The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-04 00:00:00

S

JULY 4, 1846,

Mr. B. BALDWIN briefly supported the motion.
Mr. ARMSTRONG thought the line under con-
sideration objectionable, as a means of communica-
tion with the West of Ireland. The proper route for
Galway was by Muflinger. He should as soon
think of going to Bristol by way of Southampton,
as go from Dublin to Galway by the route of Mußinger.
Ireland should be supplied by three great trunk lines—
to the north by Belfast, to the south by Kilkenny, and
to the west by Mu'linger.
Mr. ROSS said he would say a few words on the pe-
tition presented that evening against the reconamital of
the Bill. lie was informed that the promoters of the
Dublin and Galway Railway would not make the line
on their own responsibility, for the shareholders had
held a meeting, and agreed not to go on with the Bill,
unless it was leased to another company.
Mr. BLAKE opposed the re-committal of the Bill, on
the ground that the town of Athlone would not support
two railweye.
Mr. MOFFATT was also of opinion that the decision
of the Committee ought to be supported as it was quite
carried out by the evidence.
Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE said, that in consequence
of one or two observations which had fallen from the
Hon. Member for Roscommon, some answer was required
from What were the reasons which the lion.
Member for Rosoommon adduced for the recommittal
of the Bill P The first ground of complaint
Wes theft he (Mr. Duncombe) 'as chairman of the
Committee, did not turn a Parliamentary agent out
of the room for giving his counsel the lie.
What was it that the Honourable Member for Roscom-
mon (Mr. F. French) proposed ? Why, that the
Bill should be re=committed, but that it should
not be sent back to the same committee, What
was this but saying that it should ho sent back
to some other Committee, whose decision was to over-
,throw the decision of a Committee properly constituted;
and this he believed to he so contrary to the usage of
the HOW that it was not at all likely to be adopted.
The lionoureble Member for Dundalk had stated that
he should have been satisfied if the Committee had
passed both lines, and that good feeling would
thereby have been secured ; but in reply to
this, he (Mir, T. Puncatube was b°und to assert
that j@ had never in the whole course of his
life seen such bad feeling and so much jealousy as had
been exhibited by both parties in this Committee. It
should be recollected that this line had last session
been thrown Rat t y the Lords. The same bad
occurred with regard to the Portarlingtee line, as
well also in the case of the Mullingar andGalway line.
The Cashel line, it was notorioue, was to be sold to this
Company, and h@ thought, therefore, that, taking all the
circumstabves into consideration, there was every reason
for the decision at which the Committee had arrived.
Then the Irish Great Western, by art agreement, was to
cease to exist if they obtained tits Act, as they had en-
tered into an agreement to sell it to the Cashel
Company, What guarantee had the public
that this line would be made to Galway ?
He maintained, therefore, that the Mullingar
Company ought not to be entrusted with the construc-
tion of this line of railway. Then it was necessary three-
fifths of the shareholders of the Cashel Company
should be in favour of carrying out this
bargain, but the evidence adduced before the Carammittee
was to the effect that that Company would not con-
sent to such an agreement, The petitions, too,
presented from parties holding shares in the Company,
were to the same effeet. What operated on the minds
of the (3OUltnittee was, that the Cashel Company were
not the parties to make this railway. Sir John Bur-
goyne, whose official position rendered him an impartial
witness, was also of the same opinion, and considered
that there ought to be three main branch lines—one
radiating from Dublin down to Cashel and the
southern part of Ireland—the other going west
by Mullingar, through Athlone to Galway, and
the other from Dublin to Belfast. The Hon.
Member here produced a large map of Ireland,
in which the country was divided into three large
divisions coloured separately, red, yellow, and blue.
The portion coloured red, which occupied nearly
the half of the map, was that which the lions
(imble Member said the Great Western
Company modestly claimed for themselves.
Another map was also produced, showing the decision of
the Committee, marked la a similar manner, but show-
ing that the portion coloured red was more equally
divided with the other districts.—(Considerable laughter
was caused by the Hon. Member exhibiting these maps.)
Mr. F. FRENCH repudiated the maps in question.
Mr. SHAW thought there was no sufficient reason
shown for the re-committal of the Bill.

Strangers were ordered to withdraw.
The lioise then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it
Majority against it — 112
NEW WRITS.

On the motion of Lord MARCUS HILL, new writs
were ordered to be issued for the following places :

PLYMOUTH.

In the room of Lord EBRINGTON, appointed a
Lord of the Treasury.

LEITII DISTRICT OF BURGHS.
In the room of Mr. A. RUTHERFORD, appointed
Lord Advocate of Scotland.
KIRCUDBRIGIIT.

In the room of Mr. T. MAITLAND, appointed Soli-
citor-General for Scotland.

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY (GREENWICH
RAILWAY TO CHILHAM, NEAR CANTER-
BURY, WITH BRANCHES TO SHEERNESS
AND FAVERSHAM CREEK).
On the motion for the consideration of the report on
this Bill,

Mr. FREWEN moved that the report be considered
that day six months, as the railway when made would
not accommodate the northern districts of Kent.
Mr. HUME thought that the various proposed lines
through the district had not been fairly brought before
the Committee, and he should certainly support the
amendment.

Mr. PLUMPTRE was of opinion that the proposed
railway would fully satisfy the wishes of the inhabitants
of North Kent. The merits of the Bill had been fairly
discussed before the Committee, and he should support
the original motion.
After a few words from Mr. PROTHEROE,

Mr. FREWEN consented to withdraw his amend-
ment, and the report was tonsidered and agreed to, and
the Bill ordered to be engrossed.

MESSAGE FkOM THE LORDS.

Messengers from the Lords announced that their
Lordships had agreed to several Bills. (See Lords' re-
port.)
11-. CARDWELL moved that the House at its rising
do adjourn until Monday next.
The motion was then put and carried.
ORDERS OF THE DAY.

On the motion of Lord LINCOLN,
The orders of the day were then postponed until Mon-
day next.
The House then adjourned at a Quarter to Eight.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(YESTERDAY)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Room A.

SCOTTISH CENTRAL (PERTH TERMINI).
A Select Committee on this Bill met at eleven this morn-
ing, in Room A (New Houses of Parliament); Lord Lons-
dale in the chair.

The Bill was unopposed, and after the examination of a
few witnesses pro forma, the preamble was declared proved.
The Committee, after reading and adjusting the clauses,
rose before twelve o'clock.

GROUP C.
TurNG AND BANBURY.

This Bill having been recommitted on the motion of the
Duke of Buckingham, several members of the Committee as-
sembled this morning, but two of the Peers being absent, a
quorum could not be formed, and an adjournment took place
until Wednesday next.

GROUP D.
AXHOLME, GAINSEOROUGH, GOOLE,
YORK, AND NORTH MIDLAND.

The Committee assembled this morning, Lord Somers in
the chair.

Mr .Gambles, a merchant of Lincoln, was called, 'and
devised chiefly to the amount of produce grown upon
the course of the line. He said that the distance between
Gainsborough and Hull was about 62 miles, of which as
much as 20 miles of ground, occupying a space of five
miles on each side of the course of the line, were occupied in
the growth of potatoes and other similar produce. He be-
lieved the produce of flax was not less than 70,000 stones,
and as many as from 120,000 to 150,000 tons of potatoes are
grown in and exported from that district.
Rev. Charles Dundas, rector of Epworth, stated that
the roads in the neighbourhood were exceedingly bad, that
there was only one public conveyance—that is, a coach on
market days—to.Doncaster, which is seventeen miles, and toe-
cupies four hours. There is also a coach to Gainsborough. The
Isle of Axholme contains 50,000 acres, of which 400 are
potatoes ; and he believed that the produce would not go by
the London and York line, but by water. The cost of the
carriage by that route was 9s. a ton.
Mr. Hutton, a magistrate of Lincolnshire, residing near
West Butterwick, deposed generally to the great incon-
venience from going by the present means of conveyance.
He had himself been as much as an hour-and-a-half in
crossing the Humber from New Holland to Hull, the two
places being nearly opposite to each other.
Mr. John Wills, a farmer of Armine, near Goole, stated that
there were about 20,000 acres of land in this district likely
to be accommodated by the railway, of which about 5,000
acres are devoted to the growth of potatoes, and that 27,000
tons of potatoes are annually sent to London, and 13,000 a
year to Leeds. The time occupied in the voyage to London
varies from two days to five weeks, according to the season
and the state of the navigation. The quantity sent to Lon-
don from the neighbourhood is certainly equal to 1,000 tons a
week, and thought he should soon save ss, a ton in the car-
riage if the railway were made,
Mr. Hinde, a farmer at Crowle, who occupies about 500
acTes of ground, stated that in the district of the line from
Crowle to Belton there were 15,880 acres, of which 950 acres
are in tato culture.
Mr. Marshall, a farmer of Epworth, stated that the gross
amount of live stock, wool, and other agricultural produce, is
23,171 tons, and by the Knottingley lino they now cost

14s. 6d. a ton to London. The general produce is about
8,000 tons of potatoes, and from 84 to 5 acres of oats, 6
quarters, and of beans 5 quarters.
Mr. P. S. Johnston, of Belwood House, near Epworth,
spoke generally as to the benefit to be derived from the new
line.

Mr. E. J. Atkinson, of Epworth, a landowner, stated that
the whole amount of land occupied as a drained district by
the line will be 100.530 acres, and that the total exports and
imports are 202,463 tons, and the exports for the Isle of
Axholine are 56,581 tons, warp land, of which the isle
chiefly consists, being from 30s. to 51. an acre. The coals
consumed are 24,680 tons per annum.
On cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant IVRANGHA3f, the
witness stated the average of the island was about 50,000
acres, which produced about 39,128 tons of exportable mat-
ter. 4,966 of the acres of the isle are under potatoes. The
imports and exports of the isle are about 86,971 tons, and
of marsh land 87,285 tons, of which the exports are 46,800
tons.

The object of the Learned Sergeant was to show that no
part of the produce from the Nottinghamshire district could
possibly come upon this line; but it was not elicited at this
stage.

The Committee then adjourned till MondAy next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP XXXVIII. .

--
LEEDS, WAKEFIELD, AND MIDLAND
JUNCTION.
Mr. Swannich, the engineer to this line, -was examined. The
principal part to which the evidence was confined was the
junction proposed to be effected wilb the Manchester and
Leeds Railway. At this point of junction the gradient was
lin 75, and the curve 3 furlongs. He did not think there
would be any difficulty whatever in working the line with
perfect safety, and so as to afford accommodation to the
traffic OR the line.
_ _

Mr. Leather corroborated the evidence of Mr. Swannich.
There was a difference in favour of this line over that of the
opponents equal in tractive power to 314 miles of horizontal
distance. He had adopted Mr. G. Stephenson's estimate,
that 24 feet perpendicular required the same power to over-
come as •ne mile of horizontal length. He had taken the
sum of the summits upon both lines, and comparing them
together he had found this difference.

GROUP XLII.
The Committee on this group re-assembled to-day at two
o'clock, and went seriatim through the clauses of the
LIITIMPOOL AND (EXTENSION AND
BRANCHES)
the preamble of which had been proved, and then separated.

GROUP XLVIII.
THE TAPP VALE.

The Committee met this day at twelve o'clock, Mr. Aldam,
chairman.

Mr. H. HILL addressed the Committee for a Mr. Vaughan,
a landowner, whose property would be affected by the Bill.
At the conclusion of the Learned Counsel's address, the
room was ordered to be cleared.

%% hen the parties were called in,
The CHAIRMAN said. that the Committee would postpone
giving their decision on the preamble of the Bill till Monday
next.

GROUP LIII.
This Committee resumed at twelve o'clock this morning,
in Room 26, New Houses of Parliament ; present, the Hon.
E. Lascelles (in the chair), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey,
Captain Dalrymple, and Mr. R. Clayton.
SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM.
The clauses of this Bill (as amended) were gone through
and passed, and the report agreed to.
BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND
DUDLEY.
The Committee then went through the clauses of this
Bill (as amended), all of which were agreed to, as well as the
report.

DERBYSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE, AND
WORCESTER JUNCTION.
This case was resumed by Sir John Rennie, engineer-in-
chief to the line, being called to substantiate the evidence
given yesterday by his coadjutor, Mr. Remington.
It being intimated to the Committee, at the conclusion of
Sir John Rennie's evidence, that all opposition had been
withdrawn, they decided that no further evidence was ne-
cessary.
The preamble was then declared to be proved, the clauses
gone through and passed, and the report agreed to.
SHREWSBURY, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE JUNCTION.
The clauses of this Bill were then gone through and agreed
to, as well as the report.
This brought the Committee's labours to a close, and they
accordingly dissolved.