The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-17 00:00:00

DECISION.

The CHAIRMAN intimated that it was the opinion of the Committee
that the preamble of the Bill had been proved.

',The Committee then adjourned until to-morrow.

GROUP XL 11.
LIVERPOOL AND BURY.

The Committee met at twelve o'clock, and after remaining nearly
the whole day with closed doors, on a point of no public import-
ance, adjourned until twelve o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP XLVI.
This Committee re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock ; present
Zr. 3 Brarnstone (chairman), and the other members.
,IIIIII7C.ASTME-UP ozr-Ty2cE, EDINBURGH,
AND GLASGOW DIRECT JUNCTION.
Mr. Stephenson was examined and bore testimony to the merits of
this line.
se Mr.
Mr. Wnmesmarr then addressed the Committee, and Mr. KNOWLES
d.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

GROUP XVIII.
SWANSEA vaxam.
Trie Committee on this group, which comm.,. the
the Shrewsbury and Hereford, and the Xeati, valley lines, Vale,
when after the preliminary arrangements to-day
at one o'clock,
lug who appeared for the several petitioners against the line, who
Are numerous, the Committee decided upon taking the Swans". Vale
Railway first.
proof of compliance, with Mr. Duncombe's resolutions,
The formal
as well as the general standing orders of the House was adduced,
when
Mr. F. Bosesow, who appeared for the promlwoters,asntdatieocri tthhaet thisfine was projected as an extension mineral railway,
pur-
pose of giving accommodation to the vale of Swansea, h is
side quite
isolated, there being hills of from 500 to 1,000 feet higheitheraywonhic
map, showing the geological features of the country was
.ndeed It
exhibited, on
which it appeared that the bed of coal about Swansea, as i
always Is, is deposited in a basin of limestone. Limestone is neces-
sary in the manufacture of iron ; and by breaking through the edge
of the Swansea basin, a great advantage would be obtained in provid-
ing this article. The line has been twice surveyed before, but in conse-
quence of some works for the improvement of the port being In progress,
the line could hot be commenced until 1844, when It was seriously
adopted. The main line is sixteen miles long, and evidence was
adduced to show the particular features of It, but an opposition was
offerred by the Swansea Canal Company.
aplr. Brain, 'one of the witnesses, stated that during the severe
Weather in the winter of the year before last, the canal had
been kept open by the Iron and coalmasters at their own
expense, they employing upwards of a hundred men constantly
In breaking the Ice. The witness believed that the slow-
ness of the canal transit was prejudicial in the necessity which
It induced for keeping large stocks of iron and coal at Swansea ;
And he conceived that coal was Ware,' by being kept long in such
stocks, though he could not state an instance. The termi-
nus, as at present projected, would be at the top of
the valley, and around it there would be a scattered population,
at the base of a mountain with a valley winding round it. It ordi-
narily occupies sixteen or seventeen hours in carrying down a cargo
of coal or iron, there being 24 locks between the works of the wit-
ness and the canal basin.

On re-examination the witness stated that his boats, horses, and
men were absent two days every voyage, while the journey
by :railway would be performed in an hour and a half
at the most. He saw no objection to the making of wharfs
about the terminus, and the doing so would have the ad-
mastage of cheapening the wharf accommodation at Swansea, for his
own part, of which he paid 1101. yearly. He conceived that the coal
Iwo better on the eastern side of the Towel than that on the western
slide, but the ground was not so favourable, and the means of corn-
b2miltation are bad. _

TO the Chairman of one of the Committees the witness stated that
the Wary sustained by coals, through the various means of tranship-
ment, w:ts much greater than that by ratirsad, and that during the
prevalence Of long dry weather, the coal-Owners were obliged to re-
duce their Weight by one-seventh or eighth.
Mr. Barber, principal mine agent for Sir Charles Morgan, who has
much property in Glamorganshire and Caermartbenshire, stated the
circumstances of the principle feeding branch, and that the tolls to
be taken upon the Monmouthshire Railway do not exceed M. for
coals and 114 d. per ton for iron ; the usual expectations of the in-
crease of traffic are quite likely to be fulfilled, and that this line is
likely to become a very valuable link in forming a trunk coMMllllica-
lion with the interior.
The Committee here adjourned till to-morrow.

GROUP LIII.
SHANWSDIMIT AND DISIBTINGNADY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

Mr. Scott, cross-examined by Mr. H. ROBIN:ON (on behalf of the
Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton)—l-Ie never instructed the
engineer of the line to do his utmost to enter W, lverhampton en
the same level with the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, or
Grand Junction lines. The level of this scheme at Wolverhampton
had been taken with reference to the canal traffic and thy traffic of
the town, and not with reference to the competition with any rival
Schemes. He had no doubt that the line of the Oxford, Bcc. Com-
pany was surveyed previously to that of the Shrewsbury and Bir-
mingham.

Cross-examined by Mr. CoRBETT—He was aware that many Iron-
masters, whom the rival lines would accommodate, had petitioned
against this, and in favour of the other schemes.
Re-examined—As soon as he saw the project of the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton in the field he set about devising,
with other gentlemen, the present scheme, and was convinced that
it was much superior to its rivals; he saw that the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton project would not sufficiently ac-
commodate the people of Wolverhampton. There could be no doubt
that people at Wolverhampton who wished to go to London would
travel by this scheme because it had a direct communication with
the London line.
Mr. John Williams, ironmaster, Smethwick, then proved that this line
would afford the best accommodation to the people of that district.
Cross-examined by Mr. Coennuisx, Q.C.—Was a considerable
shareholder in this railway, but :had; no shares In the canal; his
brothers had. Hepreferred this line, because It went nearer to his
the
h bestebe s
considered t adapted
adaptedth eSouth
districtßir-
mingham, itrh-
works than the other schemes.
e
Shrewsbury,tforothe
th
Re-examined—l
generally.
miStaMnffgroh.raßdnisels:it;aenimrdinnSmetoral district.
asutilinkrte;,a,
lDetynhdlleyelin,

Cross-examined by Mr. Cociauxx—lle was aware that several
ironmasters in the neighbourhood of Dudley entertained a different
opinion. The Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line was too
high with respect to his works.
Mr. Richard Bradley, ironmaster, Tipton, stated that his principal
markets were London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool, and
that the line would give him a cheap and direct communication with
those towns. From 9,000 to 10,000 lived close to the spot where the
station of this line was proposed to be erected, at Tipton, whilst the
station of the rival scheme would be a most inconvenient one, being
from 18 to 24 feet high. That would also be merely a goods
station, the nearest passenger station being at Dudley. He
was of opinion that the combination of this line with the canal
would be most advantageous to the public. It would be impossible
by any system of railway to accommodate all the mineral works.
Cross-examined by Mr. CocasoaN—His works were close to the
Oxford &c. line, but in consequence of its being very high, it would
be impassible to make use of it for the carriage of his goods. He
was not aware that the Oxford &c. line would be on a level with the
canal. There was a difference between the level of the two schemes
of 40 feet near Tipton.

Cross-examined by Mr. COJIBETT—IIIs son might have signed a
petition for himself and the firm in favour of the South Stafford-
shire scheme.

Mr. Smith, mining agent to Lord North, in the neighbourhood of
Dudley, believed that this line would best accommodate that dis-
trict. In his opinion the public would be benefited by the union of
this Company with the Birmingham Canal Company. If this line
were not sanctioned, parties going from Dudley to Birmingham
would have to pass over four different railways, which would be
most injurious to the public. Ile believed that the tolls on this line
would be lower than that of its rival. The majority of the Iron-
masters in the district through which this line would pass pre-
ferred it to its rival. This line would afford all the accommodation
to he desired, without a six-mile clause.

The Rev. James Prince Lee, Master of the Birmingham Grammar-
School, said the station of this company in New-street, Birming-
ham, would cause the removal of a number of very objectionable
houses at the back of the school, which was a very handsome build-
ing. The houses were a nuisance to the school.

Airy Malins, commissioner of the ctreets of Birmingham, stated
that at a meeting of his colleagues held recently on the subject of these
railways, it was resolved that the Shrewsbury and Birmingham
would decidedly afford the greatest accommodation to the people of
Birmingham. The town surveyor had also reported in favour of the
Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company's proposed station.
Cross-examined by Mr. Roattisow—Snowhill, in which street the
Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Company proposed to erect
their station, was one of the widest streets in Birmingham. New-
street, in which this company's line would be made, was one of the
most fashionable streets them e, but he did not think that the omni-
buses, &c., everlastingly passing to and from the station would cause
any residential injury.

The Committee intimated that they did not require any more evi-
dence of this nature, and that they desired the engineering evidence
to bo given to-morrow.

The -Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

GROLT LIV.
ZEICESTEIL AND BIRMINGHAM, AND
BRANCH TO COVENTRY.
On the re-asscniblin,g of the Committee this morning, the room
Was ordered to In cleared, in order that the Committee might decide
cn the respective merits of the different lines in the localities of Bir-
mingham and Leicester that had been submitted to them.
On our re-admission,

The Cusramerr said that the Committee were of opinion that the
preambles of the London and Birmingham (Coventry to Nuneaton
Extension), and of the Coventry and Nuneaton (Birmingham and
Leicester) Railway Bills were proved ; and that the preambles of
the Direct Birmingham and Leicester and the Leicester and Bir-
mingham Railway Bills were not proved.

The Committee were occupied during the remainder of the day in
settling and passing the clauses of the Bills, the preambles of which
had been declared to be proved.

All the Bills included In the group having been disposed of, the
Committee broke up.

GROUP LVI.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the
Bills eomprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this
morning ; Mr. Ewart in the chair.
EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS AND
BIRMINGHAM JUNCTION.

The Committee were occupied the whole of the day in hearing the
opposition of the London and Blackwall-Company, who complained
that the proposed line, in crossing their railway on the level, would
interrupt and greatly inconvenience their traffic. The line was also
opposed by several landholders.
The Committee adjourned till to-morrow.