The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-17 00:00:00

Room B.

IMICESTEIL AND BZDTON.D.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
This concluded the evidence for the Bill.
Mr. AUSTIN, Q.C., for the South Midlands Company,
called, in opposition to the Bill,
Earl Spencer, who spoke to the necessity of a railway to
Northampton and the district between Northampton and
Market Harborough_ He said he presented a petition in
favour of the South Midlands branch from about 1,700 of the
inhabitants of Northampton.
Mr. Vernon Smith, M.P. for Northampton, gave evidence
corroborative of Earl Spencer. He said he had looked gene-
rally to the scheme before the Committee, and the South
Midlands scheme, and he gave his decided preference to the
latter as it gave the best local accommodation, uniting two
country towns, Northampton and Huntingdon, which were
omitted by the other line. He did not think the district
through which the line before the Committee passed would
maintain an indepentent line. He was a shareholders of this
South Midlands line.
Mr. Sergeant WILANGHAM cross-examined the witnesses.
The Committee then adjourned till eleven on Monday.

Room C.

81a.A.C1011311.N, DAILIXTEN AND BOLTON.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
Mr. Joshua Knowles of Tottington was examined, and
gave evidence in support of the line.
Mr. George :Millington, calico printer and lessee of the
Wharton Vale Works was next examined, and stated that
if the present line were established it would effect a great
saving in the transit of his goods as well as for the dyes, &c.,
used in the process of his business, and that he fulls• con-
curred in the evidence of the preceding witness as to the
general benefits of the line.
This witness was cross-examined at length, but without
eliciting anything againt his direct testimony.

Room D.

GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE.
A Committee on the merits of this Bill, consisting of the
following Peers, met to-day in Room Din the New Houses of
•Parliament ; Earl St. Germane, chairman, Viscount Canning,
Lord Orford, the Earl of Charleville, and Lord Ducie.
The Noble CHAIRMAN, before the proceedings commenced,
expressed a hope that, looking to the long preliminary pro-
ceedings on the Bill before the House of Commons, the coun-
sel on both sides would exercise their best discretion in ab-
staining from the introduction of irrelevant matter. He
threw out the suggestion in the expectation that the Learned
Gentlemen would take the hint in good part, and act upon it.
The Learned Counsel present expressed themselves obliged
to the Noble Chairman for his hint, and promised to keep
the suggestion in view in their examinations.
Counsel for the promoters of the Bill, Mr. Andrews, Mr.
Austin, and Mr. Talbot ; for the opponents (the Caledonian
Railway Company), Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, Mr. Cock-
burn, and Mr. Sergeant Ilope.
Mr. Sergeant Murphy appeared for a petitioning landed
proprietor.
Mr. ANDREWS opened the case on behalf of the promoters.
He said the object of the present Bill was to form a line of
railway from a point near to Curnnock, in the county of
Ayr, through the wally of the Xith, to a point south on
the Caledonian Railway, near to the crossing of the river
Sark; the great object being to connect the populous and
important countj of Ayr with the north of England, and at
the same time to accommodate the inhabitants of the county
of Dumfries generally. Besides the main line, there were two
branches proposed to be formed, the one called the Crawick
branch, from Sanquhar to a point on the Caledonian Rail-
way ; and another to the south, on a point near to the
cros-
sing of the river Sark, to a place called Cambia,e main
line was sixty-four miles long ; the Crawick branch
was sixteen miles ; and the Canobie branch seven
miles. There were no engineering difficulties, and the
estimates were amply sufficient for the works pro-
posed. The lion. Gentleman here followed the route of the
line, explaining the character of the country proposed to be
accommodated, and the necessity there was for railway ac-
commodation. Ile explained that the district in Ayrshire
which required the line of railway was an important menu-
factoring and mineral one, of which Kilmarnock was the
centre, and that the inhabitants were generally in favour of it.
Dumfrieashire,lon the other end of the line, was an important
and highly improving agricultural district, the population
of which was also strongly in favour of the line. The great
advantage expected by alt parties was a mutual exchange
eofnityhebpe rodnctsofthe two districts, an object which could
accomplished by means of a railway like the
present. In fact, there was no other means of supplying
this large tract of country but by such a line of railway.
The principal opponent of the line wa
Company, who complained that it would
hewould beg
damage their
interests by taking away thier traffic. Now the Caledonian
leave to call the attention of the Committee to the fact that
the Nithadale line was heard a few weeks ago in contrast
with an extension scheme of the Caledonian Company for
totirjeen days betore the Committee of the House of Com-
mons, and the result was, the rejection of the branches of the
Caledonian, and the affirmation of the preamble of the pre-
sent Bill. It was then satisfactorily shown that this line
was imperatively required, and that the Caledonian line
would rot suffer from competition in the manner its promo-
ters feared. But not only did that Committee decide
in favour of this Bill. but the subject was subsequently
debated in the House itself, and the Bill was affirmed by a.
large majority. In tact the fears of the Caledonian Company
were altogether exaggerated, as they would still command
ski the north of Scotland traffic by the Scottish Central,
through Stirling, as well a.• the Glasgow and Edinburgh
traffic- The only other opponent of the Bill was a landowner,
which he had not the )east doubt was only covertly appear-
ing for the Caledonian Comp tny, and the disposal of the op-
position of the one would also settle that of the other.
The Learned Gentleman having asserted that the scheme
was altogether different from the one adjudicated on last
year in competition with the Caledonian, and that it was now
solely promoted as a local line, and having gone into several
particulars of the line for which he appeared, traffic, engi-
neering, peculiarities, &c., concluded by proceeding to call
his witnesses on behalf of the Bill.
Mr. Sergeant IVRANatr.,,t, before the evidence was gone
Into, begged leave to make an application to the Committee.
The Learned Gentleman who had spoken had made reference
to what took place last year, and as it was evident reference
In the course of the inquiry would have to be made to what
then took place, he wouLl beg leave to ask the Noble Chair-
man to move the House to refer the evidence taken before
the Committee of last year to the present Committee.
Mr. ANDREws objected to the application on the ground
that the issue new to be tried was different to that tried last