The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-04 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(1 EST ER:DAY)

iiOUSE OF LORDS.

Room A.
ST. -S. laira NS, LUTON, .5.1N7D DUNSTABLE

The Committee on skis Ltill met to-d=y at eleven o'eluek, Lord
Winchester in the chair.
This Bill w is opriosed by the London and Birmingham Company.
Mr. Wass oast opened the ease for the promoters. lie
said, he tra-;,••i t hat lit ,could tire to show the Coannitieu that the
present Bid was entitled to their Lordships' favourable consideration.
There was a it ge population at Luton., which had latterly increased ;
there was an immense manufacture in the art'ele of. straw plait,
•-• hill was imported timn the princitral houses id that place
to ttny, America, mid New York. The presatit sonv,yeace of that
niche to London was peculiarly disaitvantageous, bang compara•
tively slow and dear. in the house of Commons they were opposed
only by the London mid Birmingham Company, who, however. did
not appear against the Bill. They did, however, appear on the pre-
sent occasion; and accordingly there was a petition from certain
latidowaers along the line, complaining of injury, but he would be
able to show their Lordships that there was no residential injury in-
flicted. There was also a petition from the inabitants of St. Albans;
but as his Learned Friends on the opposite side had already obtained
a locus standi, be tbotight it unneceasaty to observe on that subject
any thi tig furthertlm in that a untsiber of those who had petitioned had
withdrawn their mums, and among those was the mayor of the town.
In fact, there was a petition of some fifty individuals against the
Bill, while the number who signed petitions in favour of the Bill
amounted to four !maitre,' and fifty. With these observations he
would leave the • a-, i a the hands of the Committee, and would pro-
ceed to-call wtt ncsses to prove the preamble of the Bill.
31r. Vyse was examined, and stated that he was a straw bonnet
manufaeturi,r, resident at Luton. He employed Maisel( 300 parsons
in making straw bonnets, while the entire number of persons em-
ployed in the same manafacture at Luton, and for a radius of three
miles, way 4,530. 'rids was quite exclusive of themanutiteture of the
plait, which he would not attempt to estimate. The money turned at
'mull iu th:s article amounted to 500,0001. per annum. Tee whole
monetar, tran,aetions carried on at Luton was upwards of 2,000,0001.
In 1539 there was hut one bank at Luton, Is Melt was attended but
twice a week, but now, at that town, there were two banks ,which
were attended every day. The population of the town at the last
census was 7,748, while from the calculationsr he lied made, wtilch
were deduced front flt. increase in the number of buildings, there was
at present a populanau of 11,248. There Were a variety of matters
used in the manufactures carried on at Luton, and the present mode
of transit to and trout London, was most inconvenient, as wellas be-
twee t St. Alban, mid Luton, at the former of which towns there was also
a large trade curss. on. The feeling of Luton was in favour of the
railway, which wa- evinced not only by petitions but by public
meetings.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ars•rts—The plait manufacture centered
in Luton. Was seventeen years resident Luton ; during that period
there had been an increase in the nunibez of manufaetories to
forty-seven.
31r. Vyse, cross-examined by Mr..% OSTIN - Had an•establishment
in London, and his proportion of the outlay at Luton, or 500,0001.,
was 45,072!.
Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant WRANGUAM—The rejection of the
Oxford and Cambridge line would he of great benefit to this line, for
the traffic which would be diverted from this line must flow in
this direction. His calculations with respect to the popu-
lation were made from actual observation and inquiries
of those persons qualifled to give him correct information, and he
adhered to his statement. The number of money orders aistritaned

•
1 Luton was 20,000. •
Mr. Willis, of Luton, was called, and stated that he concurred fully
a the evidence of the preceding witness. He also stated that latt.'n
vas far superior in the staple trade of the town to Dunstable, atEd
hat the proposed railway, by effecting a saving of from 7.000/. -to
0,000/. in the article or coal to Luton, and by forming a communi-
ation between Luton, Dunttaide. and St. Albans, would be 01 the
l'eittest advantage to these t ,wns.
Several other witnesses were examined in support of the 11111, to
prove the traffic, after which the Perninitteo adjourned.