The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-25 00:00:00

JUNCTION RAI LWA ir BILL.

On the motion that this Bill be read a second time,
Mr. FOX MAULE moved as an amendment, that the Bill
be read a second time upon this day six months.
Lord DUNCAN observed, that notwithstanding his Hon.
Friend had moved that the second reading of the Bill be
postponed for six months, he trusted the House would allow
it to go into Committee, where its merits might be fully dis-
cussed. He had heard that there were other Amalgamation
Bills which were opposed to this, and which the Hon.
Member as a member of the Amalgamation Committee had
allowed to pass without opposition. Ile (Lord Duncan) did
not think it was quite fair of his Hon. Friend to come
down now, is endeavour to influence Hon. Gentlemen to
oppose the further progress of the Bill, especially as he
(Lord Duncan) was quite ready to meet him in discussion
on its merits.

„..
Mr. FOX MAULE observed that his Noble Friend was
entirely wrong in the charge which he had brought against
him. He trusted that hie Noble Friend would withdraw
the charge against him of having canvassed any Hon.
Member to come down with him, and oppose the further
progres of the Bill. In opposing this Bill, were he guided
by the interests of his own constituents, he should be the
last man to throw any obstacle in the way of its being car-
ried. In fact, he opposed this Bill in opposition to the
(pinion of his own constituents in the city of Perth. His
opposition to the Bill was founded on public grounds alone.
in order to prevent the through communication between
the north and south from falling into the hands of a great
monopolising body. When he gave notice of his intention
to move that this Bill be read a second time this day six
months, the subject had not come under the notice of the
Classification Cemmittee. It was not now his intention to
oress that motion, but he should be satisfied with the
simple motion, that the Bill be read a second time on
this day six weeks, in order to let it come
under the motion for the postponement of the
consideration of all railway amalgamation Bills. There
were several distinct lines of railway communication proposed
between the north and the south. They had a line which
went by Newcastle, along the coast, into the city of Edin-
burgh, and continued its progress to the north by the Queen's
Ferry. Arother line was by the London and Birmingham
Railway, on to Lancaster, sad thence to Carlisle and the
north. Then there was the Caledonian Railway. Another
means of communication was proposed by the Scottish Cen-
tral Railway; and, finally, a trunk line, by the west coast,
wee proposed
to be constructed. What, he would ask, did
the promoters of the Bill now underdiscussion propose to do?
Instead of amalgamating in a continuous line in
the east coast district, they proposed to come into
the centre trunk railway communication of Scot-
ian, and amalgamate themselves with a short line
of forty miles in length, thereby rendering it utterly
impossible that a direct communication in a northern direc-
tion should be obtained. The Caledonian and the.SceStish
Central Railway had been permitted to be constructed, on
the express condition that a direct communication between
the north and the south, giving the best facilities to
the public convenience, should be carefully preserved.
He was anxious that the question of railways should be
clearly settled by that House, and he apprehended that that
could be done within a period of six weeks; and he would,
therefore, instead of moving that the Bill be read a second
time that (lay six months, content himself with moving that
it be read a second time that day six weeks.
Itlr. COLQUHOUN said, that as he had been appealed to
on this question, and as lie had no private interest whatever
in the matter, he could give an impartial opinion. He had
taken a warm interest in the passing of the Scottish Central
Railway Bill during last session, and he did so, not on pri-
vate, but on public grounds. The Board of Trade, in their
report, had stated that it was desirable that that Company
should receive the support of the Legislature, because, of all
other lines, it would give the most important outlet to the
district of Scotland through which it was proposed to pass.
He would now turn to the case mentioned by the Noble Lord.
The ground taken by the Noble Lord was this,that the Scot-
tish Central Railway should be connected with a railway that
travelled, not from north to south, but from east to west.
Now he conceived that nothing could be more inconvenient
than that, because if they were to travel from the south of
England to Scotland, the railway that Jay from east to west
would force travellers as much as possible to go round by
Glasgow on the one tide, or by Edinburgh on the other, and
so swell their traffic as much as lay in thsir power. On that
ground, then, it was desirable for the public interests that
the Scottish Central Railway should be prevented frcm an
exclusive monopoly of the districts lying between the east
and west of Scotland. He would say that it was not for the
public advantage that the proposed amalgamation should be
made between the railways lying from east to west and
north to south of Scotland. He believed that the, House
had good res Sons for entertaining their suspicion on
the question of amalgamation.—(Cries of ” Hear, hear.")
He thought it was but right that a Committee should be ap-
pointed to consider that question, and state in their reports
how far amalgamation of railways would suit the interests of
the public. He did not mean to say that amalgamation
should not he permitted in some case. He should, on the
grounds stated, give his support to his Hon. Friend.
Mr. W. PATTEN could not see how the decision of the
Committee, which he had moved for a few nights ago, could
have anything to do with the case of the railway in ques-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) That Committee, as the House must
recollect, had been appointed for the purpose of considering
the Bills of amalgamation now under the consideration of
Parliament. The Hon. Member concluded by moving the
temporary suspension of all amalgamation Bills.
Lord DUNCAN said that be was very much delighted
to hear the speech of the Hon. Member for North Lancashire
(Mr. Patten), and he must say that he believed the Hon.
Member who had moved the amendment had had some coin-
reunication with the directors of the Caledonian Railway.
Wby did he shrink from that amendment, and why did his
" six months" dwindle into six weeks? The Scottish Cen-
tral was a most unfortunate cornpany, and lie hoped that
the House would not add to their misfortunes by adopt-
ing the amendment, which he conceived to be unjust.
The directors ..f the railway thou,ght it would be better for
them to amalgamate, and their rates and fares would then
iacnhyt the discussionlo n
Member
rem illibe the h e
washouse.
so much
discussed in a Committee in a much better manner than
by
d, aigtVid nantio°tn'e:az--
eeesl eighty-one miles in length.. He trusted the Hous
t
s 1;
woUldfulli.conslder the question as_d ggristsbenetit to Scot.-
land. Edinburgh and Ulasgow were the principal.centres
iatu which al WIC. tratlic. ulug, couvefg9, LoPod the
i uchTahlear 4innel