The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-19 00:00:00

GROUP XX.

The Committee on this group of Bills re-assembled this morning ;
Mr. Sotheron in the chair.

V27NDSO3i, SLOUGH, AND STAIITZS
ATMOSPHERIC.

Mr. Weitaxx, on the :part of the authorities of Eton College, re--
Fumed the cross-examination of Mr. Seeker, with respect to the
fisheries on the Thames and the neighbourhood of Windsor.
The witness was re-examined by Mr. KNOWLES, as to the extent
of the boundary which could be claimed by the Eton Corporatioa.
Steam 414•701404 um U tQ 149 ProPriStY of 044144138 C 411414

deeds and other documents in evidence, and also as to whether Mr.
Pemberton should be recalled.

The room WAS then cleared, and on strangers being ra•admitted,
The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee would not receive
the further evidence of Mr. Pemberton, because the Crown could in
any stage assert its own rights ; and they further decided that from
the evidence already adduced, they could not recommend Parliament
to sanction this Bill, and, therefore, they would require no further
evidence on the preamble.
Mr. KNOWLES wished the Committee to confine their decision to
that portion of the scheme which was really objectionable, or at least
to defer the confirming of the whole resolution until he had had an
opportunity of conferring with his clients.
The Committee assented to this proposition, and adjourned.

GROUP X XII.
The Committee re-assembled this morning at the usual hour, Sir
George Grey, chairman.

NORWICH AND SPOONER.-BOW.
The morning was consumed in hearing local evidence as to which
of the two stations, the one projected by the above company in Nor-
wich, or that proposed by the opposing company, the Ipswich and
Bury St. Edmunds (Norfolk Extension), was the better one.
Other witnesses were called, who also corroborated the evidence Of
the first witness, both as regarded the superiority of the station pro-
posed to be made by the company, and also to the inconvenience
generally felt in their neighbourhood in consequence of the want of
railwayaccommodatthioenn.
rose,
it having been announced that the
Committee
Speaker was at prayers.

GROUP XXVI.
SOUTH ESSEX AND GRAVESEND.
The Committee on this line assembled at twelve o'elock, Mr. M.
0' _:onnell in the chair.
Captain Bullock, R.N., Admiralty Surveyor, testified to the ad-
va stage which would be derived from forming an anchoring ground
In the river Crouch, and the facilities that would be obtained by the
pr posed line for the public interests, in the way of defence for our
m :rcantile marine.
' Captain Hallowell confirmed this testimony, and described the
course of the river Crouch.
Mr. Richmond, a coal-owner and ship-owner of Newcastle, spoke
to the convenience for the coal trade which this line would afford,
and stated not only that there would be a great economy of time, but
hat there would be a saving of ninepence a ton in the carriage of coals
between Gravesend and London. There was much effort to shake
this gentleman's evidence, as also that of Captain Bullock, but It
was to no purpose.
Several farmers in the neighbourhood of Foulness were called to
show the advantage that would result from the more rapid and
cheap conveyance to London of their corn by means of this railway,
and that a great objection existed to using the South-Eastern line
from the necessity of crossing the Thames.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow.

GROUP XXVII.
This Committee met this morning at the usual hour ; Sir C. Lemon
in the chair.

LEICESTER AND BEDFORD.

the engineering evidence was-proceeded with

Mr. Joseph Cubitt was the first witness examined. Was a civil
engineer, and had surveyed this line. It commenced at; Jaitchin in
the north, and extended to the Leicester and Swannington Rail Way
in ate south. It was 644 miles in length. After describing the course
of th,eline, treamtid there were no peculiar engineering difficulties. :The
Works were generally favourable There were two tunnels, one 1,221
yards and the other 643 yards long. The gradients and curves were of the
ordinary character, genitally favourable, as was also the nature of
the soil traversed by the line. The estimated cost of the works was
I „500, 0001. • •-

Cross-examined—Was. not aware that the Leicester and llefliord
line would cost 110,0001. more than the South Midland.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

GROUP XXXI.

SOUTH WALES.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

Mr. Brunel was then called, but as he was under examination In
another Committee, some evidence was taken with respect to the
Margem deviation.

Mr. Mayl.ns, an iron manufacturer in I lynvi Valley, examined by
Sir Tnosfes Pnimars—The main road was so steep that the convey-
ance of his goods to it cost as much as the whole expense of trans-
mitting them to the sea, 13 miles distant. A railway would be an
immense saving to all the other manufacturers in the valley.
The deviation was a considerable improvement on the line of last
session. The majority of the largest manufactures was carried on to
the north of the deviation, whereas the old line was neither near
towns nor manufactories. In addition to this the line would give
direct communication to the ports to which they were desirous
of sending their goods. It would also open up communication with
Staffordshire. Porthcavel, the only available port in the vicinity,
ivas most inefficient for the number of ships communicating with
that part of the country. It was too small, and the water was at times
extremely shallow. No ornamental ground on the property of Mr.
Talbot, at Margem, would be interfered with, and, in his opinion,
it would be of great advantage to that gentleman.
Sir H. De la Beche, examined by Sir T. Pumars—ls Chairman of
the Geological Society of England ; had made a geological survey
of Glamorganshire. Llynvi Valley was extremely rich as it pos-
sessed a quantity of " black band" ore. The deviation line would
afford facilities for the transit of these minerals, which the original
line would not have afforded.
The Learned Counsel for the Severn and Wye Railway Canal
applied to the chairman to move for the production of the notes
of the evidence taken before the Committee on the "Rugby. Worces-
ter, and Wolverhampton Railway in the last session of Parliament ;
and also for the report of the Gauge Commissioners.
Mr. Ausrme held that the report of the Gauge Commission was not
binding or conclusive, inasmuch as no measures had yet been adopted
with respect to it by Parliament. Then the parties before the Com-
mittee this year had no connexion with the lines which the evidence
referred to The Learned Counsel contended that the report of
the Gauge Commissioners was conclusive as far as it went, and that
the parties in the Bills to which he had referred were the same par-
ties which were interested in the Bill before the Committee.
The CHAIRMAN considered that such a motion, if made, should not
proceed from him, or from any other member of the Committee, but
from a member unconnected with the Committee. The Committee
would express an opinion whether the motion ought to be acceded
to or not.

Dr. Bowring, M.P., was then examined. He said he was a large
proprietor of iron-works in Llynir Valley, and the Chairman of the
Llynvi Iron and Coal Works. It was a rich mineral valley. No-
thing could be more wretched than the present mole of com-
munication as it was the worst in the Queen's dominions. The
deviation of the old line would be a great accommodation to the
district, as it would afford more easy transit to the various ports
in the Bristol Channel. The coal-owners of the valley suffered
immensely from the defective communication to which they is ere
exposed, and even their workmen had done them great injury at
times by combinations, because they knew the difficulty of obtaining
workmen and materials from other places.
Mr. P. Bowring, acting manager of the Llynvi works, corroborated
the preceding evidence.

The Committee then adjourned until to-morrow, when the engi•
neering evidence will be taken.

GROUP XXXVII.