The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-14 00:00:00

SUNDAY TRADING.

Mr. HINDLEY moved the first reading of the Bill to
amend the laws relative to Sunday Trading.
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY said he would not op-
pose the first reading of the Bill, providzd the Hon.
Gentleman would not press it further during the present
session.

Mr. HINDLEY consented to the arrangement.

Captain PECHELL withdrew his motion for a copy
of a report presented to the Board of Trade, relating to
the state of the law affecting Wreck and Salvage, and
the practices relating to the same, in different parts of
the kingdom..
The House then adjourned at Seven o'clock.

HA ILWA Y COMMITTEES.

(I ESTERDAY)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Room B.
BATTLE OF THE GAUGES.
Ibis Committee commenced its sittings this morning at
eleven u'cicck. The Noble Lords who constitute this Com-
mittee are—Lord Scarborough (chairman), Lord Calthorpe,
Lord Churchill, Lord Forester, Lord Silchester, commonly
known as Lord Longford.
The schemes referred to the consideration of their Lord-
ships are—
Grand Junction Railway, Showhill and Portobello Branch,
and the Taff Vale Railway upon re-commitment.
Their Lordships decided upon proceeding first with the
GRAND a-uracTiora RAILWAY, (sHowlixr.,L
AND P0RT013.11X.7.0 33LANC K).
Mr. TALBOT, Q.C., opened the case on behalf of the pro-
moters of the Bill. The object of the proposed line was to
construct a branch, on the narrow gauge, from the Grand
Junction line, of about three miles in length, to afford the
means of a better communication with the town of Wolver-
hampton, and also to give to that town the benefit of a com-
munication with the South Staffordshire Railway. His
Learned Friend Mr. Austin appeared for the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway. The object
of his opposition was to prevent the construction
of this narrow gauge branch, and thereby to shut out
the Grand Junction line from the central station at
Wolverhampton. The Learned Counsel appeared on the
part of the promoters of the line to give the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Railway access to the central
station at Wolverhampton, or to refer the question to the
arbitration of the Board of Trade, as to whether the line
should be laid out between Showhill and Portobello in such
a manner as to accommodate both gauges.
Mr. Locke, C.E., engineer to the line, was then called and
examined by Mr. Hopi.—ln examination he stated that
there would be no station at Showhill, the point of junction
on the Grand Junction line, and there would not,
therefore, be any accommodation for the traffic of the Ox-
ford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line, supposing such
traffic to be carried in that direction through Wolverhamp-
ton. The station at Wolverhampton was laid out with a view
of giving accommodation to five different companies, and he
considered that these five companies on the narrow gauge
would be sufficiently complex without having the additional
difficulty to contend with of laying down a line upon the
broad gauge.
Mr. Jordan, chairman of the South Staffordshire line, was
the next witness called, who stated that he considered
the proposed branch would be of great public importance.
The central station at Wolverhampton was purchased by the
South Staffordshire line; subsequently the four other Com-
panies alluded to by Mr. Locke, including the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Railway, were allowed to run
into the station, and it was only till lat ly that he had heard
of the proposition of the Broad Gauge Company to extend
their line to Showhill.
Mr. Lane, C.E., engineer of the South Staffordshire line,
gave evidence of a similar nature.
Mr. Swift, solicitor to the Grand Junction Railway, was
examined by Mr. HOPE on the subject of an agreement made
between the Grand Junction Company and the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Company, by the terms of which
the Broad Gauge Company bound themselves not to go be-
yond the central station at Wolverhampton towards the
north.

This concluded the case on behalf of the promoters of the
Bill.

Mr. AUSTIN, Q.C., then addressed the Committee in oppo-
sition to the Bill, and contended that if this branch were
made it should be made in such a manner as to afford
the greatest possible convenience to the public, with a due
regard to the proprietors of the Oxford, Worcester,
and Wolverhampton Railway, and also in such a
manner as to avoid the proposed level - crossing
over the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Railway near the central station, which would be used by
the different companies referred to by Mr. Locke and the
other witnesses c, lied by his Learned Friend in support of their
case. The Learned Counsel, concluded his address by
calling the attention of their Lordships to three clauses which
he proposed to insert in the Bill, making it compulsory upon
the promoters of the line to afford suitable accommodation
between Wolverhampton and Showhill for the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Railway.
The Learned Counsel then called
Mr. W. Mathews, director of the South Staffordshire and
ether railways, who stated that in consequence of the late ar-
rangements which had been come to by the Grand Junction
Railway with the London and Birmingham Railway,
and their fusion into the Great North-Western scheme,
the directors of the South Staffordshire line had
thought it inexpedient to leave this branch entirely
in the hands of the Grand Junction Railway. The
witness also went at considerable length into
the details of the disagreement which had taken
place between the various companies in consequence of this
amalgamation of interests.
In the course of the witness's examination by Mr.
HOPE, he admitted that he could net say what interest the
Grand Junction Company could have in carrying the traffic
away from Wolverhampton, rather than through the central
station of that town.
Mr. Brunel, C.E., engineer to the Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton Railway, was then examined, and stated
that he had always thought that the line up to
Showhill was to be used by the broad gauge line as
well as the narrow gauge line; and be had stated his
opinion to that effect to the directors of the Oxford, Wor
tester, and Wolverhampton Railway, when spoken to by
them upon the subject. If the broad gauge trains were
allowed to run on this line in continuation with the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton, they would then be able to
compete upon fair grounds with the Grand Junction and
other existing companies.
Lord CHURCHILL said that the real difficulty which he
thought the Committee had to deal with was the question of
the level crossing proposed to be made by this railway near
the station at Wolverhampton.
Mr. HOPE said that he did not think any difficulty existed
upon that point, as the crossing being so close to the station,
the trains would consequently be in a state of quietus.
Lord CHURCHILL said that unless the parties could come
to some arrangement between themselves he was afraid that
the Committee would be compelled to refuse their sanction to
the line, upon the ground of this level crossing; and further
intimated their opinion that evidence upon this point was
desirable.
Mr. HOPE then called Mr. Brunel,
_who said that the line
would cross the line of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Railway in a very injurious manner, as it would
interfere with the various forks and switches belonging to
the station.
Mr. HOPE then proceeded to address their Lordships, but
was interrupted by
Lord CHURCHILL, who stated that the Committee had made
up their minds on the subject, and the only question which
they wished to hear the Learned Counsel on was the level
crossings, and he thought the better course would be for the
parties to come to some arrangement.
A clause was then submitted, on the part of the promoters,
by Mr. HOPE, regulating the number of trains which should
pass through Wolverhampton from the Grand Junction
Railway, or submitting the same to the decision of the Board
of Trade.
Mr. AUSTIN. Q.C., could not accept of it, and would come
to no terms whatever upon such grounds.
Mr. HOPE said that he would take the opinion of the Com-
mittee, as to the level crossings, and proceeded accordingly
to address the Committee upon this point, and contended
that no danger could possibly arise from this level crossing,
because it was near to the station, at which point the trains
would be comparatively quiet. Level crossings were not at
all unusual; upon the London and York Railway there were
several of them, and with the slightest care and diligence
on the part of the officials of the Company, no difficulty or
danger could possibly arise.
The room was then ordered to be cleared; upon our re-
admission,
The CHAIRMAN announced that the Cm
ready to pass the. Bill, if the clauses postponed
oppo-
nents were inserted in it, and
he hoped the parties wog 1
intimation he Learned
of
Counsel
come to some arrangement.
oittebeywtehree quite
Mr. HOPE said, that with such clauses he could not accept
the
the Committee that he should confine his remarks exclusively
to the question of the level crossings, he had purposely ab-
stained from going into the subject of these clauses. They
the Bill,
alsoa n d
stated,
t at. mouds, t t
h thereforea
that
io withdrawconsequence
f it. The
part of the pro.
were money clauses, and could not be entertained by their
Lordships.
The parties having deliberated for some time,
Mr. HOPE stated that the difference between the parties
fitomtahemßoinlienhte tmhiuns
was so great, that he did not think they could prepare any
clause at all likely to give satisfaction to the parties, and as
thing:
boefgrelecaeviveintog
to the proposed clauses he must say, on the
them. If their Lordships, therefore, were of opinion that
such clauses t
werebe necessarycould
n
withdraw it.
The Bill was accordingly withdrawn.
The result of the contest, therefore, is similar to
celebrated battle of the Kilkenny cats, for neither the broad
nor the narrow gauge remain in possession of the field, and
and it may be said that the conduct of the promoters in the
fight has been similar to that pursued by parties who, in
order to prevent their treasures falling into the grasp of the
enemy, deliberately set fue to o; otherwise destroy them.