The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-09 00:00:00

GROUP XIV.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the
Bills comprised in this group re-assembled this morning for the first
time after the Whitsuntide recess; Mr. Protheroe in the chair.
TiUZI SENT .a.MTOSPECER.IC

The engineering evidence in favour of this line was resumed.
The parties proposed to call Mr. Hawkshaw ; but the Committee
refused to hear him, until Mr. Cubitt, the engineer 4n. chief of the
line had given his evidence.
Mr. Sergeant TALPOURD reminded the Committee, that in a court of
law the counsel in a case was allowed to conduct their case accord•
ing to the best of their judgment and ability, but where it appeared
that the court were averse to the course adopted by the counsel, it
was for the counsel to grapple with that aversion in the best way they
could.

The CriarnstaN remarked, that ,the Committee were not guided by
the rules which regulated courts of law ; but, by the suggestion of
the Chairman of Committees. Mr. Cubitt, they had been told, was the
engineer-in-chief of the line, and, of course, the testimony of other
engineers could only be taken as a corroborative or secondary
character.

Ultimately, after nearly an hour or so had been wasted iu dis-
cussing the point, the Committee decided that they would receive
Mr. Hawkshaw's evidence under protest.
Mr. Hawkshaw, engineer, of the Manchester and Leeds line, was
then called. He gave a decided opinion in favour of the Keit At-
mospheric line, because it would form a direct line to Dover, while
at the same time that object was accomplished by making use of a
considerable distance of existing rails. As far as gradients were con
cerned, both lines were good ; •but certainly the atmospheric had the
greatest extent of level.

It was then proposed to adduce evidence in favour of the atmo.
spheric propulsion principle; but
The CHAIRMAN again pressed the parties to produce Mr. Cubitt,
and the room. was cleared for a second time to consider the question.
It turned out, however, that Mr. Cubitt was closeted with the
Commitee in the Lords on the London and York Bill, and there was
no chance of his being disengaged for some time.
Under these circumstances, the Committee consented to take the
evidence of Mr. Wm. Vallee and Mr. Manning, who gave general
testimony in favour of the Kent Atmospheric line.
It still appearing that Mr. Cubitt was likely to be engaged in the
London and York Committee for the whole of the day, the Commit-
tee determined upon adjourning till to-morrow.

GROUP xvir.

rZANCHESTEM. AND SOUTHAMPTON, AND
E.;OUTH-WESTMIZBY (ELOMszY AND 3tED-
HRXDGB snAracm.

The Committee met this morning, at twelve o'clock ; the Hon.
E. Yorke in the chair.
The first witness called was Mr. Joseph Clarke, snperintendent of
steam-vessels, plying between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth and
Southampton, who stated that 14,980 persons passed to and fro an-
nually ; 12,480 between Southampton and Havre, and 129,400 annu-
Lily, who embarked and disembarked at the Royal Pier. Direct
communication between Southampton and Cheltenham was much
wanted. . _ .

Mr. W. Squire, merchant and shipowner in the Isle of Wight,
stated that the glass manufactories of Birmingham were supplied
with sand from the Isle of Wight, which was now shipped at Yar-
mouth, in the Isle of Wight, and sent round the coast to Gloucester,
from whence it was transmitted to its destination by canal; bat it
was attended with great delays and inconveniences. The demand
for sand had increased in consequence of the reduction of the duty
upon glass. One of these complaints emanated from Mr.
P. Harris, one of the largest glass manufacturers in Europe,
who stated that he had 300 of his workpeople unemployed, in conse-
quence of the irregular supply of the commodity, whom he said he
should be compelled to discharge if he did not get a supply imme-
diately.
Mr. P. Harris, glass manufacturer, at Islington, near Birmingham,
corroborated the statement of the last witness. The sand from the
Isle of Wight was of a superior quality. Continuous communication
without break of gauge with the north would be most advantageous.
Mr. J. George, grocer at Romsey, had sugar from London which
came round the coast. The Manchester and Southampton would be
of more advantage than the Romsey and Redbridge Railway, as it
opens up direct communication in addition to the north.
Mr. G. Powell, ironfounder, Andover, considered that the proposed
line would save him 1/. in the conveyance of his goods. The pre-
sent delays and expense of transit prohibited the extension of his
business. He should save ss. per ton in the transit of timber. Con-
sumed about 400 tons in the course of the year, 300 tons of which
he obtained from Wales, and the remainder from Scotland. By the
line proposed he should be able to compete more successfully with
other manufacturers.
Mr. J. Ttaxvlings. an estate agent in Wilts, detailed at great length
the advantages which the line would confer on all the districts it
would traverse.
The Committee adjourned until 12 to morrow.

GROUP XVIII.
Elmlimn (GREAT WESTERN).
The Committee met at the usual hour; Mr. B. Denison, chairman.
At the commencement of the sittings of this Committee, Mr.
AUSTIN stated that the Great Western Company, for whom he ap-
peared, had taken the subject into their consideration, as desired by
the Committee previous to the holidays, namely, with reference to
altering the plans of the Exeter and Yeovil line so as to accommo-
date both gauges, and the result of that deliberation was, that the
Great Western Company were prepared to adopt the in-
sertion of a clause in their Bill, should their line
receive the sanction of the Committee, empowering them
to lay down a double rail on their line, so as to accommodate both
gauges.

The CnAinuAN intimated that the Committee would not, at the
present time, go into the matter flirther until the merits of the whole
ca e had been disposed of. They had merely thrown out the sugires-
tion in order that the subject might receive the consideration of the
parties during the recess.
Lord Falmouth was then called, on behalf of the Exeter Great
Western Company, whose evidence was almost exclusively confined
to the benefits which the construction of this line would afford to
the county of Cornwall by its junction with the Cornwall Railway,
in preference to the line of the Exeter,
Yeovil, Dorchester, and
Salisbury junction in continuity with the Cornwall and Devon
Central.
Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., gave evidence of a similar nature.
J. W. Buller, Esq., late M.P. for Exeter, and Mr. Drummond, of
Exeter, gave evidence in favour of the line; also regarding the
western traffic.
Mr. Mitchell, M.P. for Bridport, and Mr. Wells, magistrate of
Bridport, gave evidence in favour of the line.
The Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XX.
This Committee met at twelve O'clock this morning, in Room 3
Mr. Sotheron in the chair,