The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-02 00:00:00

GROUP XXV.

The Select Committee appTnte;i to consh'er the merits of the Bills
comprised in this group, re-assembled at the usual hour this morning
in the Westminster sessions-house. Mr. Monekton Milnes, Vice-Pre.
sident of the Committee; in the chair.
STOUR, VALLEY.

Before the merits of this IMe, which stood next and last of the line,
was gone into, an incidental discussion arose as to the right Of Mr.
Sergeant Wraugham to appear in opposition to the Bill, as the repre-
sentative of the Chelmsford and Bury line.
Mr. AUSTIN contended that the stour Valley line, which ran from
a Pont' on the Eastern Counties Railw.,y near to Co!chester, to Sud-
bury, could in no way be cor:sidered in the tight of a a omparatve line
with the Chelmsford and Bury, which ran from k:helins,ord through
,udbury to Bury St. Edmunds : while, on the other hand,
Mr. sergeant WiteNcitAss urged ;bat the two lines would compete
for the direct through traffic between the metropolis and Sudbury,
and Bury St. Edmund's ; and he hal, therefore, a right to appear.
The Chelmsford a, d Bury Bill, which was now beton, a
Standing Orders Committee had been grouped with the Norwich
line, but that fact did not prove that it did not compete with the
Stour Valley line.
Mr. AUSTIN called the attention of the Committee to the fact that
the promoters of the Chelmsford and Bury Bill had not petitioned
agains the preamble of the Stour Valley BM, and this was an addi-
tional ground why they ought to be heard. The question of compet-
ing lines had nothing to do with the matter. Parliament now con-
sidered no such thing as competition. Lines were looked at now, not
in a competing point of view, but a comparative, and where two
lines were projected for serving the same district of country, Par-
liament decided upon the two without reference at all to the matter
of competition. Now these two lines did not serve the sam district
of country, and again he said his Learned f riend had no right to be
heard. . .

The Committee decided that the promoters of the Chelmsford and
Bury line could not be heard.
Mr. MuLLoa then stated the case for the Stour Valley Company.
It was to connect Colchester with its port, by means of the branch
called the Ilythe line. It then passed along the Eastern Counties
line for some distance, and branched off down the valley of the
Stour, and terminating in a fork, one prong at Halstead and the
other at Sudbury. The length of the line was nineteen miles and a
half, and the estimated cost 250,000/. At present the carriage of
coals between these places was 7s. per ton. The proposed line would
reduce it to 3s. or 2s. Gd.
Evidence of a general character was then adduced to prove the
extent of traffio in coals, iron, timber, agricultural produce and ma-
terials, goods aid merchandise, at present existing between the port
of Colchester, and Ilalstead, and Sudbury. It was proved that
the carriage of coal at present cost from 7s. to 10s. per ton,
while the carriage of other articles were equally expensive. Exports
of flour and wheat we're large, and the imports of coal, ttnber, and
agricultural materials no less extensive. One witness stated that
there were large flour mills in the valley of the Stour, which would
be greatly accommodated by the proposed railway.
The Committee stopped the pr gress of this evidence, declaring that
they were convinced the district afforded sufficient traffic to justify
the construction of a railway.
The Committee adjourned t'll to-morrow at twelve o'clock.