The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

GROUP XXII.

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This Committee met this- morning at the usual hour. Sir George
Grey in the chair.
IPSWICH, NOUWICE, AND Ina.ra.mouTz.
Evidence on traffic resumed.
Mr. Capon, a farmer at Denuingten, corrobated the evidence already
giTen ke to the tattle anticipated on this line.

This witness was subjected to a long cross•examinatiOn by the
opposing counsel, bat nothing material was elicited.
Mr. 0. Colman, Sheriff of Norwich, gave evidence as to the advan-
tages which the line would confer by increasing the facilities of
transit for corn.
Mr. Wilde, Coroner of Norwich, and Mr. Prior, a maltster, gave
evidence as to the great want of rrilway communication at present,
and the necessity for constructing the proposed line for the accom-
modation of the wants of the district.
GROUP =I.
(Continued from our Afternoon Editlea.)

Mr. H. Edwards, a general merchant at Woodbridge, detailed the
quality of exports and imports at Woodbridge, which he considered
would be greatly increased if the proposed line were constructed.
Mr. W. Ruston, of Mark•lane, pointed out the increase which
might be anticipated on the coasting trade by the proposed line.
Mr. Thomas Crisp, farmer, near Orford, and other', reiterated the
above evidence, and the Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-
morrow.

GROUP XXVI.
SOUTH ESSEX.

The Committee, Mr. M. O'Connell in the chair, assembled at
twelve o'clock, but having some point to discuss the room was
cleared for the discussion ofsome point as to their private regulation,
and on the re-admission of strangers;
Mr. COcaBURN addressed the Committee on behalf of the South
Essex Company, and went through' the several points afforded by the
evidence which had been adduced, resting chiefly on the principal
object, which the Company had stated, of affording rail-
way accommodation to the whole county of Essex. In
the course of his observations the Learned Counsel contrasted tqe
respective advantagos of the line which he advocated, and those of
the North Gravesend line. The branch to Tilbury had this only
advantage to recommend it—it is a branch of a main line, which can
be worked at a small and comparatively insignificant expense ; and
thus it might be made to pay, and, taken in a subsidiary point of
view, it might be worth the while of the Company to workit. After
alluding to the case of the town of Barking, where the North Graves-
end Railway crossed the place on the level, the Learned .2ounsel
entered upon the general merits of the line of the South
Essex Company, including the carriage of manure, flour, and
tisk. objection had been made to the carriage of
cattle and sheep, and the only subject • then for consi-
deration was 'the conveyance of coals. In looking at the
general merits of the' line, the first consideration was the existence
of the river Crouch, which; nearly at the mouth of the Thames, had
a naturally formed harbour, accessible in al states of the tide, and
yet perfectly secure in every state of the weather. This harbour
mutt become the- receptacle for a great portion of that trade
which now infected the river Thames, and blocked up the port of
London. The consumption of London, is at the present time, 3,000,000
tons, and may possibly rise to the extent of 5.000,000. The Corn-
pany took credit for the landing and carriage of 250.000 tons. This I,
would afford so small a relief to the river, that it was not unreason-
able to suppose that a much larger quantity would be carried by the
railway than that which is at present estimated. This, in
addition to the fact of the ability to reach Gravesend with
equal facility to that which was offered by the opposing line,
Taking all the circumstances into consideration, the South Essex
line was the one the most worthy of consideration, and the only one
which ought to be granted.
Mr. Janos replied on behalf of the North Gravesend Company,
when,
The Cuatituart inquired whether this was the subject of sub-
scription contract ; to which the Counsel replied, that it was
a project emanating from certain parties connected with the Eastern
Couuties Company, although not the project of that Company itself.
But this much he might say, that having got their North Woolwieh
line, and their Thames Junction line, the Eastern Counties Com-
pany felt that being an established company they could afford
Lreater accommodation to the public in 'an access to Gravesend.
The grand difficulty of the opposing line was, that they had no ter-
minus whatever worthy of the slightest notice. If at Stepney, there
were the docks to compete with j if at the Minories, they were in the
midst of a neighbourhood which clearly was too well occupied
already ; for in Fenchurch-street the depot was clearly quite inap-
plicable for coal, on which so much reliance was to be placed, and he
would venture ro say that it wasequally unfitted for corn. Through-
out the whole case it was evident that the only saving upon
coals was ninepence, and as the North Gravesend Com-
pany contenhed only .threepence. That colliers he insisted,
would rever be discharged in any amount at at Crouch,
and he believed that the granting of this line would amount to a
parliamentary tax of don all the coal brought by means of this
railway. Ile would venture to assert that, even if this line were
r made, the greatest quantity of coal would be sent into the interior
of the country from the depot of the Blackwell Railway,
and it was in evideute that the residents of Rocheford are now
getting their coals as- low as 20s. a ton. The case of the corn trade
was equally plain. Then, as regards the passenger traffic of 374,0001.,
although the whole population of the county was only 340,000, so
that it would be necessary to have every individual in the county,
men, women and' children, to et eate this traffic, and even then it
would be short of the amount. The line, in fact, did not pass through
any place with more than 2,000 inhabitants, so that, through one
means or other, a great part of the income would be done away with,
and he did not believe that any Committee would sanction the
carrying out of a line which was to extend the deficiencies of the
Blackwell Railway. In fact, the only argument that could be used
for widening the Blackwall Railway under the assumption of bring-
ing a large traffic upon it from extraneous sources. Now,
the North Gravesend . Company had the right to take
the population round their terminus just as much as the
North Kent Company had the right to carry these
who went from Southwark and other places, on the south side of the
water. The South Essex scheme was one hot rife for Parliament,
tha the assertions had not been made out, and that there was no
definite terminus. With respect to the other line, it is one projected
by an established company, whose experience enabled them better than
other parties to judgedt the probabilities of success. The North Graves-
end line wou d cost only ab0ut250,0001., and its only opponent among the
landholders was a gentleman of-the name of Thompson, but except-
ing him there was no opposition whatever on the- part of the local
ressidents, and the 'Learned Counsel trusted that the Committee
would give equal and fair chance of competition to both companies.

The room was then c leared.. -
On ti.e re admission of the parties, the CastamAN stated hat the
Committee, after much patient investigation, had come to the con-
clusion that the preamble had not been proved in either of the cases.