The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

GROUP XIV.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills
comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this morn-
ing ; Mr. Protheroe in the chair.
RENT .A.TBZOSPHER,IC.

The business of the day was commenced with the general evidence
in favour of the Kent Atmospheric scheme.
Lord Stanhope was the: first witness called—He said he had at-
tended the meetings 'at Sevenoaks, called to consider the merits of
the two schemes. The meetings were numerously attended, and by
most of the influential gentlemen of the county. At both meetings
the Kent Atmospheric line was unanimously adopted, in preference
to the South-Eastern scheme. For himself he decidedly thought the
Atmospheric line was the beat line for Sevenoaks, and the best for ac-
commodating the county generally. He was interested in neither
line, nor would either prove of much benefit to his own property.
He preferred the Atmospheric line because it afforded the most ac-
commodation to the county and to his neighbours.
Mr. S. Pierce, carrier of Tunbridge, Mr. B. Baker, brewer of
Tunbridge, Mr. J. Chapman, of Southborough, and Mr. James M.
Richards, surveyor of Tunbridge, gave general evidence In favour of
the Atmospheric line.
Mr. Sherrad, the engineer of the line, was then called, but his
examination was interrupted by
Mr. KEATING, who contended on behalf of the South-Eastern
Company, that as the Atmospheric Company proposed a deviating
line which would affect the Medway navigation, they were bound to
show that the consent of the commissions of the navigation hod been
obtained to the deviation. The standing orders provided for this,
and he submitted that such consent aught to be proved befbre they
could proceed with evidence in favour of the deviation line.
Mr. Sergeant TALFOUBD, on the other sideZurged that the consent
of the owners, lessees, and occupiers of the land near to the Medway,
which was proposed to be taken for the purposes of the line, had
long ago been obtained for the present case ; however, the commis-
sioners seemed to claim a vested right in the bed of the river, and
complained that their consent had not been obtained to the deviation
line Interfering with it. But the truth was, they had -no right to
the bed of the river, for all property of this nature, namely, the
beds of navigable rivers was vested in the Crown, and unless the
commissioners could show that the Crown had transferred its pro-
perty in the bed of the Medway to them, they had no right to main-
tain this objection.

Mr. Eskimo replied that if the Medway commissioners had not a
right to prevent the line interfering with their navigation, they had a
right to complain that their towing path, in which they had the fee,
simple, was unjustly interfered with, and that before the deviation
line was gone into, it should be proved that their consent had been
given to it, in accordance with the standing orders.
The room was then cleared, and after a short consultation,
The Committee decided that the consent of the commissioners
must be obtained before the deviation line could be proceeded with.
Evidence was then adduced to prove that the Medway Commis-
sioners had given a conditional consent to the deviation line, but that
the Committee decided that it was not satisfactory, and the further
consideration of the point was postponed.
Mr. Sherrad's examination was then -proceeded with—He said
the works on his own line were, or at least might be, made as good,
if sot better, than the South Eastern. His own line between Lon-
don and Maidstone was nearly a mile:shorter than the South Eastern ;
between London and Tunbridge, four miles and fifteen chains ;
between London and Seven Oaks, two miles and 76 chains; between
Seven Oaks and London, nine miles and eight chains ; showing a
saving of new line, in favour of the Rent atmospheric line, of 19 miles
and 40 chains. The distance upon his line as between London and
Dover would be 88 yards longer than the South-Eastern line, while
it would save the making of many miles of additional railway. On
the Maidstone line there would be a tunnel 2,376 yards in length,
and on the Tunbridge line two tunnels of 342 and 2,717 yards in
length. On the whole line there were only 88 yards of viaduct.
Mr. Cocunusic objected to the witness going into the details of the
line, as it approached Maidstone, because the Bill before the Com-
mittee did not relate to it, nor• did the schedule of the Bill contain
the lands proposed to be taken for it. The faet was the line before
the Committee was only part of the original atmospheric scheme,
and the line entered Maidstone on a branch to Rochester, which was
not included in this Bill.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till to-morrow, at twelve.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1846.