The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-25 00:00:00

DUDLEY.

Before the evidence was resumed in favour of this line, in answer
to the Hon. Chairman, who desired to be informed of the nature of
the Bills comprised in this group,
Mr. RICKARDS stated that the South Staffordshire Junction (Wil-
lenhall and Bloxenhall Branch) had been withdrawn; the Trent
Valley, Midlands, and Grand Junction was under arrangement, and
no one intended to appear on behalf of the South Staffordshire
Junction.
Charles Shaw, Esq., magistrate of Birmingham, stated that for
the last forty years he had been extensively engaged as a merchant,
factor, and manufact irer, in the towns of Wolverhampton and Bir-
mingham, and he had long felt the necessity which existed fur some
railway communication for that i.istrict. In the year 183 i he had
aev,sed such a line as the present, and when the prospectus of this
Company was published he immedlat ly became a shareholder, for the
purpose of forwarding the scheme. He preferred this line principally
because it would afford accommodation to many important towns
which were left entirely unaccomtnodated by its rival lines. It was
decidedly of the utmost importance to the public that the line which
should be formed in the district in question should be an entirely in-
dependent line. This line would possess this advantage ; its rivals
would not. The witness then gave a history of the origin of the
competing schemes. This scheme was unanimously approvel of at
a large meeting of the ain, ipat irontnasters of Birmingham. Lord
Dartmouth and himself were directors of this line. It would be in-
dependent of the London and Birmingham, and supposing the
Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton were opened, it
would afford a direct communication with Lomeli. On

these grounds. amongst others, he decidedly preferred it to Its
rivals. He then gave his reasons for preferring tae station at Snow-
hill to that proposed to be erected at New-street by the threwsbury
and Birmingham Company. Snow-hill (whit • was in the widest
part twenty yards) was the widest thoroughfare in Birmingham,
and the outlets to it were much wider han in any other part of the
town. Passesgors arriving from Wolverhampton also arrived by
Snow-h 11. Within a ironer of a mil:. radius of Snow-hill there
were 550 buyers of goods arriving from Wolverhampton, whilst
within the a one distance of the New-street static,' there were 76.
To the Ii n. CHAIRMAN proposed Newhall-street as a proper
site for a station for icy project of 1835. I sh..uld ,ave proi,osed
Snow-1111, bat the capital required tor the purchase of sufficient pro-
perty there was so great, that I dare nut ask for it.
Examination resumed. The propose t station of the Shrewsbury
and Birmingham. at Wolverhampton, would be aim st useless to the
town. A low level would be much preferable there than a high one,
because the goods exported were of the heaviest description. The
people of Wolverhampton were decidedly hi ta.our of this line, and a
vast majority of the inthientpil &habitants of Birmingham were In
favour of the New-sti eet and the Snow-liill stations, but if 'tee only
were to be, granted they would decidedly prefer the t3nOw-hill
station.

Cross-examined by Mr. RICKARDS. —He had some property in the
neighbourhood of Snowell , but it was nut of much importance to
him. A portion of it would be required by this line for the erection
of a station, and he 81 ould not have the slightest objection to part
with it. When he said tie preferred this line because it was an in-
dependent one, he meant that it would be independent of any exist-
ing
line between Birmingham and London. The Great Western. had
110,00111. in the capital of this cornuany, and the Oxford, Worcester, 1
and Wolverhampton (whieh had a large primary in crest in this line),
would be leased to the Great Western Company. Those two com-
panies between them possessed shares to the amount of a quarter of a
million in this company. The word " independent " for the district
under the consideration of the Committee, meant, actordieg to his
notions, in connexion with the London and Birming-
ham Company, with which he had no sympathy be-
cause they bad raised their fares. lie himself was
connected with the London and Birmingham before their Bill was
obtained. There were some parts of the district that would be better
accommodated by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham than the Bir-
mingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley line. The Shrewsbury and
Birmingham line would pass shrough Darleston, but, in his opinion,
it was not a town of very great importance. The station of the
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley line would be about a
mile distant from Darleston. The distance between the Snow-
bin. and New-street stations was certainly more than three
furlongs, it was at least half a mile. To a traveller
t‘tthtzlheeedncient:saftiee would be undoubtedly more than 200 yards. The sta-
N7„,,wtch he proposed ten years ago for his project, wasnearer to the
itiortrtuhorntcithan the Snowhill, but that was no means a final
a yard of the centre_ reason why he fixed on it was, because the site was
dannailin:.
central ; that was to say, within a mile of
, whiht the Snowhill-statien would be within
The station at the Crescent might be larger
In the
was the
five to three, but it would be
than its rival,
toinparativele efieteSB
next to High-street, was the moy The end of New-street
two policemen were, in fact, obli:ea to oZZl3seot in Birmingham ;
tion of life and property passing along .
ei there, for the protec-
many pickpockets at that point. In e. There are a good
lie-examined by Mr. Hoßiabeaotaw—Thiis line ran parallel with n
very near to the present road. h pat Irrninghara and woleerhaiV
ton. The London and Birmingline was the worn maeaged in
considered that the proposed station or t
could be
the kingdom.
formed. Great Bridge,
Junction Company
which was fully accommodated by this
and
lie
atDarlaston would be the best that he urand
Darlastou.
CLATTON—This would be,
To Mr. IL came princi ail
not at All by the other line, was of much greater importance than
theirnlignrgeha4temst passenger
Westrally-
froßitmstoii.
way in the kingdom. The coal used in B
drug. Birmingham, con-
-3lr. Sault el Thornhill, chemist and .
Bromwich, Wtdnesbury, and the neighbourhood of
superiority
becoming
f,
the Snow-hill over the New-street station. Snow-
h ligf
every day the greatest business portion of the town and the bulk of
the passenger* aril/ling from Wolverhampton stopped i4thihee
neigh-
bourhood of Snowhill, which was decidedly considered
ma-
jority of the influen tat people of Birmingham to be the most desi-
rable site for a railway station.
Cro6s• examined by Mr. Ricnanns—lf the Snowhill station wera
granted, this Company proposed to purchase his fi eehold shop at
Snowhill.

Mr. George Heaton, millowner and metal dealer, Birmingham,
also rive ev (knee in savour of tho Snowhill. . .

The Ron. Cu s ppose all the inhabitants in the neigh•
bourhood of Suowhill are in favour of the Snowl-.111 station ?—Yes.
Mr. Samuel Briggs, builder, Bradford-street, Birmingham, said
that that street was nearer to New-street ihen Snow-hill. He did a
great deal of business for people living at Wednesbury. Be consi-
dered that an independent line such as this would be a great boon
to the people in th.s di-trict. Although his place of business was in
the neighbourhood of New-street he preferred the Bnew-hill station,
and so did the majority of the people of Birmingham.
Cross-examined by Air. RICK saps— I have no connexi,,B veth this
COMPally- The town is extending mach more on the dnow-bill than
the ew-street side.
Mr. William Collin% factor, nirmivigham, preferridtte
grit, len (in which ne i;hbouri3oori of businewiubs) slid an in-
depen line to an amalgainattfl Company.
Mr. Jas. Bestow, brasst,,tinder, Bionic sham, said that the greater
ntrt of his cu,torners resid,d at Dudley, Wmisall, Wolverhampton.
acid the mineral onitriets there. tie had no ..oubt atieut the superi-
ority of this Company's station at Birmingham, and that wee the
vaneral opinion. He had do connextn with this Company,

The Hon. CHAIRMAN said the Committee had heard quite sufficient
evidence on the question of the propo,ed stations at ttirminghain
Mr. ROBINSON said he had no desire to weary the Committee, but
perhaps they would consent to hear Mr. Spooner, the member for
Birmingham.
The Committee having consented,
Mr. Spooner, 31. P., stepped forward, and said there could be no
doubt that the Snow-hill station was the better, although both the
stations were goods ones, the new street, Ii fact, being a better station
than the other for oassengers arriving from London. He considered
that both stations were necessary for the in ereste of the town, and
the mojorlty of the inhabitants were of that opinion.
Cross-examined by Mr. Rim. ens Ile was a director of this line.
He considered the new street station indispensable, and that it was
desirable to have a passenger station unencumbered with goods.
Even if the Shrewsbury and Birmingham were parted, he considered
that the Snow-hill station viould be required for the interests of the
town. There had been no public meeting, as far as he knew, on the
subject of the rival stations.
Re-examined by Mr. Roanisost.—lle had purchased shares in this
Company principally because it was a continuance of the line from
Oxford to Birmingham, and would be an independent line.
Re-cross-examined.— Looking at the promoters and toe prospectus,
he believed that the Shrewsbury and Birmingham would be under
the c. ntrol of the London and Birmingham. He was not aware that
ler. Onnskt Gore, M.P , and Mr. Clive, M.P.. the chairman and
deputy-chairman of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company were
interested in the London and Birmingham, but he had no doubt,
seeing that the latter Company had a fourth in the capital of the
former, they would have the control of the :nhrewsbury and Birming-
ham. The line at present under the consideration of the Committee
would no doubt be under the management of the Great Weste.n
Company.
Mr. 1111. banker, Wolverhampton, having been called to show the
superiority of this company's station there over tha'. of its rival, Mr.
RICKARDS objected to his evidence being received, on the ground
that that question was not hen under the consideration ef the Com-
mittee; but it being eventually settled Hat the evidence might be
tendered, Mr. Hill proceeded to state that he was a magistrate of
Staffordshire, a d deputy chairman of the quarter sessions of that
county. Be agreed with Mr. Spooner, that a line such as this should
be in independent hands. At a county meeting it was resolved that
the level of this company's line, at Wolverhampton, would best ac-
commodate the people of this district, and a petition to Parliament
to that effect was adopted and signed at the meeting.
Cross-examined by Mr. RICKARDS - The Shrewsbury and Bir
mingham line would not atiord as much accommodation to the
people of Wolverhampton and Dudley. The greater portion of the
manufactures which were exported Flom Wolverham ton were sent
to Liv,rpool, not to London. The meeting to which he had alluded
had been called by requisition ; he did not know whether it had been
advertised. It was a public meeting not to take into consideration
the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, but solely the Birmingham Wol-
verhampton, and Dudley line, and it was naturally attended princi-
pally by those pecuniarily interested in it. The ascent to this Com-
pany's station at Wolverhampton would not, he hoped, be quite so
bad as that to the room in which he was sitting.— (Laughter.)
Cross-examined by Mr. SELFE- I do not understand why one of
these companies should have a six mile clause in their Bill, whilst
the other is content with a twe mile clause.

Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant KINGSLAKE—To those who pre-
ferred It there would be a walk on the level at the Wolverhampton
station.

Mr. Edward Perry, japanner and tin-worker, of Wolverhampton,
said that he sent the principal part of his goods sivitth of Birming-
ham. He paid 1,0001. for the carriage of his goods at present. He
sent them by the canal to Birmingham, and from that town to Lon-
don they were carried by railway. The present rates of carriage on
that railway were far too high considering his profits. It was the
prevailing opinion at Wolverhampton that the low level station of
this lice would best accommodate the interests of the town.

Cross-examined by Mr. RICKARDS eld no share in this Com-
pany. The proposed line of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham would
give hiar a oirect communlcaticn with Liverpool, Chester, Ireland,
and the south of Wales. The eosts of the London and Birmingham
might be below the Great r% estern, but still they were too WO.
It it c.,ukt be avoided it would be as well not to have a break of
image, but there would be one on the Birmingham and Oxford line,
which he preferred to this Company's Hue, although there would be
nob eak upon it.

Re-exaniiiied by Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE —The disadvantage of a
break of guage was very slight, when put by the aide of the advan-
tages which this line possessed over its rivals.

Mr. Wynne, merchant, Wolverhampton, was next called to prove
the disadvantages under which the people of that district at present
laboured, In consequence of a want of railway accommodation ; they
were obliged to avail themselves of the tedious route of the canals
in transmitting their goods to Oxford and other large towns. The
manufacturers of Wolverhampton generally entertained an opinion
in favour of this line. He had II) share in this railway. Its station
would be decidedly the best The town was rapidly extending In
the direction of Homely Fields.
Cross-examined by Mr. RICKARDS—The station of the Newburg
and Birmingham line would be nearer to Ilorseley Fields than that
of its rival. He decidedly preferred competition in railway matters.
If this Company amalgamated with the Great Western, he should
join In petitioni g Parliament for a third line, when there would
be " Three Richmonds in the held." No doubt an amalgamation
would take place between this Company and the Great Western.
The Committee adjourned at tour till twelve o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP LIX.

lavEreP- OM Air D BURY, AND MANCHES-
TER, AND LEEDS AMALGAMATION; AND MAN-
CHESTER 'AND BOLTON, AND BURY CANAL
NAVIGATION AND RAILW %Y; AND MANCHES-
TER AND LEEDS AMALGAMATION.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

All the clauses were gone through, with the exception of two or
three In the first Hill, and the Committee adjourned shortly after
three o'clock till to-morrow at twelve.

GROUP LX[.

CALEDONIAN (POLLOC AND GOVAN
Art]) CLYDESDALE ZIINCTION .11DM GA-
zei A TION).
The Committee met this day at twelve o'clock. Sir John uck-
worthehairroan.

Ihe po,tponed clittP,es in the above Bill were proceeded with, and,
after amendments, were agreed to.
EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW AND SC .: T.
TISH CENTIZAI. JUNCTION.

Mr. AMU! opened ft.r the preamble of this Hill, and concluded an
able, though brief, address, by Int'lnning the Committee that he
would call such evidence as would prove the great becessity for the
construction of the line.