The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-02 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(YESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OP LORDS.

Xrurmazir AND BE %MAST SIINCTIOLT, AND
NAVAN niZ.A.N CH RAILWAY EXTENSION.
IRISH ICORT.T.I raximaND.
DIMI.IN AND ENNISKILLEN.

- -
The Committee to whem these Bills were referred, met this after-
at three o'clock, in Abingdon-street. Present —The Marquis of
Salisbury, (in the chair,) Earl of Jersey, Lord Charleville, and the
Bishop of Oxford.
Mr. AUSTIN (who appeared on behalf of the Dublin and Belfast,
against which the Committee have reported) said he under-
stood that the Committee passed a resolution yesterday,
recommding the Dublin and Be:fast Company to take advantage
of their p esent BW to form a junction with the Navan and Drogheda
Railway. Now he considered that their Lordships had, in coming to
that decision, laboured under some misapprehension, inasmuch as
that Company had virtually no Bill before their Lordships. The
Bal to which he presumed their Lordships referred was the
" Belfast Junction Extension," which was quite a distinct railway
to the one for which he appeared.
The Custamsa—There was no mistake at all. We thought our
decision, so far as the junction was concerned, would facilitate your
own interests.
Mr. AUSTIN said it was impossible that it could do so, because the
recommendation of the Committee was simply that they should
snake three furlongs of railway, in order to join the Kells and Drog-
heda and Navan Branch.

After some discussion, Mr. AusTIN expressed his anxiety to know
the intention of the Committee on the subject.
The CHAIRMAN said the view of the Committee was certainly to
put the Dublin and Enniskillen in possession of that line which here-
after might be required for the public convenience.
Mr. AUSTIN proposed that their Lordships should adopt their Bill
to this extent, that they should have power to make the line frem
Bells to Navan, if it was not made by the other parties within a
specified time.
The CHAIRMAN said that they could not do so. The Committee
were of opinion that the circumstances of tile country did not war-
rant the construction of any new line south of Navan.
After considerable discussion, the Committee agreed to the follow-
ing:Pretunble to the r' solution which was passed yesterday :—" That
it is the opinion of the Committee that it is expedint to rut the Dublin
and Enniskillen Company in possession of the line between Kells and
liavan, in order that, if hereafter the traffic of the Company is found
to require a line between Navan and Dublin, that Company may be
mum position to apply to Parliament to form such a line, but at
Present they cannot sanction a line south of Navan,"
Mr. AUSTIN—Then, my Lords, your chairman announced that our
Preamble was rejected. I don't apply to your Lordships to rescind it.
am sorry for it, but cannot help it.
The Committee then proceeded with the clauses.

ROUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP IV.

THE =EAT NORTH Or SCOTLAND.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

lir. (Ebb next underwent a very searching cross-examination,
With a view of showing that his estimates were deficient. The price
of labour, he said, in the districts of this railway, he estimated
thus :—Labourers, 2s. per day ; masons, 2s. 6d. ; and carpenters, from
13a. to 15s. per week. His total estimate for viaducts, bridges, &c.,
was 133,3341.; for land and stations, 269,6691. ; for rails, &c.,
255,0001. The cross-examination, so far as it went, was
effective, but it was abandoned, on a promise being given
that the details of the gross estimates should be torth-
c°,lMng to-morrow. The Great North of Scotland Canal,
the witness admitted, ran parallel with the railway, which it
wag proposed to shut up. It was to be purchased by the railway
Col &many, but he did not know at what price. The lowest he had
herird named was 15,0001., and the highest 36,0001. He had left this
to be met by the Ten per Cent. Contingent Fund. He never heard
of an arrangement to pay Lord Fife's trustees 20,0001., nor had he
included that sum in Ills estimate. The house land of Aberdeen was
not. provided for, except through the Contingency Fund. The line
pas semi under Union-street, but no inconvenience would arise to the
inl eabitants from the progress of the locomotive along this part of tne
lin e. The line entered Elgin on the south side of the town In a man-
ner. no way objectionable.
1 The witness was also cross-examined by Mr. FORSYTH on behalf
of iJite Perth and Inverness Company. The Great North of Scotland
lints was to be amalgamated with the Aberdeen Company, so that
tht re would be one continuous line from Perth to Inverness; other-
Wis as the passengers going from or to those places would have to be
cam ried by four distinct Companies.
!a the Committee adjourned shortly after four O'clock till Monday,
at t avelve o'clock.

GROUP vrr,