The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-27 00:00:00

WEST COENWALL.

Mr. TALBOT opened the case for the promoters of this
Bill, and stated the expense of the project was 500,0001., and
that it was supported by the greater number of the
proprietors along the line. Some of the petitions against
the Bill had been withdrawn, and the remaining petitions
were of a very unimportant character, it being a curious fact
that among the names appended to these letters, there was
not a single proprietor, they all being occupiers. There was
a petition on their Lordships' table from every inhabitant
along the line, from Truro to the Land's End, in favour of
the Bill.
Some evidence as to traffic baying been heard, the Com-
mittee adjourned.

Room C.
SOUTH EASTZRN (CHART BRANCH).

The Committee re-assembled this morning, the Earl of
Devon in the chair,

Mr. ALEXANDER opened at very considerable length, and
stated that this was a branch of the South Eastern Company
to the village of Chart, so as to form a communication-through
the middle portion of Kent, and to cut off the large angle at
Red Hill, going on by Seveneaks and Tunbridge Wells, and
a connexion would then be made direct with Ashford. The
whole cost of the line would be 1,400,0001., and the engineer-
ing difficulties, though considerable, would not be anything
like insuperable. The chief of them was a tunnel of consi-
derable length, in which there would be a rise
from both ends, the gradient upon each incline to the apex
would be one in eighty. It was proposed to pass this tunnel
by the use of smaller wheels than those usually employed.
The cost of this line would be only 23,0001. a mile, Ivkile-that
of its opponent was estimated at 26,0001. a mile.
Mr. TALBOT, who appeared for the Croydon Com-
pany, contended for his right to be heard for the Mid-
Kent Atmospheric at the close of this case.
To this Mr. ALEXANDER objected, and an argument en-
sued, at the close of which
The Committee decided that Counsel for a line not before
them could not be heard.

Sir Edmind Elton was then called, who spoke generally
to the convenience of shortening the line, and giving ac-
commodation to Mid Kent.
The Rev. Mr. Blackhall, vicar of Seale, gave similar tes-
timony, and expressing the favourable opinion of the Marquis
Camden and his other neighbours.
Mr. Douglas, M.P. for Rochester, also gave similar testi-
mony, and stated that. the length of this branch, which is in-
tended to run from Maidstone to Chart, would be between 16
and 17 miles.

Mr. Baldmin, a landed proprietor between 3laidstona and
Ashford, and whose property is chiefly near the proposed line,
expressed himself in favour of the line, and stated that
it would be very convenient for all those who had to attend
the assizes and sessions in the county towns. It would also
be very convenient for the transmission of hop-poles and bark,
there being a wood, chiefly coppice, three miles in length,
near the line.

Mr. Powell, a landowner and farmer near Maidstone, tes-
tified to the general feeling of the district, and stated
what it now cost the inhabitants to bring coals or
manure from Maidstone. There would also be an advantage
in the carriage of lime, a trade which had been lost by the di-
version of the Folkestone line. He also spoke to the advan-
tage to the proprietors of the flour mills and paper mills, and
in his opinion if this line were to be sanctioned, the popula-
tion of the district would increase, and other mills would be
required. The town of Ashford was already very much in-
creased by the passing of the South-Eastern line.
Mr. Mellor cross-examined on the position of the station
at Hollingbourn and the number of mills on the line, and
stated that the cultivation of hops and fruit would be in-
creased by the facility which it would provide.
Colonel Millington, commandant of the military depot at
Maidstone, where there are at present depots of five regi-
ments, besides the riding-school, where there were always
detachments from every cavalry regimen t.The number of troops
at present there is about six hundred. Large numbers of men
were enlisted in London and sent down there. He had
marched the troops which were drafted fcr foreign service to
Headcorn, a distance of eight miles, and there put them on
the railway in prefarence to going the roundabout route of
the prdsent line. In every way the proposed branch would
be a benefit, but he believed the barracks and other public
buildings were nearer to the opposing atmospheric.line.
Mr. Wvlde, a solicitor, and for fourteen years deputy
clerk of the peace, testified to the great inconvenience of
getting to Maidstone from the east part of Kent. So great
had been the change in the feeling of the inhabitants
of that place, that instead of being opposed to it,
they would have made the line themselves, if the
South Eastern Company had not included it in
their group, and so general is the consent
of the landowners, that the line might almost be made with-
out an Act of Parliament. The expense of conveying pri-
soners to the county gaol was, in 1842, 2,5461., and en an
average of seven years it was 2.8921., which by the construc-
tion of the railway there would be a saving of at least 1,0001.
a year. The witness also spoke generally as to the conve-
nience to the immediate distract, and state .1 that•so great is
the inconvenience at present, that goods between Maidstone
and Ashford are now sent by the road instead of the railway.
Mr. George Ward Norman and several other witnesses
were called, who gave similar testimony, after which their
Lordships adjourned till Monday.

Rocirn D.

GLASGOW, DUMPRIES, AND CARLISLE.
The Committee met to-day at eleven o'clock, the Earl of
St. Germans in the chair. Other Members present, Earl
Lucie, Viscount Canning, and Lord Charleville; Lord Orford
absent through indisposition.
The Committee having obtained leave to sit without Lord
Orford, the further examination of evidence for the opposi-
tion to the Bill was resumed.
Mr. Collister, civil engineer, was recalled, and cross-ex-
aminee by Mr. Sergeant BELIASIS—He furnished last night
all the details respecting the estimates that had been
made. He had made the calculation from examina-
tion of the plans and sections of the line. The
plans and sections from which he calculated the estimates
were not larger than those deposed in the Parliamentary
office. Taking the cutting of rock at twenty miles on the
line deposited, the greatest depth was twenty-five feet, and
the average was twenty-four feet. (The witness was here
requested to show the mode he had adopted to arrive at the
average of the cutting, and the calculation he had made of
the cubical contents of the cutting, as a test of the accuracy
of his general evidence on the engineering.) There were, he
said, two portions of cutting near to each other at this place
on the line included in the calculation. The one cutting was
twenty-five feet at its greatest depth and sloped down to no-
thing; the other was twenty-feet and sloped down to
eighteen. He made the total of the cubical contents at
33,000 feet. That was the conclusion he had come
to from the data he had given. The cutting at the twelfth
mile was 60,000 yards at one and a half to one slope. He
calculated this on Thursday to be 89,000 yards of sandstone
cutting, but that was a mistake. He found it out the night
before last. He believed it was mixed cutting, about one-
third of it being sandstone. Allowing the cutting now to
be a slope of a half to one, it would bring the expense to
about the same. This 89,000 yards was included in the
221,000 yards of sandstone cutting he gave the other day.
The correeriTt he had made would reduce it
about 60,1;0O. With respect to the crossing of
the Crawick water, be thought a viaduct over the
whole of the valley, such as he estimated, would be the best
and most economical way of doing it. He was sure that
Blyth could not cross the water at the price he named
for his bridge and embankment. There was a difference of
200/. per mile for the permanent way between Mr. Miller and
him. Mr. Miller's was 5,5701. per mile, and his 5,3701. 751.
per yard was the price he aesurned the rails would cost. At
701. per yard, the price per mile would be about 1761. per
mile less. He was not aware that the Ayrshire Rail-
way had rails of 681b3. per yard; 75 lbs. was the
weight used on the Grand Junction and other lines
in connexion with it. The price per ton he esti-
mated at 91. 10s., delivered at the works. They bad
tried both Wales and Staffordshire for the Caledonian line,
and could not get the rails for less. Rails could be got in
England for less than in Scotland. lie had received a letter
from a gentleman who had been sent out to inquire about
the price of rats, and the lowest offer was 9/. ss. per ton at
the works. These were rails of an inferior character. The
beat were 91.155., and the carriage to A r nan would makethem
114 lie was not aware that Mr. Blyth had also estimated
them at W. per ton. He was not aware that iron rails were
in the course of making on the route of the line. The witness was
next examined respecting the prices he had set on the turn-
pike and other branches. He was not aware that bridges on
the North British line had been constructed at similar prices
Lo those stated by Mr. Blyth.
3lr. Sergeant BELLASIS was about putting a contract of
the works of the North British line into witness's hands in
order to examine him on the bridge estimates, when
Mr. Sergeant WEANGIIAM objected to any such contract
being used, as it had been executed before the passing of the
Consolidated Act.
The contract was accordingly withdrawn.
An estimate for the execution of the works on the Kilmar-
nock and Cumnock line, and a further offer by the same con-
t ractor to execute the bridges on the Dumfries line, was next
submitted, but this was also objected to, on the ground that
it was not a contract or deed, but merely an offer to do cer-
tail works, which had not been as yet accepted.
Witness's cross-examination continued—He had estimated
the bridges in agreement with the provisions of the Consoli-
dated Act. He had taken Government duty on the gross
passenger traffic. lie was not aware that a great proportion
of the passengers would not have duty paid on them.
Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant WRANGITASI—He had
himself superintended the execution of railway works. On
the Caledonian line he was under Mr. Locke. He had
found it invariably the cheapest and best way to get effi-
cient works constructed, to let the works to responsible and
trustworthy contractors, who would sublet them and
guarantee their proper execution. The calculations he had
furnished to the Committee, were calcu!ations made at leisure,
with great care, which had been checked four times by four
diffeent persons. That, as compared with the hasty
calculation he had made in the box at the de-
sire of Mr. Sergeant Bellasis, showed this difference.
The carefully-made calculation of the cutting at the 20th
mile was at one-and-half to one, 31,000 yards; at half to one,
22,000 yards. The hasty calculation he had made to-day at