The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

GROUP XI

The Committee re-assembled this day at the usual hour ;
.Mr.
Henley, chairman.

THE AIRDRIE AND EATHGATE AND

EDINDITR.GH AND BATEGATE.

The Committee went through the clauses of these Bills, which
were all agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be reported to the
House.

The consideration of the several lines which formed this group
being finished, the labours of this Committee terminated.

GROUP XIII.
The Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock; Sir Witham Clay in
the chair.

CALEDONIAN (LAN GE OZoM =AN C II) •

On the re-assembling of the Committee,
Mr. RICKARDS applied for the production of the agreement between
the promoters of the North British scheme and the authorities of the
Carlisle, respecting the cro-sing of Borough-street, about which it
was alleged yesterday that the alteration would be beyond the
Parliamentary line of deviation.
Mr. OSBORNE had no objection to the production of the agreement,
except that it might be drawn into an improper precedent. He
understood, however, that the petition of the parties who were
instrumental to the agreement was withdrawn.
Mr. RICKARDS begged leave to state that such was not the case.
The Corporation of: Carlisle might have withdrawn their opposition,
but the inhabitants had not.
Mr. OSBORNE said, in that case the agreement would be of no use,
if the partierinterested in the agreement had withdrawn from it.
After some conversation pro and con., the promoters of the North
British line agreed to furnish copies of the agreement to the pollee
on the other side. _ _

The examination of witnesses was then proceeded with.
Mr. Williamson, mining engineer, examined. Said he was inti-
mately acquainted with the Mid Lothian, Berwick, and Canoble coal
fields. He thought that both the Berwick and the Lothian coals,
by the railways in progress of construction, would find their
way to Hawick. The price of screened Berwick coal at
the pit's mouth was 4s. Gd. The Canobie coal was unscreened. By
the Kelso line of railway the Berwick coal could be laid down in
Hawick at 9s. The distance was thirty-six miles. He did not think
the Canobie coal-field would drive out:the Berwick and Car.obie coals.
It was not likely that the latter woul dlie on their oars, and allow one
coal-field to drive them out. He did not at all agree with the wit-
nesses who thought that the Canohie was so important to Hawick.
The whole consumption of the Hawick was about 17,000, of which
about one-Half might be got from Canobie. This would make their
receipts from coal traffic about 15,000/.„ ox..*out one-half *he sum
. -
;:ie-PfOiribters of the Bill calculated. There were about ten Phi
in operation in the Berwick district. There was also a con-
siderable amount of coal brought from Northumberland into the dis-
trict round Jedburgh. The table of the North British line in regard
to the coal traffic was the most exaggerated he ever saw. A ton and •
a half for each person was quite enough for a district where coal was
cheap, without adding 50 per cent. 1 here were several parishes
north of Hawick which it was absurd for Mr. Marshall to calculate
would be supplied from Canobie. He had himself prepared a counter-
table on the mineral traffic that might be expected. He calculated
that the whole of the traffic in coal, including Langton, would yield
2,1191., instead of 12,1991., which they made it. He thought
the expectation of 60,000 tons going to Carlisle most
exaggerated. The coal that was exported from Carli.9le
was far superior to the Canobie coal ; it was screened
coal. The Cumberland coal was superior to the Canobie by at least
2s. a ton. The Cumberland coal was shipped last year from Carlisle
at Gs. Gd. a ton. It is more now, but only temporarily so. He did
not think the Canohie coal would successfully compete with the
Cumberland coal at Carlisle, either for shipping or to supply the
waits of the inhabitants. The best Cumberland was 9s. a ton at
the depot, and 5s for culm for manufacturing purposes. The whole
field at Canobie had been assumed ay the Dumfries and Nithsdalis
and the llawick lines to yield 203,000 tons annually.
Mr. OSBORNE said that when his witnesses, Mr. Maxton and Mr.
Gibson were under examination, the other side did not ask a single'
question as to the supplies which the Canobie coal-field yielded. He
trusted, therefore, if this examination was to go on, they would alloy
them to recall Mr. Gibson to speak upon the quantity of coal.