The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-09 00:00:00

GROUP LILL

SHROPSHIRE UNION AND CANAL (CITES-

TER. TJ WOLVERHAMPTON).

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

In his cross-examination, Mr. Provis said—His instructions from
Mr. Stephenson were to bring this line into Wolverhampton on the
same level with the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and not the Ox-
ford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway Company. Supposing
that the last-named railway entered Wolverhampton on the narrow
gauge, as an engineer he should certainly consider any new scheme
of railway entering the same town Incomplete if it did not enter on
the same level, if Parliament sanctioned no other line.

Mr. Robert Stephenson said he had been employed by this Company
as consu!ting engineer, and he recommended the present scheme. He
had duly considered all other schemes before he came to the decision
that the present was the most likely to confer the greatest benefit
on the construction and at the least expense. This line would
afford the best levels, and it was, certainly, beyond all
question, the best that could be made between Birkenhead
and Staffordshire. The importance of the heavy mineral traffic that
would flow upon this line could not be overrated, and this line
would decidedly be superior to the Grand Junction Company's line
in that respect. That line was better calculated for passenger
traffic, and if this line were sanctioned he was of opinion that the
result would be that heavy traffic would pass along it whilst the
light traffic would be carried by the Grand Junction Company. This
line was not mixed up with the competing systems in any way.
Cross-examined—He did not look upon the line as a rival of the
Grand Junction scheme. It was the desire of the Shropshire Com-
pany to convert their bankrupt canal into a railway, and so benefit
themselves as well as the public. This line, however, would no
doubt compete with the Grand Junction. The object of this company
in laying down this line was to form the best means of railway com-
munication between Birmingham and Ireland, and he now believed
that it would prove to be so, if formed. Ile was of opinion that rail-
ways would eventually have the effect of drying up all the canals in
the kingdom. The line would take Wolverhampton at a high level, and
after a most minute and frequent examination of the subject, he
was of opinion that a hi ,h level would Ise decidedly the best for the
people of Wolverhampton. By adopting a high level he was enabled
to carry the line into the heart of the town. Had a low level been
selected, he should have been prevented from doing so by the canals,
&c. So convinced was he of the desirableness of railways having
elevated stations, that he was at present going to some expense for
the purpose of devising how every railway might enter towns at
high levels, which would have the effect of accelerating the trains at
starting.

Re-examined—He advised the company not to carry their line at
present into the town of Wolverhampton until some arrangement
could be made with the other schemes.
Mr. LAING said that the Company's other engineer, Mr. Cubitt, was
at that moment giving evidence before the Committee that had to
decide on the London and York scheme.

The lion. CHAIRMAN said that they had heard sufficient engineer-
ing evidence, nor would it be necessary to hear the evidence of an-
other gentleman—the manager of the Birmingham and Gloucester
Canal—who was absent on a previous day, and who would give fur-
ther evidence as to the effect which the construction of railways had
on canals.

Mr. Stee then gave traffic evidence.
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE here asked whether it was the Intention
of the Committee to sit to-morrow ?
The Hon. CHAIRMAN, after consulting with his colleagues, said,
yes, I think we'll sit to-morrow; we have have bad so many holi-
days of late, that unless we proceed pretty rapidly we shall not finish
our business in proper time.
Mr. Sergeant KtNGLAKE—I merely asked for the convenience of
the witnesses.

Mr. Pare was then called to speak as to the traffic.; after which

Mr. Cowan was called, and proved that the amount of shares sub-
scribed for was 149,2501., and the amount deposited 313,4251.
Mr. Rouse having given his evidence,
Mr. LAING said that this closed the promoters' case..

Mr. Sergeant KINGLARE then proceeded to address the Committee
against this scheme, and on behalf of the Worcester and Stafford-
shire Junction Canal Company. He complained that Mr. Austin
and those Learned Counsel who were with him had most
prudently endeavoured to keep back from the Committee the im-
portance of this subject. He was not surprised to hear Mr. Austin
and Mr. Stephenson say
that the canals of this country must be dried
up to give place to railways. But he contended that We public were
vitally interested in preserving those canals for the purpose of keep-
ing alive that rivalry which must exist if railways and canals ex-
isted at the same time. That, in fact, was the intention of the Legis-
lature. In various instances the Legislature had no doubt
saactioned the conversion of isolated canals into railways, and his
htwatee was
the
Learned Friend Mr. Austin had attempted to make the Committee
believea,l tb
that the present was just as simple as the cases of those
isolatedasnogre
great
city nfcanal,
London for l t
awnads thepiv warar p to
ae l , co-amn
dmunicatioe
had been used from
intervening.
It
colthe time of its opening for the use of the districts
tween Wolverharn
not t./ considered merely as a communication be-
opinion that the presenrw Liverpool. And if the Committee were of
London and Liverpool, were they
link of communication between
the great accommodation which Usrepared to deprive the public of
since its opening ile doubted nal had afforded to the public
sanction the " drying up" of this whetherrailway the Legislature would
taken place before a Select Committee of the
what had already
mons, this Committee would find that this rna House of Corn-
trifling as represented by Mr. Austin. That stetatwae not as
had decided that the public should not, except ,
.n very few instances
d of the present canal ew
Indeed, be deprive.communication in E:ngliu d
the public had bargained when the '.
For that advantage different
railway
Acts had passed. Having made these remarks, lie referred
the second report of the Select Committee a
the C
ed to consider the subject to n
of railway and canal --
amalgamation,
• t poin t it became known that the conversion
iir.c. Before that Committee sa
was proposed. The Committee, after
of this canal into a railway
on the subject, came to the conclusion
hearing evidence railways and canals bad been
that the present competition between
ne-seventh.
the means ofreducing the cost of traffic o
some cases l;. it isnot general.
The Hon. CHAIRMAN—That is only
in
he Committee stated that
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE—Of course: L..
ledge in which
to their know
there were instances which had come
in their report
this had been the result. The Committee also stated
_. . _
Bement should not ligntly
that it was obviously of importance that Parliament shoal
of the ad •
sanction any arrangement which would deprive the pu
vantage afforded by the rivalry at present existing between railways
and canals. They also stated that they had come to the general
con-
clusion that a most searching inquiry should be made into the merits_
of each case before Parliament sanctioned the conversion of canals
into, or their amalgamation with, railways. This subject was not,
therefore, one of the amount of profit which it bad produced to its
pmprietors, as represented by his Learned Friends ; there
was a question of far higher importance than that,
and that was the interest of the public in the exist-
ence of competition at present existing between railways and
canals. The canal was established for the purpose of giving the
public an independent line of water communication in the districts of
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, and other important
places. The evidence given before the Select Committee to which
he had alluded went no flirther than this, that an isolated canal,
which did not form any important link of communication be-
tween different parts of the kingdom, might, with benefit to
the public and the proprietors, amalgamate with, or be converted
into a railway. But this was no isolated canal ; it formed a most
important link of communication between London and Liverpool.
Mr. Stephenson was In error when he said that canals could not sue •
c'essfullY Compete with railways. Mr. Scott had given evidence to
that effect before the Select COmMittee, and that gentleman 'eras in.

timately acquainted with the subject. Mr. Scott said in
his evidence that he should decidedly object to any
thoroughfare canal like this being converted into a railway,
and he instanced this canal at the same time. This, in
that gentleman's opinion, was the best canal in the kingdom, and yet
they were now called upon to destroy it. It had a descending lockage
the whole way from Birmingham to Liver pool. If this Bill were
sanctioned the iron grasp of the monopolizing London and Birming-
ham and Manchester and Birmingham Companies would be extended
and made stronger.
The Learned Counsel had not concluded his case when the Com-
mittee rose, the Chairman having announced that they would re-
assemble at twelve o'clock to-morrow.