shares and
those of the other opposing petitioners.
The CHAIRMAN: said the Committee would not lose sight
of the fact that Mr. Carr was not a member of the company,

The Committee re-assembled this morning, Earl RaCnor
in the chair, when
Mr. Fowler, the engineer of the Sheffield and Lincolnshire
line:was cross-examined by Mr. BIEBEIVETREIL, and I stated
that the ruling gradient in the line would be 1 in 84.
On leaving Sheffield, it would have to be worked
by assistant power, and as this would be very
expensive, rather than incur such a cost it would
be better to establish a tramway from the mineral dis-
tricts, which would answer every purpose. Such a design
had been proposed, but it had been dropped in consequence
of a breach of engagement.
Mr. Gee, civil engineer, gave evidence against the Bill to
the same effect.
Mr. Locke, the engineer, stated that he had been the con-
sulting engineer, and when he surveyed the country had come
to the decision that a line towards London would be best
carried out by Wcodhouse Mill, and that opinion was con-
firmed by the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line being sanc-
tioned by Parliament. There was no opportunity
for the Sheffield and Manchester line to come
down by the Chesterfield line. The Bradford traffic
would come by the Sheffield and Manchester line, and the
.junction would be best effected at Woodhouse Mill. This
line was certainly laid out inconveniently for the coal-fields,
running as they do through two deep cuttings. The esti-
mates of the opposing lines are certainly much higher than
Mr. Fowler's route, for which the amount stated is 867,000/. ;
another was 883,000/., and a third 887,000/.
To Mr. TALBOT'S cross-examination, Mr. Locke replied
that he had executed works through rocks at a lower rate
than 40/. a yard, but of course the expense depended upon
the nature of the rock to be passed through. Certainly the
country.was a difficult one.
Mr. Hors cross-examined ; but previous to his addressing
the Committee the room was cleared, and on the re-admission
cf the parties, the Chairman inquired of Mr. Talbot, the
ieading counsel for the promoters, whether he could inva-
lidate the evidence of Mr. Fowler, who had stated that
64,000/. per mile would be requisite for the formation of the
lines. To this Mr. Talbot replied that he could not speak
certainly.
By direction of the CHAIRMAN

gr. HOPE then addressed the Committee, contending that
both from the expense of the sustaining walls and the alter-
nate expense of the spoil and waste, it would be altogether
beyond the power of any traffic to remunerate the proprie-
tors. Mr. Vignoles had stated that he was the father of the
steep gradients, and as thewhole of the flat country had been
exhausted, that difficult country must now be attempted.
It had been originally intended that the Manchester
and Sheffield line should pass through this country'
but both Mr. Locke, engineer for that line, and Mr. Gee, who
was also intimate with the country, thought the proper access
of Sheffield to the south was by Woodhouse. The line as ori-
ginally planned had been divested of five of its branches, and
was absolutely now a distortion, and quite incompetent to
satisfy that want which was now felt for communica-
tion with the south. Mr. Vignoles had proposed five
objects, the shortening of the distance of Sheffield from
London by eight miles; the cheapening of the price of
coals at Sheffield ; the opening of the Dronfield and Burlow
coal-beds; a better communication with the south, and the
increase of the access to other coal-fields. After going
through all those points, and making reference to the evi-
dence which had been adduced, Mr. Hope went to the intrin-
sic merits of the line itself, which he contended were insuffi-
cient to justify its formation, especially on the ground that the
population was too small to create a traffic upon any line in
the neighbourhood. The local traffic thus failing, the next
consideration was the through traffic, and this, he contended
was also such as not to justify the expenditure of so much
capital. With respect to the saving of eight miles, which it
was alleged would be saved by the Sheffield and Lincolnshire
line, which was now sanctioned by both H. uses of Parliament,
the greater distance would be only 33 miles, while it the line
were to be used as now projected, the trains from the north
would have to back fully a mile, and thus the distance would
thereby be actually reduced to 13 miles. Then with respect
to the transit to London, there was a distance by the Lon-
don and York Company of 160 miles, with a difference of nine
miles against the Midland Counties, with the superior advan-
tage of a united management; and if the Erewash Valley
were to be used, there would be a saving of a mile and a half.

but had only come forward as an individual anxious to obtain
the formation of a line which, in his opinion, would benefit
the country through which it passed.
After some general evidence,
The Committee adjourned to Friday, at one o'clock.