The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-02 00:00:00

GROUP XXV.

. _
The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills
comprised in this group, re-assembled at the usual hour this morning
in the Westminster Sessions•house. Mr. Monekton Milnes, Vice-Pre-
sident of the Committee; in the chair.
STOUR VALLEY.
Before the merits of this line, which stood next andlast of the line,
was gone into, an incidental discussion arose as to the right of Mr.
Sergeant Wrangham to appear in opposition to the Bill, as the repre-
sentative of the Chelmsford and Bury line.
Mr. AUSTIN contended that the Stour Valley line, which ran from
a point on the Eastern Counties Railway near to Colchester, to Sud-
bury, could in no way be cons:dere 1 in the light of a comparative line
with the Chelmsford and Bury, which ran from cheiras:ord through
Sudbury to Bury St. Edmunds: while, on the other hand,
Mr. Sergeant WRANCHAM us ged that the two lines would compete
for the direct through traffic btween the metropolis and Sudbury,
and Bury St. Edmund's ; and he had, therefore, a right to appear.
The Chelmsford d Bury Bill, which was now before a
Standing Orders Committee had been grouped with the Norwich
line, hut that fact did not prove that it did not compete with the
Stour Valley line.
Mr. AUSTIN called the attention of the Committee to the fact that
the promoters of the Chelmsfori and Bury Bill had not petitioned
agains the preamble of the Stour Valley Bill, and this was an addi-
tional ground why they ought to be heard. The question of compet-
ing lines had nothing to do with the matter. Parliament now con-
sidered no such thing as competition. Lines were looked at now, not
in a competing point of view, but a comparative, and where two
lines were projected for serving the sante district of country, Par-
liament decided upon the two without reference at all to the matter
of competition. Now these two lines did not serve the sam- district
of country, and again he said his Learned Friend had no right to be
heard.
The Committee decided that the promoters of the Chelmsford and
Bury line could not be heard.
Mr. MELLOR then stated the case for the Stour Valley Company.
It was to connect Colchester with its port, by means of the branch
called the Hythe line. It then passed along the Eastern Counties
line for some distance, and branched off down the valley of the
Stour, and terminating in a fork, one prong at Halstead and the
other at Sudbury. The length of the line was nineteen miles and a
half, and the estimated cost 250,0001. At present the carriage of
coals between these places was 7s. per ton. The proposed line would
reduce it to 3s. or 2s. 6d.
Evidence of a general character was then adduced to prove the
extent of traffic in coals, iron, timber, agricultural produce and ma-
terials, goods and merchandise, at present existing between the port
of Colchester, and Halstead, and Sudbury. It was proved that
the carriage of coal at present cost from 7s. to 10s. per ton,
while the carriage of other articles were equally expensive. Exports
of flour and wheat were large, and the imports of coal, timber, and
agricultural materials no less extensive. One witness stated that
there were large flour mills in the valley of the Stour, which would
be greatly accommodated by the proposed railway.
The Committee stopped the pn.gress of this evidence, declaring that
they were convinced the district afforded sufficient traffic to justify
' the construction of a railway.
The Committee adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.