The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-13 00:00:00

CbtrV Mittton

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

RAILWAY COMIC ITTE ES.
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Room B.
LEXCESTER AND DEDroRD.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
Mr. Maunsell, M.P for Northamptonshire, gave evidence
in favour of the line.
Mr. Weston, mayor of Leicester, said a petition in favour
of the line had been sera up from the town council and from
a numerous and respectable meeting of the inhabitants, who,
after considering the. two modes of joining the Leicester and
Swannington Rait.way, decided for the one embodied in the
present Bill.
Other witnesses were called and examined on traffic.
The Commit tee then adjourned till eleven to-morrow.

Room C.

MANC7IESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND MID

LANDS JUNCTXON.

—-- - - -
The Committee assembled this morning, Earl Radnor in the
chair, .when
?Ir. IioPE called for the contract of the Company, and
contended that the evidence was not in accordance with its
terms.

On a revision of that document, however, the Committee
decided that there waa no discrepancy sufficient to throw out
the Bill.

Mr. Wit.osrast, who appeared for several landowners, ad-
dressed the Committee, and stated that the first six miles of
the Sheffield and Chesterfield Railway went through a dis-
trict entirety without coal, while the Sheffield and Lincoln-
shire line goes for the first eight miles through a district en-
tirely fill.ed with coal. This coal was precisely of the same
nature as the black strata of the Hunstone bed. It was
further remarkable that the beds of ironstone, the convert-
ing coal, and the black shale lay in such a series, that they
must be severally won in the reverse of the order stated, be-
fore they, could be won, so that the pleas of necessity must
fail. In conclusion, he would call upon the Committee, if
not for the sake of the shareholders, at least for the sake of
the'country, to throw out the Bill, and prevent the loss of
capital which must otherwise ensue.
Mr. Thomas Dunn, of the firm of Hounsfield and Co.,
explained the geological map, which was put in to show the
several series of the Derbyshire coal measures. He stated
that they worked the new Lit at Sheffield, the Birley pit, and
the Manor House pit. The price of the black shale coal
is 6s. Bd. a ton at the pit's mouth, and of the
converting coal 125., two tons being required to make
one ton of hard coke. The quantity raised at the Soap-
house colliery was 2,500 tons a week; and when the arrange-
ments, now in progress, were completed, the firm would be
able to raise double the quantity. Of late years the demand
for hard coke had greatly increased, and his impression
was that the Sheffield coal and coke was quite as good
as that brought from Dronfield. It is a fact, that
coal and coke are cheaper at Sheffield than in any
other manufacturing town in the kingdom. The firm had
been applied to to raise the price of coal, but they had de-
cided not to do so, believing that it was matter of great im
portance that Sheffield should be well and cheaply supplied.
Messrs. Frith and Co., who had been customarily supplied
half from the Dronfield collieries and half from
the Sheffield collieries, had applied to Brooms-
field and Co. to let them have half of all
they required, ' on t he ground that the coke from
Dronfield had decreai'eff,in value. The only coal in which
the Sheffield mines are deficient is the converting coal, and
this would be largely opened by the Sheffield and Lin-
colnshire line; that line, indeed, would open up all the series
of the Yorkshire beds to the southern districts, and his im-
pres i'o a was that if that line were made, the greater portion of
the Hunstone coal would go southward, in consequence of its
commanding a better pi ice. He disagreed with Mr. Scholetield,
for he believed that there had never been more than 500,000
tons of coal consumed in a year in Sheffield. He conceived
that the mistake arose from Mr. Scholefield having taken
the whole of the 168 steam. engines as working, like his own,
on the high pressure principle. He had assumed the
consumption of each engine at forty tons a week, whereas
the bulk of the engines in Sheffield work on the low
pressure principle, and the outside of their consumption
was taken into consideration.

Mr. T. D. Jeffcock, who was cross-examined by Mr. WILD.
MAN, stated that he estimated the deposit of the diluvial de-
posit at 90,000,000.
When cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant NEREWWATITEr: he
stated at 41,000 tons. The coal-field comprises 13,000 acres
on the Dronfield and Ilunstone line. Newbold he stated to be
twelve miles from Sheffield, and two miles from the Midland.
Mr. Rigby, the mining engineer of the Manchester and
Sheffield Railway, stated that be had great experience in the
ascertainment of coal measures, and could confirm the state-
ment already given.
Mr. Crossland, a valuer at Sheffield, stated that be had
valued the land and buildings to be taken at 121,1711. 15s.
101jd., including 268 dwelling-houses. The value of the Ton-
tine Inn, at Sheffield, he rated at 13,0001., but this did not
include the compensation for houses of 101. a year, which he
rated at the usual calculation.

Mr. John Fowler was then called by Mr. Hope, who stated
that the junction of the Sheffield and Manchester Railway
with the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line, was 16i miles, while
the junction by the proposed line would be l3i miles. By
Mr. Vignoles' statement it appeared that one in 300 had no
reference whatever to the ruling gradient. The curves, as
far as compared with the gradient, are much more severe,
being one in 20 chains. On the Midland they were much
more severe, and he had no doubt that the difference of dis-
tance (34 miles) would have no effect upon the distance.
To the CHAIRMAN, the witness replied that he took the
whole course, and he allowed for them.

To Mr. HOYE, he witness replied that he had considered
the difficulty of the arrangement between the Sheffield and
Midland, and the arrangements had been made in accordance
with the understanding into which he bad entered, and if
there were any deficiency it could be easily arranged.
Mr. HoPE wished to know whether the communication
between London was in any vi-ay provided for by that line?
The witness replied that there would be a saving of nine
miles between London and York, the Sheffield line joining
this at Retford.

To the CHAIRMAN, the witness replied that they had
entered int• arrangements with the London and York,
whereby all difficulties would be obviated. With respect
to the Leicester and Bedford there would be no doubt. With
respect to Newark, the distance by the London and York he
believed would be much the same.

,An endeavour was here made by the Committee to ascer-
tain what were the respective interests of the several lines.
Chesterfield it appeared was a small place, not extending for
three-quarters of a mile or perhaps the half of that.
An endeavour had been made to amalgamate the several
lines of the Swinton and Lincoln Company, but a disagree-
ment ensued on the terms. Taking the several stations of
the Midland Company, and that of the proposed line, he
could say that the making of one line was not more facile
than the other. But this he must say, that parties coming
from Sheffield would have to bac.l, a mile into the Chesterfield
station.
To the CHAIRMAN the witness replied, that inasmuch as
there was no first-class station within twenty-four miles,
there was no alternative, the nearest station being Brighton.
To Mr. HOPE, the witness replied that there was no objec-
tion to that line.

-- -
Mr. FOWLES had prepared a table of population between
Sheffield and Chesterfield. The witness had taken the town-
ship, including many villages a long way from the line.
The result was, that the total population was 8,612,
a considerable number of which were excluded from
the line. The population of Norton is nearly 2,000, a
great part of which is situated immediately above the long
tunnel. At Drontield the same case holds. For a great
part of the coal-tield the line is inconveniently laid out,
going through a valley and a cutting. There was a differ•
ence between last year and this year ; the one in the former
ease going on the level, and that of this year going through
cutting of from thirty to forty feet.
CTo the Earl of MCIIESTXR, the witness replied that he
deemed it at all times advisable that every advantage should
be given to the coal proprietors. They had this year sacri-
ficed especially the Drontield beds for the sake of a better
lines although a better line might be laid out.

TO Mr. Hoc's, the witness expressed his opinion that Mr.
Vignola's estimate was about correct. Ile estimated the
whole cost at 847,000/., the land and buildings at 687,000/.
The land for spoil was 149 acres, and taking all the cuttings
this was a fair estimate. Mr. Vignoles proposed to take a
retaining valley, but though restricting to space, there would
La an increase cf expense.
To the Earl of CHICHESTER, the witness replied that in
cast of Blisworth, where the upper stratum is rock and
Os lower portion clay, the cuttings were necessarily of
greater amount, and in any case the station to the tontine
of the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line was not at all likely to
be made.
Mr. Hope's examination having concluded, the Committee
adjourned till to-morrow.

Room D.

3111ASTILl7r COMM= ENLAUGZAZZINT
ADM 711LILTENSION
After hearing some evidence in 5' •of the Bill, Mr.
FaIISYTN addressed the Committee on the
endtrd Ottar.theo'k-
son, petitioner against the Bill,
terference with his property, at the new roadvAng downu.;
Whitechapel, was uncalled for, inasmuch as Brick-lane and
Charles-street afforded sufficient access to the stations of the
South-Eastern Railway.
Mr. Taylor, architect and surveyor, was called, and stated
that the injury which the petitioner complained: of would
be inflicted.
After a long conference and discussion between the counsel
for the parties, the Committee decided that the preamble of
the Bill was proved, and that they would report accordingly.
TbaCommittee then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
CALEB ONIAN EXTENSION.

This Rill having had the preamble proved on Saturday be.
fore the House of Lords' Committee :was referred this morn-
ing to the chairman of the Committees on Bills.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships met in Room 1 (House of Lords) at the
Dual hour; Lord Shaftesbury took the chair according to
Autom. •
There were nineteen Bills on the list, and of these all were
railway Bills.
ST. ALBANS, LUTON AND DUNSTABLE.
This case, which stood over from Saturday, and, indeed,
bad been part heard on a previous day, was again called on
(jjis morning, when, the proofs befogcompleted, the standing
orders were declared complied with.
HERTFIELD AND HATFIELD.
This case had also been part heard on former days. The
Committee now declared the standing orders complied with.
EAST LANCASHIR F. (DEVIATION AND BRANCHES).
The same observations apply to this case, and the result
ng R
ordersE F O R
compliedDSl I
was the same.
SSHREWSBURYANstDf E
Also an adjourned case ;and
NEWCASTLE-UPO
UNCT lON-TYNE AND CARLISLE
JN.
A similar case ; standing orders complied with.
GRAVESEND AND ROCHESTER RAILWAY AND
CANAL SALE AND PURCHASE.
Their Lordships declared the standing orders complied
/with in this case also.
2't-,',WCASTLE AND DARLINGTON (PONTOP AND
SOUTH SHIELDS PURCHASE).
A similar decision was given in this case.
SWANSEA VALE.
Iwo -Bill was opposed by the Duke of BeatiSirc but on
tearing the case their Lonishirs were of opinion that net
,one of the allegations of his Grace's petition was proved.
Petition therefore not sustained and standibg orders, so tar
Complied with.
Tile ease was adjourned in order to give time e for an
e amendment, the extra proofs necessitated by which will be
heard to-suerrow,