The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-13 00:00:00

tiNOPPCiSED BILLS.

The South-Eastern Ashton Stations Enlargement, the Eastern
union and Hadleigh Junction, and the London and Brighton and
Bast Grimstead Branch Railways came before Lord Shaftesbury,
and the preambles having beeen proved, the Bills were declared to
brave passed through Committee.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP W.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
.&DERDEEN, BANPP, AND ELGIN.

Itr. Sergeant Mourne accordingly proceeded to open the case for
the promoters of this line. He said he should be able to show by
evidence that the proposed line between Aberdeen and Nairn was
infinitely superior to the Great North of Scotland, while its construc-
tion would involve the expenditure of a sum considerably
less than the estimate for the Great North of Scotland. It
would give tare accommodation to the localities and dis-
tricts through which it passed ; and if he were correctly
instructed, as he had no doubt he was, the majority of the inhabitants
of the three counties which the line intersected preferred the Aber-
deen, Banff, and Elgin line to the Great North of Scotland. The
Learned Counsel concluded by stating that they had been taken by
sillrprise by the decision the Committee had come to in the early
part of their sitting, and the consequence was they were net prepared
with their witnesses.
The Committee ender these circumstances consented to adjourn
till to-morrow, when the engineering evidence will be gone into.

GROUP XIII.
This Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock ; Sir William Clay
in tire chair. Members present—Earl Jerlrtyrl, Lord Shelburne, Mr.
Ainsworth, and Mr. Cartels.
CALLMIDCIVNIATI (EXTENSION ILNII
7132.11NC11E5).

The Author evidence in support of the Dumfries branch of the
411aledonian and against the Glasgow Dumfries and Carlisle scheme
was resumed on the re-assembling of the Committee.
Mr. Adam Anderson, of Sanquhar, examined—said he had consi-
derable experience of the coal-field of Sanquhar. It was a very
troubled field, having several trap rock intrusions. It was also of
limited extent. He had a plan before him which showed the various
trap rocks that intersected the strata. From the troubled
character of the strata there was a necessity to sink a
great number of pits in proportion to the area. He had
himself sunk eighteen pits to realise but a moderate
supply of coal. The coal was of an inferior character. He did not
think that-the field would ever be extensively worked to pay. He
did not think that Dumfries would be supplied to any great extent,
as the inhabitants of that town could be better supplied from Canonbie
and Glenbuck, in Ayrshire, both of which points would be traversed
by the Caledonian scheme. He:did not think the Sanquhar coal would
find a market at Dumfries, as it could not be delivered there under
9s. Id. a ton. Canonbie coal could be supplied at Dumfries for 9s. 2d.,
and Glenbuck coal at 95.6(.1., but they were 25. elton better. He did not
consider there could be, any supply of the gas coal—
whieh had been estimated for by the Nithsdale Company—got
from the Cumnock fields, as that kind of coal had been nearly ex-
hausted. He considered also that the Nithsdale Company had
overstated the amount of coal traffic on the Canonbie branch. The
Caledonian had a similar branch, and they had estimated the traffic
of it at 10,000 tons less. The whole amount that should be taken
from the tables for all these deductions was 6,6841., leaving them
8.9721., instead of 15,6561., which they estimated. He had found
clay at Sanquhar, having sunk sixty feet through it. Bricks had
been made there. Clay had also been found near Thornhill. He was
satisfied that clay would be found throughout the whole valley of
the Nith, with bat few exceptions. He had furnlshed Mr. Smith, of
Deanston, with Information about the clay.
Cross-examined—He had two pits, and raised about 4,000 tons
yearly. It went principally to the district around Thornhill. Very
little he believed went tp Dumfries. He struck out all the coal
coming from Cumnock southwards to Dumfries. The importation of
coal into the pert of Dumfries for the last few years was about 13,000
tons, at an average price per ton of 135. The population of Dumfries
was 14,442, and the country around it about one-third more.
Re-examined—He thought the west division of the Caledonian
Extension line the hest one for the supply of minerals to the south.
With regard to gas coal, Lesmahogow supplied the best in Scotland,
and it was close to the Caledonian Extension line. Regarding the
Crawick branch, the utmost he would allow for its mineral traffic
was 3701.

Mr. Nicholas Wood, civil and mining engineer, examined—He
had had extensive experience in the coal trade, and on dif-
ferent occasions examined the Scotch coal fields. He had
examined both the Cumnock and Sanquhar coal fields. As
far as be nub" learn the Sanquhar field was bot limited
in extent, and troubled wish faults. The coal was inferior to both
Vat of Cumnock and Canonbie. The plan of the strata before the
Committee he believed to be an accurate representation of the bed.
He had not been down the pits, but the information on the plans he
had received from Mr. Anderson. He had gone over the field with
severttl other mining engineers, and having heard their explanations,
besides noticing the works that rose on each side of the basin, and
which underlay the strata, he came to the conclusion that the field
was about six miles long and one mile broad. He had examined the
traffic-table of the Nithsdale Company, and thought It much too
high. He had made out another table of the traffic, which he would
hand over. Ile had divided the traffic into three heads—one from
Cumnock to Dumfries ; another for the Canonbie branch ; and a
third for the Crawick branch. He did not think any Coal would be
taken from Sanquhar to Dumfries. lie set down the whole of the
mineral traffic of the Nithsdale scheme at 10,2941.
The CHAIRMAN called the attention of the counsel for the Cale-
donian line to the fact of there being considerable discrepancy be-
tween the estimate of Mr. Anderson and that submitted by the
present witness.
Mr. Anderson was recalled, and stated that, from some tables
which he could produce in a short time, he would be able to explain
the difference satisfactorily.

Mr. Geddies, of Glasg,p;', examined by Mr. RICKARDS—Iie was a
native of Kilmarnock, and had been twenty years a calico printer
tkerol He now was engaged in selling dye stuffs for the Kilmar-
neeklmarket. The principal printing at Kilmarnock was monseline.
de-lames. Glasgow was the market from whence the new goods were
brought, and the finished goods cons'gned. It would still continue
the great mart. The unprinted monseline-de-laines were wove at
Manchester, and sent to Glasgow by the Liverpool steamers. All
the dye stuffs were sent to Kilmarnock from Glasgow. He did not
think if a direct communication was had from Kilmarnock to Eng-
land, that the line would be used to bring dye stuffs. There were
four carpet manufactories at Kilmarnock, and the goods made were
/sported. Both the carpet and the bonnet trades were decreasing.
The shoes made at Kilmarnock were principally shipped at Glasgow
for South America, but it was likewise a declining trade.
Cross-examined by Mr. MARTIN—AII the trades were not decreas-
ing, for the printing trade was increasing very much. That trade
he set dawn at about 350,000/. He had collected this from inquiries
he had made and conversation he had held with parties who knew
the town well.
Mr. Robert Sanderson, merchant, of Glasgow, formerly engaged in
the carrying trade in the west of Scotland, deposed as to the carry-
ing trate of Kilmarnock. He knew the trade of Kilmarnock well.
The course of trade was almost exclusively with Glasgow. The
tonnage at present between Glasgow and Kilmarnock by the Ayr-
shire Railway, was 20,000. The whole of this that came from or
went to ngland wits 2,900, which went principally by water. Out
of this 2,900 tons 1,000 tons were seeds, that went by sailing vessels
destined for the east of England. If a railway was formed direct
with England, he did not think any of the leather or seeds would
be sent by it. The utmost that went at present by the
steamers was 1,000 tens. Glasgow, at the present time, was the
great mart in Scotland for English goods, and was becoming more so
every year. He had looked at the Nithsdale Company traffic tables,
mad he thought the amount exaggerated. He did not think that all
the Ayrehire passengers went to Ardro.ssan for England, as a great
number went by the Glasgow steamers.
Cross-examined—He had ascertained from the carriers between
Glasgow and Kilmarnock that the amount was 20,000 tons. The
English wade he ascertained from traders in Kilmarnock.
At the desire of Mr. RICKARDS, Mr. Anderson was called, and ex-
plained that he made a mistake in partly adding up the figures when
called on by the Committee to do so, which led to the discrepancy
between his evidence and that of Mr. Woods. He now explained
this, and begged leave to say that he entirely agreed with the table
of Mr. Woods.
Mr. Robert Farquharson, merchant and manufacturer, of Paisley,
deposed that from his knowledge of the Paisley trade, derived during
40 years' experience, he did not think any other traffic would go by
the Nithsdale line. It would either go by the Caledonian line, or by
sea. He thought as through lines the Caledonian and the Nithsdale
lines could not co-exist, and pay at the same time. If they were
both made it must soon end in an amalgamation. From his know-
ledge, there was but little traffic through by the Nithsdale route.
The cross-examination of the witness did not elicit any point of
material importauce.
The eoglllittee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.