The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-14 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(YESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
GROUP I.

The following are the Bills composed in this group :
London and York Railway—Direct Northern Railway (London to
York)—Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway—Doncaster,
Wakefield, and Leeds Railway—Eastern Counties Railway (Lincoln
to Milford)—Eastern Counties Railways (Cambridge to Lincoln)—
Eastern Counties Railway (March and Lincoln Extension)—Cam-
bridge and Lincoln Extension, &c., Railway—Midland Railways
(Swinton and Lincoln)—Manchester and Lincoln Union Rail-
way and Chesterfield and Gainsberough Canal—Manchester,
Midland, and Great Grimsby Junction Railway—Axholme, Gains-
borough, Goole, and York and North Midland Junction Railway—
Lynn and Ely Railway (Extension to Spalding)—Wisbeach, St. Ives,
and Cambridge Junction Railway—York and North Midland Rail-
way (Widening and Enlargement)—Eastern Counties Railway
(Hertford and Huntingdon)—Sheffield and Lincolnshire Extension
Railway—Ely and Huntingdon Railway (Bedford. Etension.)
The greatest interest was manifested in the proceedings by the
crowds of persons surrounding the avenues to the Committee-room.
Soon after eleven o'clock, the Committee, which was farmed of the
following noblemen, took their seats :—The Earl of Lovelace (chair-
man), Viscount Vivian, the Earl of Bandon, the Marquis of Camden,
and Lord Morley.
The following Counsel appeared for the

DIRECT NORTHERIT.

Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., Mr. Webster, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Laing ; for the

EASTERN COUNTIES,

Mr. Austen, Q.C., Mr. Talbot, Q.C., Mr. Hildyard, Q.C., Mr. Sergeant
Jones, and Mr. Hope ; for the

LONDON AND YORK,

Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, Mr. Paget, Mr. Sergeant Kinglake, Mr.
Adams, and Mr. Dennison.
Upon our entering the room, we were most disagreeably surprised
to find that not the slightest accommodation was provided for the
press. This, however, was very soon remedied, for after
an application to the Noble Chairman, a communication
was made to James Pulman, Esq., Deputy Usher of the Black Rod,
who most promptly and courteously remedied the momentary in-
convenience we were subjected to, and for which we tender him our
most grateful acknowledgement of the favour conferred upon us, for
without such kindness we should net have been able to hear one
word of the arguments in the most interesting of all the railway
inquiries of this or any other session of Parliament.
The several petitions for and against the various schemes com-
prised In the group having been put in,
Mr. 11ILDTARD, Q.C., rose to address the Committee on behalf of
the

MIDLAND YORK, AND NORTH-MIDLAND ENLARGEMET.
The Learned Counsel said he appeared for this line of railway, the
necessity for which was so great that he might confidently state to
their Lordships it would be nude whether or net the Landon and
York Railway passed. It was to be a line of 14 miles in length, and
was clearly for the enlargement and convenience of an existing line,
and therefore perfectly independent of any rival line.

➢ir. Sergeant Wasiomut would object to the course adopted by his
Learned Friena. It was clearly a competing line, and the London
and York line had precedence before their Lordships.
The Noble CHAIRMAN intimated the readiness of the Committee to
hear the case for the

LONDON AND YORK.
Mr. Sergeant WRANORAM, in opening the case for the London and
York, begged their Lordships not to weigh the importance of this
matter by any speech which he would make on the present occasion.
But to judge of the facts which would be brought before them in
evidence. He need not remind their Lordships of the great advance-
ment that had lately been made in the railway world. The present
Circuitous route to York had forced the present line upon the public,
and the great increase of traffic had also rendered such a company
imperatively necessary. A short time since a project was set on foot
to obtain a direct communication between London and York, and the
result of this proposition was the trunk line from London to
York now under their Lordships' consideration. He would remind
their Lordships of the course of the proposed railway. It went as
near as possible to the whole line of the old north road, and goes
close by those towns which had risen on its side. It keeps to this
course as far as Peterborough, and there takes a turn through the
fertile districts of Lincoln. From thence the mighty line proceeds
through the manufacturing districts, and at York effects a junction
with the great lines of the North of England, and forming a direct
means of communication with Scotland itself. It was the object of
the promoters to give that access not only by a direct route, but by
a route entirely under one management. A second great object of
the promoters was to give a railway communication through the rich
and fertile districts of Lincoln, which is at present altogether unpro-
vided for. It is, without comparison, the most fertile district of
England. Its markets are London, the South of England, and all the
manufacturing districts in the north. This project bad been carried
out by means of that portion of the line called the "Loop." It was
not only their objeet to connect the markets for the disposal of their
produce, but also to receive supplies from thence. The West Riding of
Yorkshire is not only amanufacturing country, but also a la r
grn
mineral
field, whence the inhabitants of England, south of that port,e
derive an unlimited supply of coals. The loop to which referred,
by passing along the banks of the River Witham, placed them in
direct communication with all parts of the North of England. The
arrangement for the purchase of the River Witham Navigation bad
received the sanction of the Standing Orders' Committee. With re-
ference tothe district through which the line traversed,
lineaver sed, itw
most fertile nature, and would lie betweentraversedas be f
y thet
h the
the
Eastern Countiei line, and its branches, and
theLondonand
Birm-
ingham and Midland branches. The district
belonging to this 8
rail-
way, and totally unprovided for, contains
souls. The area of the drstrict4,436 sq
aarpopmllula
s
purely agricultuo es,population orn o2f. 729,000
39ral one. The total
acres. This county was a
annual imports into this district of coals, manufactured goods, and
groceries, amounted to 3,800,0001., and the exports of agri-
cultural produce amounts
,6,700,0001., making a total in round
numbers, 10,500,000/. .
to
theprsent cost of conveyance of these
articles amounts to the largersbume
porifele,lo9fo,toboio.l.
carry
rrany
wnuomold.
construction of this railwayofo
6 8,000/. per annum. The present charge
saving to this districte elgectthas
wastii
s4rOaio .100,r0a/y.,fowrhligiBe,ooth
be same
otni
our
abegra
saving
fngpas-
sengers
are carriedby
toge oods and passeners of 820,0001. It wo
ther in
the
items
of
g of the Committee by =time-
not be worth while to waste the e