The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-19 00:00:00

GROUP XXXI.

BRISTOL AND BIRMINGHAM (ASH..
CHURCH, TEWKESBURY, AND MALVERN).
The Committee assembled this morning at the usual hour, ano
were engaged In hearing evidence on the part of the opponents of the
line. The case having been concluded the room was ordered to be
cleared.
On our re-admission, the CHAIRMAN said that the Committee were
of opinion that the pi eamble of the Bill had not been proved by the
evidence.
The counsel for the promoters a ished to know In what respect the
videnee was deficient.
The CHAIRMAN said that it was not the duty of the Committee to
make out the ease of the promoters or to show in what way it was
deficient. The case had certaaily not sailed through limy deficiency
Ist the engineering evidence.
-

Te engineering evidence was then gone into, and the Committee
ijourned.

GROUP XXXIII.

The Committee on this group met to-day at twelve o'clock in
room No. 24 (Grand Corridor) ; present Sir Robert Ferguson (chair-
man), the Marquis of Worcester, Viscount Newry, Mr. Similett, and
Mr. Fellowes.
I They proceeded with the further consideration of the three branches
Of the Warwickshire and London itailwa)s, vaisiely—
WORCESTICR AND WEEDON,
HAMPTON AND A.SHCHI7RCH,
HAMPTON AND BANBURY.

Sir Willoughby G,-irdon, Quartermaster-General, was examined by
Mr. Kzeurr MACAULEV. lie attended in obedience to a postserip from
the House ofCemmons. Ile could not be supposed to know anything of
railways, much less of their relative merits, except as to the conveyance
of her Majesty's troops. The accommodation proposed to be afford, d
I. Weedon would be of importance to the service. That place was
an ordnance depot. There was not a large number or troops kept
there—only a competent number for the protection of the depot. It
would be of great importance to have a railway from Weedon to
Northampton, the distance being, 1 owever, only seven miles. 'Th •
Weedon and Worcester line would be advantageous, as it would
make the communication by- railway between Weed., and :he port
of Flyalollth compete and direct. In fact, every railway was of im-
portance to her Majesty's military service, and that tine was toe most
jp whico dad the fewest breaks. Every break was inconvenient to
- Drfeate family in travelling. It was more so, in the ratio of the
cumbers, to a body of troops.;
cross-examination by Mr. WAIELET, Q.C., the Gallant Officer said
that he could give no opinion as between the competing lines. In
this case the competing lines, by connecting Wolverhampton with
Weedon, Birmingham, Worcester, and Plymouth, would be of im-
portant advantage. The break Of gauge and increased distance were
disadvantageous. But shortness of distance was not always an ad-
vantage of itself. The consideration of shortness was frequently qua-
lified by circumstances of convenience. ; e could give no opinion as
to the comparative merits of the broad and no/Tow gauges. He was in
the habit of transmitting by railway an average of sixty thousand
troops per annum, and he had found the accommodation afforded to
her Majesty's service by the • directors of both systems such, that he
could not have effected the transit of the troops more conveniently if
be had directed it himself.
Colonel Thornton, commandant of Birmingham, gave evidence of
& similar character.
Sir Charles Knightley, Bart., M.P. for North Northamptonshire,
was examined by Mr. K. 3lacarLiv, and gave evidence strongly in
favour of these lines, as regards the advantage to the agricultural
Int. rests in the conveyance of produce, &c., and to the general inte-
restsof the public in the conveyance of coals and other articles of
c.2l2,ulll,o,t_eio_o• However, it was chiefly with a view to the agricul.
``'
ws"`"' tern";l.rll..nt he
ways. favourable to the Warwickshire and London
Other witnesses were
er weetrhee,xamined to the same effect as the Hon.
' Baronet •
amongst
poor
la.aitclte land agent of the Marquis of Hertford,
who said that the
s through which the lines would pass
Found be greatly benefited
tocfhthpiis,:cm,
railways. Persons
or becausecapitalwe such was always the effect of
uainted with the erxtyebri;thinetioreawnhs te,tuofwcoeinevaeye:
mince made acq
giected, and were induced to emplo
o'clock upon them.
adjourned till twelve 'clock
The COMlBiltee
.rew„

Until'? XXXVIII.
i pr
warms, DEWSBURY, ANDPallage.,... .
Mr. Acland, chairman. —....iii-rxim
Mr. Grainger, the engineer to the line, was examined
at eon
able length. The total length of the line was seven miles
livlikr..
longs. The gradients were of a favourable nature. The estimated
cost of the line was '280,000/. The line would be easily constructed,
and the traffic would make it 1 remuneratire line to the shareholders.
After hearing some tUrther evidence, the Committee adjourned till
twelve (o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP
imam ERSPIELD AND MANCHESTER
(oLDE,Dsx ins nucT).
The Committee met at twelve o'clock.
Evidence was adduced In support of the Bill, and the ease on the
fart of the promoters having been closed,
The Committee adjourned until Monday.

GROUP XLI.
This Committee re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock.
VIA.NCIIESTER, BOLTON, AND BURY ca.

NAL AND RAILWAY.

The case for the orponents of this Bill was entered into.
Mr. HOPE (on the part of the iverpool and Manchester Railway
Company) said he trusted that the Committee would not sanction
Inch a Bill as that before them—a Bill which interfered most mate-
rially with the rights o: another company without affording any ade-
quate advantage to the public. The company he represented had trot
only expended a large sum in the construction of their works, bat
also had paid 41,000/. for a free way, and it was now sought by the
promoters of the present Rill to cross their line and divert their
traffic, and by the establishment of a station at Manchester to reap
the advantages of his clients' toil and money. No case ever came
before Parliament involving au an Interterence with the rights of a
public Company. Level crossings had been sanctioned in other
parts of the country, but never wtheut a necessity far greater than
could be shown in the present case to exist, and never on a line
crowded with traffic, like the Liverpool and Manchester. On Nat '
line there were no less than ninety trains passing daily; in addition
to which, the prices of conveyance were the lowest that had ever
been charged. In support of what he had advanced as to
the amount of traffic, he would Just advert to one item,
namely, the pleasure traffic. This was already very consider-
able, and was daily increasing in the ratio of the population,
as would be shown by the evidence. Such was the traffic of
his clients' line. What was the case with their opponents'. Why,
they had only thirty trains. Was it, then, not preposterous
that they should. seek to pass through the very centre of
the most thriving district in the country, when railway traffic was
daily developing itself, and that at the disadvantage of delay, if not
of danger? for there were instances where disasters had re.
gutted from these very level crossings. From these considerations,
he trusted that the Committee would not sanction the present Bill on
these grounds : first, that his clients had afforded the public great
eenvenience, and In the next place that the line proposed was not
Orly not required, but that It wag not even a proper rile.
itAjtaiatur 11°4'1,4 some evidencezuip4t, the ptiticatS3 A laixt
t o=tatte adjonmerl,