The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-21 00:00:00

but the steamers went, twice a-week, in about forty- '
eight hours. He could not say the exact quantity of
foreign wool brought into Hawick, nor the amount of
timber or other building ma' erials brought from Annan.
He could not say the exact amount of coal consumed at Hawick.
He got the whole that he consumed from Canobie, because it was of
better quality than the coals down the Tweed. At one time consi-
derable supplies were got from the latter quarter. He did not know
much of the examination of last year, but he believed that some
expectation of a supply was held out from the Lothians by the Edin-
burgh line.
Re-examined—He believed that Carlisle was about the same dis-
tance from London as Newcastle.
The Earl of Mints, examined by Sergeant Itxmasts, gave general
evidence that he thought the railway in question of the utmost im-
portance to the district in giving an outlet to the southward. It was
a prosperous and important district, and ought to have a communi-
cation to the south by railway. His estates did not lie on the pre-
sent line, but on the northern part, sanctioned toEdinburgh•
Cross-examined. —He had not c msidered whether these schemes of
railway through the south of Scotland were compatible. He had not
gone into the question. He knew, however, of no consideration that
should or erate to deprive the district in question of the natural
outlet to its traffic.
Mr. Witham Nixon, wool spinner, of liawick, gave similar evidence
as Mr. Lang regarding the trade of the town and district. The ton-
nage of the slates derived from Annan last year was about GOO tons.
The general merchandise to an from 11 awick, in 1845, was 7,000
tons. He was glad' last year 'at the railway to Edinburgh being
granted, in order to get coals from the Lothians, but he considered
they would be better supplied from Canobie.
Cross-examined—He thought a line to the south was highly desir-
able. He had no hesitation, however, in saying that in comparing
two lines, one to the north and another to the south, he should de-
cidedly prefer the one to the north. He said so last year, and he said
so now. He sent about the one-half of what he spun southward,
thoEudihni
but he did not think the others in the trade sent so much. He could
not exactly state the tonnage of what he sent. There was no doubt
t
greaterlas gporwo p,ovretiroenthoef thepri goods
ncipal dwe
se
tni
nt northwards.ation s. ie
Edin-
burgh the
gliandr
goods going southwards would go by railway in preference thought
goods to steam-
boats, as the risk was not so great.

Mr. James Syme, a manutacturer of Galashiels, examined by
Mr. Taman—ln witness's recollection the town of Galashiels had
increased from 700 inhabitants to about 5,000. The goods manu-
factured in that town was beyond a quarter of a million. It was also
the centre of an important agricultural district. A great deal of the
goods went south ; nearly all his went to London, but Leith was not
the most desirable route. The Edinburgh line did not, in his opi-
nion, supersede the necessity for one to the south. He thought the
best route to the south should be through Carlisle. The goods made
at Galashiels were of a high priced character. At present the coals
used were entirely from Mid Lothian, but he thought it desirable for
the sake of competition to open up the Canobei-field to them.
Cross-examined—Glasgow was the great market for the goods
manufactured at Galashiels. A greater proportion of goods went to
Glasgow than to the south. He had not calculated the difference,
either in time or distance, between Galashiels and London, by way of
Berwick or Leith, and the route through Carlisle. There would be
communication by railway with Edinburgh and Berwick, but, when
that was completed, he could not say what the expense would be in
those directions, and thence by steam to Loudon, compared with the
railway to the south. He could not speak as to the quantity of goods
consumed annually in Galashiels. He could not say what the con-
sumption of coals was at Galashiels.
Mr. Locke, of Regent-street, London, deposed that he carried on a
large trade in Scotch goods, a great portion of which came from Ga-
lashiels and ilawick. He considered it of the greatest importance to
get the fancy goods as soon as possible into the market. He thought
this would be facilitated In a great degree by a continuous line of
railway.
Cross-examined.—There was no other one in London so extensive
in this Scotch line as himself. He dealt principally in fancy goods.
Supposing the railway completed from Galashiels and Hawick to
Leith, the present delays would be much reduced. The delay even
then would be injurious to the trade, on account of the
time taken by the steamers. The fancy trade was greater at
Galashiels, and Selkirk, than at Hawick. If the railway communi-
cation to Berwick, and from thence to London, was completed, the
delay in point of time would in a great measure be put an end to.
_ _

Mr. Turnbull, miller of Melrose, examined—He carried on an ex-
tensive trade in grain and flour, a great portion of which went into
Dumfriesshire and Cumberland. A good deal of barley went for
the purposes of distilling at Longholm and other parts in that
direction. His annual export business in tons was in 1841,
1,181 tons; and in 1844, 1,080 tons. He believed the amount
of grain and meal that, went past Moss Paul, a point between
Hawick and Langholra, was 3,325. A good deal of grain
likewise went by Liddesdale to the south. The present expense of
grain from Hayrick to Langhoim was about Bs. a ton.
Cross-examined--About one-third of the grain of Roxburghshire
went westward, one-third to Dalkeith, and the remainder eastward.
He knew nothing about the Dalkeith market. Kelso was the great
market for the county. As the greater portion of his own trade
went to Dumfriesshire—he was strongly interested in the present
railway. He could not say what proportion of grain the other millers
in the district sent towards Dumfriesshire.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.