The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-07 00:00:00

SOUTH MIDLAND (NORTHAMPTON TO

BEDFORD).

The evidence on traffic was proceeded with this morning.
Mr. Raikes Currie, M.P. for Northampton, and Mr. Jay, an ac-
countant in the City, corroborated the evidence of Mr. Vernon Smith
and the other witnesses who were examined yesterday. They were
of opinion that the proposed railway would be of incalculable advan-
tage to Northampton, whose population and trade were gradually
increasing. The latter gentleman described the present traffic to
amount to 23,9001., and detailed the estimated number of passen-
gers, &c., anticipated from the present railway.
After a long discussion about the traffic tables, and the giving. of
further evidence, the Committee decided that they would not call
upon Mr. Flood or Mr. Mellor to cross-examine the last witnesses
before they examined the tables, and Mr. Austin was left to his own
discretion as to whether he would examine any other witnesses as
to traffic.

Mr. Joseph Stockburn, a draper for thirty years at Kettering, was
then examined as to' the traffic at that place. lie stated that the
inhabitants of Kettering were favourable to the project, and that it
would be of great advantage to them.

The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till twelve o'clock to-
morrow.

GROUP XXXV.

This Committee met to day shortly after twelve o'clock, Mr. G
Bankes in the chair.

They proceeded with further evidence in the case of the
AMDERGATE, NOTTINGHAM, AND DOS

TON LINE.

Mr. Bastrick, the engineer, whose evidence was commenced
yesterday, was again examined in detail, to explain the
engineering merits of the line.
A discussion arose between Mr. Burke, for the Midland Counties,
and Mr. Sergeant Clark, in support of the Ambergate, Nottingham,
and Boston Company, in respect to a* agreement entered into by the
latter with the former, according to which the Midland Counties
Company were to have the construction of six miles of the line be-
tween Ambergate and Nottingham.

_ ..
The room was eventually cleared, that the Committee might
deliberate as to whether the Midland Counties were in a position to
put in evidence of that agreement.

On the re-admission of strangers, we understood that the agree-
ment was not received, and the Bill was to proceed.
The CHAIRMAN said that if the other was a competing line, this
was the time to take the opinion of the Committee upon the ques-
tion, whether they would deal with it as such concurrently with
this Bill.

After a prolonged discugsion, the Committee decided that the pre.
amble of this Bill was proved.
They next called on the case of the •

EAST COAST LINE,

the parties to which were not immediately ready, and some delay
ensued.
It length it was agreed that the East Coast line be postponed, and
that the
NOTTINGHAM, MANSFIELD, AND MID-

cause, although in the early course of the inquiry they might have
returned a general verdict of " wilful murder by some person or
persons unknown," still he thought it was better that they should
have a mere lengthened investigation, to ascertain, if possible, the real
circumstances which led to the death of this girl. The Learned Coroner
having given a slight sketch of the rise and progress of the jurisdic-
tion of Coroners Courts, said that although they had conic to a point
on which they could mark the finger of suspicion against some party
or parties, yet they could not satisfactorily bring the fact home
to any one, and therefore it was for them to consider whether
they should return a verdict, sending some man at once for
trial, or whether they would not rather leave the question open
so that at some future time the link which was at present wanting-on
the chain might be supplied, and the parties really culpable sent for
trial.—(The Learned Coroner then read over the evidence, occa-
sionally commenting upon it, but as the facts have been in the course
of the last three years so repeatedly before our readers it would be
altogether Unnecessary to repeat them. The Learned Coroner's ob-
servations seemed pointed against the persons more intimately con-
nected with Verulam Chapel.)
(The jury had not returned their verdict when oar report left.)

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM
RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
A special general meeting of the proprietors of the Lon-
don and Birmingham Railway was held this day, at the
Euston• square station, for the purpose of obtaining the
assent or dissent of the proprietors to the following Bills, now
pending before the Imperial Legislature:—
" A Bill for making a railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway at Aldbury, in the county of Hertford, to Banbury, in the
county of Oxford."
" A Bill for making a railway from Oxford to the London and Bir-
mingham Railway at Bletebley, in the 'county of Buckingham."
"A Bill for making a railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway, in the parish of Hampton in Arden, in the county of War-
wick, to the town of Banbury, in the county of Oxford."
" A Bill for making a railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway, in the parish a Hampton-in• Arden, in the county of War-
wick, to the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, in the parish of
Ashcburch, in" the county of Gloucester."
" A Bill to empower the Londol and Birmingham Railway Corn-
pany to make a branch railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway, near Coventry, to the Trent Valley Railway, in the parish
of Nuneaton."
" A Bill for making a railway from or near the city of Worcester
to the London and Birmingham Railway in the parish of Weedon, in
the county of Northampton, with a branch to Alcester, iu the county
of Warwick."
" A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway. Com-
pany to make a branch from the said railway to the Blisworth and
Peterborough branch thereof."
" A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway Corn.
pany to extend their line at Leamington, and to enlarge their station
at Coventry and Rugby, and for other purposes."
"A Bill for making a railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway to or near to Navigation-street, in the borough of Bir-
mingham."
" A Bill for making a railway from the London and Birmingham
Railway in the parish of Rugby, in the county of Warwick, to Lea-
mington and Warwick, in the county of Warwick."
" A Bill for carrying into effect certain arrangements between
the London and Birmingham Railway Company, and the Company
of Proprietors of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, and for granting
certain powers tO the said respective companies."
"A Bill for making a railway from Birmingham to Wolverhamp-
ton, and to the Grand Junction Railway, in the parish of Buslibury,
with a line diverging therefrom to Wolverhampton, and a branch to
Dudley."
"A Bill for making a railway from Smethwick, in the parish of
Harbonie, in the county of Stafford, to Stourport, in the county of
Worcester, with branches therefrom."
" A Bill to consolidate the London and Birmingham Grand Junc-
tion, and Manchester and Birminghamßailway Companies."
"A Bill for making a railway from Ellsworth, in the county of
Northampton, to Banbury, in the county of Oxford, to be called The
Northampton and Banbury Railway.'"
"A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway Com-
pany to make a branch railway from Rugby to the Syston and Peter-
borough Railway at Stamford."
"A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Wolverton to Newport Pagnell and
Bedford."
" A Bill for vesting the Aylesbury Railway in the London and Bir-
mingham Railway Company."
" A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from the London and Birmingham Railway,
near Watford, to St. Albans and Dunstable, with a branch to Luton.
" A Bill to authorise an improvement of the line of the West Lon-
don Railway, and the extension thereof to the river Thames.
" A Bill to empower the London and Birmingham Railway Com-
pany to enlarge their stations in London, and for other purposes."
GEORGE C. GLYN, Esq., took the chair at twelve o'clock.
The SECRETARY having read the advertisement calling
the meeting,
The CRAIamAN proceeded shortly to state to the pro-
prietors, the object for which they had been called together.
He regretted that the proprietors had been put to the incon-
venience of attending the present meeting, as the object for
which it was convened was to call upon them to give their
sanction to measures to which they had already yielded their
hearty assent no less than three times. The new standing
orders of the Houses of Lords and Commons rendered it
necessary, and the directors bad considered it their duty to
call the proprietors together again as early as possible.
Before- putting the several Bills for the fourth time
for the confirmation of the meeting, he would just observe
that at the last meeting he had stated the reason wily the
directors had determined not to establish a terminus in
Farringdon-street ; these reason had been verified by what
had since taken place. It had been clearly shown that if
there was to be a station in the City it ought to be a central
station for all railways, and that all ought to be part in the
expense. He believed, however, that so far from
a central station in the City being a benefit to
passengers, that its effect would be highly detri-
mental to them, as it would, in.fact, load to the result of
blocking up streets that were already overcrowded; and he
trusted that the Committee that was now sitting upon the
subject would come to the decision that a central terminus
in Farringdon-street would considerably endanger the traffic
of the city ofLondon. As to their proposed connexion with
the East and West India Docks, the directors took as much
interest on that subject as they ever did, and would leave
nothing undone to accomplish so desirable an object.
The CHAIRMAN then went through all the Bills seriatim,
and obtained the assent of the proprietors to them without a
dissentient voice. As to the Bill " for making a railway
from Blisworth, ia the countyof Northampton, to Ashchurch,
in the county of Gloucester, to be called the Northompton,
Banbury, and Cheltenham Railway," it was unnecessary to
ask the assent of the proprietors to that measure, as it had
been defeated upon the standing orders.
The business of the day having been gone through, and
every Act and Bill (rendered necessary by the new standing
orders of the House of Lords and Commons) having been
approved of by the proprietors, thanks were voted to the
chairman and directors, and the meeting separate&