The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 27, 1846.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

locomotives. He was of opinion that, in the improved state of
science, gradients were of less consequence than distance
In his re-examination of Mr. Hill, he stated that the railvays made,
or authorised to be made, would afford as good communication between
Southampton and the north as the Manchester and Somilampton—
lie referred to the route by way of Basingstoke and Oxford,the Oxford
and Rugby, and the Trent Valley, but he limited this opinion to the
conveyance of merchandise. The Manchester and Southampton was
a little shorter, but its gradients were not so good as br the other
route. In giving this opinion, he excluded the inconvenimce arising
from the breaks of gauge.
By the COMMITTRE—Had stated before the Gauge Commissioners
that it would be advis able for broad gauge lines to adopt the narrow
gauge, and that any break of gauge was particularly inconvenient in
transmitting goods.
Mr. Charles Saunders, the secretary to the Great Wes:ern Railway
said the Board of Trade reported to Parliament in favour of the line
from Basingstoke to Reading, which was projected by the Great
Western Company, because it would open up direct aorthern and
southern communication. The Great Western Company were willing
to sdopt all the suggestions of the Hoard of Trade, and would con-
struct the Oxford and Rugby line on the narrow-gaup line though
projected as a broad gauge line, and also to lay do Nn the narrow
gauge on lines communicating between that line and others, but this
could only be done with respect to the Southampton and Midland
lines. They had a large traffic in fat cattle going to Southall and
°the' rnarkets. _

(erred to the parties, who, in order to have time to consider them,
requested an adjournment.
The Committee then. adjourned until half-past ten o'clock to-
morrow.

( i ESTERDAY)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

GROUP XLVII.
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of Room 25 , New

Room A.

CAMDRIDGE AND OXFORD.

NEATH VALE,

Their Lordships met as usual at eleven ; Lord llornington in the
chair.

the preamble of which was declared to have been proved.
After going through the clauses, all of which were passed, the Corn-
mittee dissolved, this Bill being the last of the group on which they
had been appointed to decide.

The ooze for the opponents wee continued.

Mr. Smike, a farmer, near Baldock, was called and examined by
Mr. HILDYABIO. He gave similar evidence to that given by other
witnesses yesterday.
Mr. Bidder, Mr. Henshawe, and Mr. Robert Stephenson gave en-
gineering evidence very strongly against the line, which they repre-
sented to be a bad one in every respect. They particularly objected
to it on account of its having but a single line of rails. If it should
be ..roposed to make a double line, it could not be done within the
estitnates.

GROUP XLVIII.

LLYNVX VALLEY AND SOUTH WALES

JUNCTION.

The Committee met this day at twelve o'clock ; Mr. Aldam
chairman.
The preamble of this Bill having been declared proved, the claases
were gone through.
MONMOUTHSHIRE AND HEREFORD.
This was the next case called on.
3iihr.
3Tre..
Brunelconoi Committee
opened etc
intimated
ildue
si,tahtteeo casedp arotvtfeho
thei
sr tshteeagnpa
engineering
promoters.
eotrthiene proceedings rg merits of the line.
sp that the.
case must be withdrawn.
The Bill was accordingly thrown out.
The Committee then arranged to take the next Bill in the group on
Monday, to which day they adjourned.

Mr. It. Stephenson said that in the time of the railway mania he
was called upon to lay down a line between Oxford and Cambridge,
and he gave his opinion that such a line would be useless and absurd.
It was now proposed to call Mr. Brunel, but as that gentleman was
not in the room, it was proposed that the Committee should adjourn.
It being only about half-past th:Te o'clock, this was very strongly
objected to. The Committee cleared the room on the question
whether they should adjourn. or not, and on our re-admission, in
a out half an hour, they decided upon waiting for Mr. Brunel. After
waiting for some time, however, their Lordships grew impatient, and
Mr. litalyard agreed to dispense with Mr. Brunei's evidence.
This concluded the case for the Duke of Buckingham.

By Mr. GURNEY—During the last year, during which new por-
tions et the line were opened, the passenger traffic had greeatly in-
creased. This, in a great measure, was to be attributed to the
diminution of tares and return tickets.
By the Committee—Because there were several hundreds of miles
laid down on the narrow gauge, and only 274 on the broad, that was
no reason why the broad, which, he considered, whether for speed
and cheapness, was far superior, should be stifled. He believed the
broad gouge would beat the narrow " hollow " any day. With
respect to the petition of carriers praying for an uniform gauge, pre-
sented to the House of Commons, who, be considered, knew more of
their own business than that of a railway, he said they did not
charge them for heavy trucks as stated, for they had as light trucks as
those on the narrow gauge, and took the goods from them
and placed them is whatever trucks the Company thought
best adapted for the occasion, and without any difference
of charge. By laying down the narrow gauge also from Oxford to
Basingstoke, a narrow gauge communication with the north would
be effected, and the requirements of the district fully met. But if
they did go to the expense of laying down the narrow gauge they
ought not to have their traffic diverted as proposed by the Manchester
and Southampton, which he considered would not be a remu-
nerative line. He considered they could do the business
better for the pubic by the prot.osed line. Of course, if they did not
study the interests of the public, the public would not patronise the
line ; but he considered the Great Western directors would not
change their nature if they lost sight of the wants of the public and
forfeited their patronage.
Adjourned until eleven o'clock to-morrow.

No evidence was called on the p ,rt of the other petitioners.
Mr. HILDFARD observed that he, on the part of the Duke of
Buckingham, Mr. Calvert on the part of other petitioners, Mr. Tal-
bot on the part of others, and Mr. Wells on the part of others, had
each a right of addressing the Committee ; and Mr. Sergeant
Wrarigham had a sinair right on the part of the promoters. Now,
if Mr. Sergeant Wrangham would wave his right to his single
speech, he and his Learned Friends would agree to wave their four
speeches. By this means much of the time of the CommitteZNvould
be saved, and, for his part, he was perfectly willing to leave it to
their Lordships to judge tram the evidence, without hearing anything
from him.

Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM, after much hesitation, and after con-
sulting with his clients, declined the offer of Mr. Hildyard. He
feared that if he accepted it, he might be charged with neglecting
his duty to his clients. _

The Committee then called upon Mr. Hildyard to speak on the part
of the Duke of Buckingham.
The Learned CCUNSEL addressed the Committee at some length,
after which

Mr. CALVERT, waiting his right of addressing the Committee,
Mr. Sergeant WRANGEL/Of, on the part of the proinoters. spoke for
nearly two hours, after which the Committee ordered the room to be
cleared, and consulted for about a quarter of an hour, at the expira-
tion of which time

The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had decided on adjourning
to•marrow at half-past eleven o'clock.
They then rose at 30 minutes past seven o'clock.

Room B.
NORFOLK (DEREIIAM, WELLS, AND
BLAKENEY EXTENSION).

A Select Committee on this Bill met for the first time in the above
room at eleven this morning. The members were the Duke of Rich-
mond (Chairman), the Duke of Cambridge, and Lords Lonsdale,
Southampton, and Redesdale.
The Bill was opposed by road trustees ; but there was no case set
up againet the plenaublc, the opponent* Only requiting the lizocrtleu
of a clause ; so that the Bill was virtually unopposed.
Mr. AUSTIN stated the case for the promoters of the Bill.
Mr. Bidder and Mr. Borthwick, the engineers to the line, and
several 431 her witnesses were examined proforma, and the Committee
being satisfied both with the general and the engineering evidence,
the preamble was declared proved.
A clause to refer the case of the road trustees to an arbitrator was
then inserted, Lord Sondes undertaking the character of arbitrator,
and the other clauses were read ever. By one of these power was
taken to cross on a level a certain road, which it appeared from the
plans was 12 feet above the level of the railway.
Lord Redesdale, perceiving this flaw, proposed that the powers to
cross on a level should be expunged from the Bill, which was agreed
to, and the clause was struck out.
Clauses were also inserted providing for the building of lodges at
all level crossings.
Some other amendments were made, and the Bill passed.
The Committee rose at about twenty minutes past twelve o'clock.

Room C.