The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-30 00:00:00

GROUP XI.

SLAMANNANNT AND BO alit 0 T 017211t8 s
(Continuod frona our Afternoon Edition.)
The clauses of the Bill were thou gone throu::ii and agreed to. •
WILSONTOWN, DI R,NX GSIDE, and COLT..
NESS (CALEDONIAN' JITNCTION).
Xr. thaw s opened the case on behalf t,f this line, WhiCil is ttn•

opposed. It is a branch from the Wilsentown, Morningside, and
()pitiless Railway, to connect it with the Caledonian line, so as to
open up the rich mineral oistrict intersected by the latter, and to
form a connexion with Edinburgh and Granton, whence coal and
lime might be supplied. . .

Mr. Coniston, civil engineer, was examined as to the advantages
of the line. The gradients were generally good, and could be easily
worked. The severest was one in eighty-five. The estimated cost
of the line was 123,3701., the length of the branch was eight miles
and three•quarters, and the traffic was calculated, after paying work-
ing expenses, to yield a revenue of live and a half per cent.
Mr Williamson, mining engineer, generally stated the advantages
the branch would confer on the mineral traffic of the district. It was
a work which, when executed, would be of the greatest benefit.
The Committee declared the preamble of the Bill to be proved.
The clauses were then arranged, and, with the exception of two
that were postponed, agreed to.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.

GROUP XIV.
SOUTH-EASTEILN AND 871LANCXZES.
The Committee on this group of railways met to-day at twelve
o'clock, in Room No. 30; present —Mr. Protheroe (chairman), Lord
Emlyn, Mr. J. O'Connell, and Mr. Grogan.
The CHAtaitele said that with regard to the correspondence wb*ch
had passed between the South-Eastern Company and the Board of
Admiralty, those letters merely contained a rennet to anew the
Greenwich Branch to pass through Greenwich Part, without assign-
ing any reason for that refusal which could at all operate on rational
men. Under those circumstances, he thought that the Greenwich
Branch was as much before the Committee as any other part of the

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Mr. GoLDsMID said that the South-Eastern Company had in their
opening abandoned that part of their line, and that being the case
it could not now come under the consideration of the Committee.
The CHAIRMAN said that their duty was not to consider what the
South-Eastern Company had abandoned, but to consider the public
benefit that would result from the formation of any particular line. The
South-Eastern Company had retained the Greenwich branch of their
line upon the map, and therefore he considered it competent to the
Committee to decide upon it.
Mr. limo, who appeared on the part of the Thames and Medway
Canal Company against the South-Eastern line, called
James Smith, the lock-keeper on the canal at Maidstone, who
stated that there is a lock above Maidstone-bridge, and in times of
flood there is great difficulty in navigating a barge through the lock
at the bridge. It is a very common occurrence for two or three
barges to get across the pier of the bridge. The width of the barges
' is abut 15 feet 6 inches, and the arch of the bridge was about 24 feet
span. The barges going through the bridge are much affected by the
westerly winds, and there is difficulty in keeping them straight in
going through the bridge. If there was a bridge formed sixty yards
farther down, the barges would have to be kept straight in going
through both bridges. Even as the present bridge is, the barges
often sustain serious datnage in passing through it.
By Mr. MEsitzwETuza—Believes that the new bridge will be about
60 or 70 yards from the present bridge. The barges, when loaded,
draw from 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches of water.
Mr. Dewharst, a member of the Committee of the Medway Navi-
gation Company.—The company owns the river tin'
a little be
Maidstone to Tunbrige, a distance of 15 or 16 es. The com-
pany are extensive dealers in coal as well ash
company entirely supported the greater portion
Medway
ettt with
et. carriers.
MTid
coal before toe introduction of railways. When railways were intro-
duced they were compelled to avail themselves of the South-Eastern
Company to carry their coal, but that company charged se high that
frequent remonstrances were addressed to them. The North Rent
Company, on the contrary, exercised their powers with much fair-
ness. The Navigation Company at length proposed to run a loco-
motive on the South-Eastern line, but the South-Eastern Company
refused to allow it

Mr. MERREWEATHER ebilleed to that circumstance being taken
Into consideration, as it was already the subject of proceedings in
the Court of Queen's Bench.
Mr. BIGG considered that it was perfectlYcompetent to him to make
that circumstance a part of this case.l
The CHAIRMAN decided that the Committee could not attend to
that point, as it was before a civil court.
Mr. Bleu then addressed the Committee at some length, on the
part of his clients, and commented on the table of charges which the
South-Eastern Company had themselves supplied, and which showed
that the Company had charged the Navigation Company for carriage
more than double the amount which they made otker persons pay.
At the conclusion of his address, the paper was handed in to the
Committee.
Mr. Sergeant Wassmitam, on the part of the North Kent line, pro-
ceeded to call rebutting evidence to the case mace out by the South-
Eastern Company. He called
I Mr. Vignoles, who stated that the evidence given on the South-
Eastern sidehad not altered his opinion of the North Kent line. The
low level of the South-Eastern had been adopted to secure easy gra-
dients, but that object had not been attained. The highest vertical
elevation on the South-Eastern between Greenwich and Dartford is
118 feet, and on the North Kent 135 feet ; but the South-Eastern
Company loses its advantage by the amount of undulation. Be-
tween Dartford and Gravesend the level is in favour of the
South Eastern Ilee, but their undulations again lose the advantage.
Although Mr. Stephenson's minims level is 90 feet lower than the
summit level of the North Kelt, yet his rises are 30 per cent higher
than on the North Kent. Between Gravesend an: Chatham the
summit level of the North Kent is 75 feet, and on the Socth pastern
it is the reverse, there is a fall of 16 feet. The amount of undulatiei,
is greater on the South Eastern. From Chatham to fiettingbounte
the highest r.ointis 98 feet on :the North Kent, but on the South
Eastern the highest summit is only 45 feet: There are no rises
on the North Kent in that distance, but the rises of the South East-
ern line are altogether 75 feet, thus losing the advantage they gain
by a lower level. Between Canterbury and Faversham, the highest
point on the South Eastern line is 150 feet, and on the North Kent it
is 1.0 feet. The sum of the rises on the North Kent is 150, and the
sum of the rises on the South Eastern Is 166, thus lasing 16 feet.
Between Dover and Canterbury the highest point on the North
Kent is 132 feet, and the sum of the rises is also 132 feet, giving no
undulation. The South Eastern's highest level, between these points,
is 276 feet, and the sum of the rises is 3.56, giving 80 feet amount
of undulation. The amount of all the undulations on the North
Kent line is 61 feet ; and the total a mount of the undulation on
the South Eastern is 154 teet, giving an excess of undulation of 193
teet on the South Eastern scheme. It is not fair in ascertaining
ruling gradients to take a line in sections—the whole of the line should
be taken into consideration, in order;, to ascertain the real ruling
gradient. Such a division would only be fair, supposing that a fresh
engine was to be pet on at every section, and regulated to the
amount of resistance It had to incur by gradients. Well, take the
sections of the two lines and compare them. On tae North Kent
line, from Greenwich to Dartford, the ruling gradient is 1 in 132,
and it is the same on the South Eastern. The distance by the
North Kent is 12 miles, 7 furlongs, and 1 chain, and on the South-
Eastern it is 1.2 miles, 7 furlongs. and 2% chains; but on the north
loop, over which all their Gravesend and Sheerness traffic mast go,
the distance is 14 miles, three furlongs, and 24 chains. On the North
Kent there are no level crossings, but there are fourteen on Di,
South-Eastern. The North Kent has 2,960 yards of tunnelling in that
distance, while the South-Eastern has none, but on the southern loep
there are 781 yards. Between Dartford and Gravesend the ruling gra-
dient of the North Kent is 1 in 132, and on the South-Eastern 1 I'llB2.
By the North Kent the distance is 19 miles, 6 furlongs, and 101
chains. On the South-Easter it is 19 miles 6 furlongs and 3 challis ,
but on their southern loop, on which, on their own shewing, all their
Gravesend traffic must pass, the distance is 21 miles 3 furlongs 4
chains. The North Kent has no level crossings, but the South-
Eastern has 3. There is no tunnelling on the N. rth Kent in that
distance, but on the South-Eastern there aro 264 yards. From
Gravesend to Chatham the ruling gradient is one in 264, and on the
South-eastern it is quite level. The distance on the North Kent is
28 miles, 6 chains, and on the south I up of the South-
Eastern it is 28 miles 1 furlong 9 chains, and on the
north loop, 29 miles 7 furlongs. The North Kent has no
level crossings, but the South-Eastern has 7. Between Chatham
and Sittingborne the ruling gradient on the North Kent is 1 in 132,
and on the South-Eastern it is lin 168. The distance by the North
Kent is 38 miles 2 furlongs 8% chains, and by the South-Eastern 39
miles, 4 furlongs 3 chains. The North Kent has 1,000 yards of tun-
nelling in that distance, and in the South-Eastern there are 1,7a0
yards. The South-Eastern has 1,100 yards of viaduct and a swing-
bridge, while the North Kent has neither. Between Sittingbourne
and Faversham the North Kent distance is 45 miles, 2 Mrlongs,
and half a chain ; on the South-Eastern it is 46 miles, 7 furlongs, and
I chain. The North Kent Railway gradient Is 1 In 330, and the
South-Eastern lin 106. There are no level crossings on the North
Kent, and flie on the South-Eastern; no tunnelling on the North
Kent, and 242 yards on the South-Eastern. Between Faversham
and Canterbury the North Kent distance is 54 miles, 2% chains, and
the South-Eastern distance is 58 miles, 8 chains. The North Kent
4radient is lin 172, and the south-Eastern gradient is lin 100. The
North Kent has 1,500 yards of tunnelling, and the South-Eastern none.
The North Kent. has ;,one level crossing, and the South-Eastern five.
Between Canterbury and Dover the North Kent ruling gradient
is 1 in 132', and the South-Eastern lin 79. The total distance of
the North Kent, from the Greenwich Railway to Liverpool-terrace,
Is 70 miles 1 furlong, % chain, and on the South-Eastern line the
distance is, fromithe same point to their local station, 73 miles, 2 fur-
longs 4 chains. The North Kent tunnelling is 2,280 yards, and by
the alternative line 2,760 yards, while the South-Eastern has 4,375
yen's. The North Kent has only one level crossing, and the South-
Eastern Company six en the Maidstone branch. The North Kent
ruling gradient from Rochester to Maidstone is 1 in 132.
There is a short gradient, half a mile, of 1 in 90.
The South-Eastern ruling gradient, between Maidstone and Rochester,
is lin 83. The North Kent distance is 9 nines, 5 furlongs to the
centre of the town, but to form a junction with the Paddock Wood
branch the distance exceeds 10 miles. The si:iuth-Eastent distance
is 11 miles 6 furlongs 1 chain. The North Kent has 200 yards of
tunnel, and the South Eastern 440 yards. The Sheerness branch has
both lines level, and the North Kent distance is 6 miles 7 fur ongs 8
chains ; while the South Eastern distance is 5 miles 7 furlongs 6
chains. On the North Kent there are two level crossings, and three
on the South Eastern. Both lines have a swivel bridge.
After some further evidence, of no public interest, the Committee
adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow.