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

GROUP XXXIII

The Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock, in Rdom No. 24,
(Grand Corridor). Present, Sir Robert Ferguson, (Chairman,) the
Martini. of Wnrraottpr. viscount Newry, Mr. Smollett, and Mr.
Fellowes.

They resumed the hearing of the evidence in the case of the WlN-
wickshire and London Railways (three lines).
WORCESTER AND WEEDON.
HAMPTON AND BANBURY.
HAMPTON AND ASHCHURCH.

According to the previous understanding the evidence against the
Ines was taken, in favour of the competing railway, the

nnannearzwz AND OXFORD =NOTION.
Mr. Brunel, engineer of the Great Western Railway, and also of this
line (which is in connexion with it), was first called, and examined
by Mr. WARELY —He stated that the lines comprehending the Bir-
mingham and Oxford Junction would amount to about 120 miles,
and the cost was estimated at about 1,400,0001. The length of three

lines of the Warwickshire and London railways would be about 160
miles. If both the competing series of lines were constructed, the
cost would be about 3,000,0001. By the construction of the Birming-
ham and Oxford Junctien Railway, accommodation would be afforded
to every important place in the districts included in the
two rival projects now before this Committee. In fact, there would
be no point, certainly no village of any note within that
which would be twelve miles distant from a railway. The increased
accommodation would be of very great advantage to the coal and
iron districts, and the Potteries. It would complete the connexion of
those places with the southern and western ports, as well as the
latter with the north and east. There were no engineering diffi-
culties. The gradients were much the same as those upon the Great
Western to Bristol. The latter railway had good levels, and admitted
of very high speeds. This gentleman then went in minute detail
thraugh a comparison of the rival projects, in every part of their
course, and at every point of their connexion, with existing or con-
templated lines. His statementwas, of course, exceedingly luminous,
and seemed to be satisfactory as well as interesting to the Committee.
It was too much extended, and too detailed, to be fully reported.
He considered the accommodation which would be afforded by his
lines would be much superior to that which would be given by the
three proposed lines in connexion with the London and Birmingham,
under the general name of the Warwickshire and London Railway.
There was one of these, the Hampton and Banbury, for which he
could see no reason whatever to justify the expense. Tkese lines
would greatly augment the traffic of the London and Birmingham,
which was avowedly so excessive already that the Company declared
they were not able to carry it in an efficient manner.
Mr. ALEXANDER who opposed the Birmingham and Oxford Junc-
tion, en the part of the Earl of Warwick, and thirty-nine other gen-
tlemen, cross-examined Mr. Brunel, as to the interference of the
proposed lines with some of the Noble Earl's property, and that of
the other petitioners.
Mr. Wilson, a landowner, and other witnesses, were examined also
in favour of this line against the Warwickshire and London lines.
Mr. Hughes, the engineer, was about to be examined by Mr.
Wakeling, as to whether the plans deposited by the promoters of the
Warwickshire and Lonaon lines were correct as to the levels, in ac •
cordance with the standing orders, when
Mr. AUSTIN took objection to this course of examination, on the
ground that it was not competent to this Committee to go into the
question, which must lee taken as having been disposed of by the
Standing Orders' Committee.
After some discussion the room was cleared, and the Committee
deliberated on the question for about a quarter of an hour. On our
re-admission,
The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee did not wish to decide

the question without consulting the Standing Orders' Committee.
They would, therefore, adjourn until to-morrow, when they would
announce their decision.
Adjourned accordingly, at a quarter to four o'clock, until eleven to-
morrow.

GROUP XXXVIII.
HUDDERSFIELD AND MANCHESTER
(BRADFORD BRANCH).

The Committee assembled this morning at the usual hour.
Mr. Gee, the engineer to the line, was examined on behalf of the
promoters of this line. His examination and cross-examination oc-
cupied nearly the whole of the day.
The Committee then adjourned.

The Committee met this-morning at the usual hoar, Mr. Divett
in the chair.

MANCHESTER, HUDDERSFIELD, AND
OLDHAM.

Mr. MEREIVALE, on the part of the Rochdale Canal Company,
opposed the traversing of the property cf the above Canal Company
by the Manchester, Huddersfield, and Oldham Railway Company,
which he stated might be obviated by their making the station at
Arcoat-street.
Mr. DIVETT said, that without clearing the room, the Committee
were unanimous in their opinion that the Rochdale Canal Company's
application could not be entertained.
The remaining clauses of the Bill ,with a few verbal amendments,
were then agreed to, and the Committee adjourned.

GROUP XLII.
The Committee on this group re-assembled to-day at twelve
o'clock.

BLACIEBITRN, CROR.LEY, AND LIVERPOOL
Compliance with the resolutions of Mr. Duncombe having been
proved,
Mr. lisixEs (who appeared on the part of the promoters), said—
The object sought by the present Bill as effecting an independent
line were simply these :—ln the first place, they sought to connect
Blackburn and Chorley, two most important manufacturing towns.
They also sought to accommodate the district between Blackburn
and Chorley, which was likewise of considerable manufacturing
importance, as would be demonstrated to the Committee by the evi-
dence he would adduce. In this district were paper-works, cotton-
mills, and other manufactories, and the proposed line would
give the proprietors of these works the same benefits
as had been conferred by other lines on parties under
similar circumstances. Another object which the promoters
of this line proposed to effect, and the importance of which
could hardly be exaggerated, was to open to the markets of Black-
burn and Chorley the whole of that district extending into the valu-
able coal district south-west of Chorley. Now the importance of
this rich coal-field to Chorley and Blackburn he would establish by
one or two competent witnesses. That coal-field would be inter-
sected by the proposed railway for a distance of eight miles and a
half, and their line would pass through the very heart of the district,
and thus render it accessible to those places which were at present
excluded from this desirable communication. These were the
objects they proposed as an independent line. There were other ad-
vantages which they would afford to the public by this line in
connection with other lines of railway. They would effect the
nearest communication between Liverpool and Blackburn and Liver-
pool and Chorley, for which there was no provision made by the
Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston Railway. They also proposed to
effect a communication with the town of Wigan, which was also left
unattended to by the competing line, and the importance of which
would be rendered apparent that that town (Wigan) contained
a population of from 25,000 to 26,000, while the number of
inhabitants in Chorley was about 14,000 or 15,000. Their
line was 18 miles, 3 furlongs, and 9 chains in length, and it was
proposed to effect a junction with a line in course of erection at a
place called Edenbridge, and after proceeding some distance further
they would go south by the cotton mills and other works to Chorley.
They then connected themselves, alter crossing the Bolton and Preston
Railway, with the North Union Railway, and thus connected them-
selves with the Liverpool and Bury Railway, the promoters of which
have petitioned in their favour. There was another short branch to
the Bolton and Preston Railway. The gradients of the line through
this country, which was one of the most difficult in an engineering
point, were undoubtedly the best that the country admitted,
and he was able to state that there were no tunnels nor any
objectionable curve on their line. As regarded the places on
the line, he would not detain them by any unnecessary observa-
tion. With regard to Blackburn, as the Committee had already
heard sufficient of its importance to be able to estimate it correctly,
he would merely direct their attention to the map. With respect to
Chorley, there were upwards of between 3,009 and 4,000 hands em-
ployed there in the mills and manufactories, between 400 and 500
horse power used, and between 4,000 and 5,000 tons annually manu-
factured. There was also in the district between Blackburn and
Chorley a population of 10,000, and 100 tons of cotton were
consumed there. With respect to the coal-fields which he
had already mentioned, they would find, by the calculations that
would be submitted to them, that on each side for eight miles of
their line there was an immense quantity of coal consumed. At

present there was no good communication to this important place.
With respect to the communication between Liverpool and Chorley,
the question was one of great importance. If a person were to go
from Chorley to Liverpool, he would have to proceed from Chorley
along the Bolton and Preston line; he would then have to walk
about a mile to the North Union Railway station, where he would
have to wait for a train coming up from Preston, and he must then
go along the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It was impossible
to conceive a more tortuous route. And he must here mention one
important circumstance, namely, that with respect to Blackburn and
Chorley, there was only a turnpike-road, which in winter was almost
impassable. and was at all times an extremely difficult road, now
the only alternative afforded the people of that district on three sides
of a quadrilateral figure to avoid passing this road. At present it
was twenty-three miles from Chorley to Liverpool, while by their
line it would be reduced to ten miles. With respect to Wigan, they
were obliged to go from Chorley to Eaxton, and then traverse south-
east, before they could arrive at Wigan. By the accommodation
they would afford the distance would be reduced to one-half. He
would just mention one circumstance in connexion with Blackburn,
namely, as regarded the consumption of coal there, which was, for
manufactories 112,900 tons annually, for gas 6,000 tons annually,
and for house purposes 50,000 tone annually, making altogether
considerably more than 170,000 tens. This was partly sup-
plied from Wigan. If the present line were granted, there
would be a large reduction in the price of this article,
and a saving of some hundreds of pounds would be
effected for the inhabitants of this district. These observations
would apply equally to the district from Blackburn to Clltheroe.
deserved attention, viz., that for the purposes of manufactures, not
There was another point as regarded the last-mentioned place which
only coal, but lime was necessary, and Clitheroe possessed the best
lime in all Lancashire, both for agricultural and manufacturing pur-
poses. Now, by the proposed line this would be rendered available
to the districts which hitherto had not derived a benefit from the
richly-gifted portion of the country from the want of an efficient mode
of communication. The effect of this railway would be, by effecting a
considerable diminution in thecost of the article, to put it in the power
of the poorer manufacturer and agriculturist to avail himself of the
same, which, at present, he was unable to do. Before con-
cluding, in justice to his clients, he must call the atten-
tion of the Committee to the important connexion which
this line would afford to the district through which it would pass,
and Manchester and Staffordshire. The line had been surveyed with
the greatest care, and the provisional committee consisted of gen-
tlemen and merchants of the, highest respectability on the line;
there was no residential injury, and the petition against them, pro-
cwehe,olsinegasit
motivesd widforuolind the chairmanapparent,
passing, of the
a s
most important district, meeting a most urgent and extensive re-
quirement, he trusted that the Committee would deem its merits
such as to entitle it to their honourable consideration.
The Learned Counsel then called evidence as to traffic and engi-
neering, in corroboration of his statement.
The Committee decided that the preamble of the Bill was not
proved, and then adjourned.

GROUP XLVI.

NEWCASTIIO AND DARLINGTON =NC,
'PION AND TYNE DOCK.

The Committee on this line decided that the preamble of the Bill
should be declared proved with certain restrictions with regard to
their interference with the Jarrow chemical works. These restric-
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