The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-10 00:00:00

GROUP XVII.

MANCHESTER. AND SOUTHAMPTON AND
ROIVESEr AND R.MIZIRIDOZ BRANCH
(SOUTH—WESTERN).
The Committee met this morning at the usual hour. ?rM
IVIA.NCHESMER AND SOUTHAMPTON.
The promoters' continued to call evidence in support of
their line. The first witness called on was

Mr. Allday,: a grazier and cattle-dealer, and occupying
farms in Warwickshire and 'Worcestershire, the first being
four miles, and the second eight miles from Birmingham,
which was theniarket town for both. Had from 50,000
to 60,000 sheep &Om the southern counties, particularly
from the vicinity of-Andover in the course of a year, and
3,000 beaste„wilich are driven about fifty miles to the north-
ward, to Glostiater and Cheltenham, where they were put
upon the Giontesterand Birmingham Railway, and so con-
veyed to theirdisiinatidn. The driving injured sheep to the
extent of 4, herad,tattd beasts Bs. The former lost one stone
in weight, the latter from one stone to one and a quarter.
This deterioration:would 'be obViatod in the event of there
being a direstline by Andover to the north.
Cross-exestined- by-Mr. KEATING—The Manchester and
Southampton line would be of the greatest national impor-
tance. Last year seventy or eighty sheep died from drift. lie
should say 500' sheep died last year from drift on
the road from the south to Cheltenham and Gloucester,
which would- not- have occurred if the Manchester
and Southampton line had been constructed. He purchased
sheep, south of Swindon, on the Great Western, bat when
he bought them on more south he did not pat them on the
line there, owing to the inconvenience of the break of gauge
at Gloucester. Not very long ago a bulThek's head was cut
clean off at Gloucester, on account of the confusion and
danger.—(Roars of laught"r.) Of course the Company
paid for the beast very cheerfully, because they did not want
the inconvenience of their break of gauge exposed.—(Con-
tinned laughter.)
Mr. John King, bookseller at Andover, and toll-keeper at
the fairs keld at 'Andover and Weyhill, said, 200,000 to
240,000 sh&p,andlamba, 1,000 borses,"and a ~T.at quantity
of hops were sold there, and that dealers and buyers came
from places forty, sixty, ami-seventy miles distant. The hue
wouldi be of the.ntiriost imphftance. •
dove;Mt r. ROPE-.Any line, provided it'Passed through An-
vent acre
Mt r.
important towns, would be of the utmost ad-
Mr. IlenrY Thompson, timber and coal merchant, at An-
transit considered tithe line wentd reduce the cost of the
and timber in
increesionfgcothldae tbide"...ll proportion, besides
By Mr. IlaTtraireces,ane bolCanal. He undetatood-the d one share in the Andover
Southampton.' 1 ine batt*ntarfts into
°ten or the Manchester and
propriet
ors of the canal 10,060 E,
~,ereagreement to pay the
auut '2,0001. more in the
event of the Biltlaissing into.a
By the CNA IRMA N—CORSidered ttitt% ttus. public would be
benefited and not injured by theconversiou of tlle.Audove
Canal into the railway, and if it were made h%wow
sot;
require so mue.
h nital in his business.
car-
Cirencester, said
Mr. Mallieson, engaged in the wool trade at
Cirencester was one of the largest
wool markets in the coun-
try. The line would be most advantageous in conveying
wool from Iris district to the manufacturing districts of the
north. -
Mr. T. M. Sturge, corn-merchant at Gloucester, detailed
the advantages" which the line would confer on the districts
which it was proposed to traverse, the saving it would effect
from the
-
to himself and,to all in the habit of sending goods
south to the north, or vice versa. The water communication
was open to. great objections on account of the delay. He
imported corn at Gloucester, some of which he sent as far
south as Marlborough and Southampton, and he considered
that he should receive foreign corn from Southampton. ;Con-
sidered that the corn trade would not be diverted to South-
ampton, in fact he considered that both places would be
greatly benefited.
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-
morrow.

GROUP XVIII.
EXETER GREAT WESTERN.
This Committee met at the usual luur, Mr. B. Denison,
chairman.

Mr. Hawsden; of Bridport, was the first witness exa-
mined. Ills evidence went to show the feeling of the inha-
bitants of Bridport in favour of a line from that place to
Exeter.
Mr. Stevens' Mr. Good, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Newbury, Mr.
Harris, of Shimonth, Mr. Clayer, and Mr. Eist, gave evi-
dence in favour of the line.
The Committee intimated that they had heard sufficient
evidence of this nature, and requested the parties to com-
mence with their engineering evidence next.
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock on
Thursday.

GROUP XXXIX.
OLDHAM DISTRICT.
The Committee assembled to-day at twelve o'clock, Mr
Divett in the-chair, when
Mr. Schofield was recalled, and described the course which
the Oldham districts line was intended to take, dwelling es-
pecially on the advantage of the termini, and the reasoning
Was equally applicable to passengers and goods.
iA map of Oldham was submitted io the Committee, show-
ng th
the e way in which the several termini would respectively
Meet different' manufactories. The number of Ludo

employed in the cotton manufacture in the township of
Oldham are 16,726, and the numbers of those represented
by the signature of the parties to the petition is 10,690.
The amount of horse power in the township is 2,795, of whom
the petitioners possess 1,951, leaving the balance of both
items to hostile, indifferent, or opposing parties.
Mr. Scholfield was cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant
WRAWGHAM, with a view to show that the access from the
Yorkshire coal fields to Oldham would be as advantageous
by the other lines as by the Oldham districts line. The
Huddersfield and Manchester line, when finished, will give
a through traffic from Saddleworth-to Liverpool. So far,
therefore, as Ashton and Rochdale are concerned, this line of
the promoters is uncalled for. If the Birkenhead Bill passed,
there would not only be the two stations proposed by
the promoters, but the central station, and a second
also at Mumps, but then they would have to go three-
quarters of a mile round, and they would also have to go
down a gradient of one in twenty-seven, and there would,
besides, be the great interference with the manufactories
awl other property.
coal-
field i.oßtlhaceknbeuigmhbdoeuscrrhioboedd generally the extent of the coal-
.
of cross-examinationth eYorkshire o statedd
he
e e
ot hn ae
et i
yheed k
thatnew
coals might be brought by the
littleOn
coal-fields, o theoei . witnessa d e,a
ndeelcivoealredateessm.
ofiedh.
cheaper
tphere
he say that the best household
licuodadleersefioeulldd lihnee.delNivoerrecdouilicil
roOlidlighatmsaayt, 6ths.et9idicaonelds
cthoueldenhgle
it would be to the interest of the Hollingwood proprietors to
shut out the Yorkshire coals.
On re-examination by. Mr. RUSSELL the witness stated that
the Birkenhead line might accommodate the collieries but
would not serve the copperas mines.
To the CHAfamt...T, he replied that the whole of the capital
for the Oldham districts group of lines is 700,000/. and that
of the Birkenhead line alone is 480,0001.
Mr. Evans, of the firm of Evans, Barker, and Co., coal-
owners, at Royton, said that he concurred with the last wit-
ness in all that he had affirmed. His firm sent out 100 to
200 tons a day to Manchester. They were carted to the rail-
way at an expense of 10s. a ton, and they were carried by rail-
way to Manchester, suffering a great deterioration in the
transit by breakage, while if this line were constructed, they
would save both the cartage and the deterioration. On this
line they could send a much greater quantity. They also
sent a large quantity to Rochdale at an expense of 2s. 6d.
a ton for carriage, besides breakage, but if the railway were
made the cost would only be 4d., which would be saved to
the inhabitants. There might alas be an opportunity of
founding an iron trade there. Taking all the circumstances
into consideration, he should say that if the Birkenhead line
were made Royton would remain just as it is, while, if the
Oldham districts line were made, it would open up a commu-
nication with Rochdale, Saddleworth, and all those places in
the neighbourhood.
On cross-examination, the witness replied that the mines
extended all under the town of Royton, the centre of the
place being about 13/4 miles from the station of the Manches-
ter and Huddersfield Railway. From the proposed Oldham
districts line the distance to the station would be about
half a mile, but a pit might be sunk close to the line. He
could, however, give no positive information as to the
quantity raised, but in his own mines large quantities were
sent both to Oldham and to Manchester.

A conversation ensued upon the tolls, when the Committee
decided that whatever preamble might be approved of the
tolls should be directed quite according to their discretion.
At this point,
The CLIAIRICAN stated, as had been previously stated,
that, viewing the comprehensive nature of the Oldham dis-
trict scheme, the Committee conceived that for the purpose
of working out a great coal field, that was superior to the
Birkenhead line ; and they thought that some arrangement
might be entered into between the parties. But Mr. Russell,
the counsel for the promoters, replied that such a compromise
was not likely to be effected.
Mr. Bentley, a cotton-waste dealer and iron-founder, at
Oldham, gave evidence generally as to the nature of the
traffic around Oldham, the goods being conveyed by cart at
an expense of 7s. 6d. a ton.

Furiber evidence was adduced, but so similar that its only
object was to strengthen the force of that previously given.
The Committee adjourned at five o'clock.

GROUP XXIV.
NORWICH AND BURY.

The Committee re-assembled at twelve o'clock, Mr. Gran.
ville Vernon in the chair.

The proceedings were opened by a conversation between the
Counsel and the Committee as to the best course of proceed-
ing, in order to come at a right conclusion; after which Mr.
Austin explained the route which was proposed for
the Thetford, Newmarket, and Cambridge line, se that this
line would be coinciient with the Ipswich and Bury line
from the former place as far as Risby Down, where it would
fork, and where it would throw off one branch to Ely, and

the other to Stowmarket, and thence to Ely. So far then as
the Ipswich and Bury line and the Thetford and Bury line
were similar, the evidence and the speeches would be the
same. But he should observe that the branch to Thetford
was to be abandoned.

It was then agreed that this course should be adopted.

Mr. Everett, a hardware manufacturer at Birmingham,
was called by Mr. Calvert, to show the superior advantages
of Ipswich as an exporting port to Germany and the other
continental districts bordering the Baltic. The goods vrould
generally go by Rotterdam, hut the goods for France would
go by London.
To the re-examination of Mr. BAGELLY, the witness re-
plied, that the business at Hull had so largely increased that
they were now making new docks.

Sir. Webber, a merchant of Ipswich, dealing in oil-cake
and linseed-cake, imports about 1,003 tons annually,
a large quantity of which he sent to Newmarket and the
neighbourhood, and the whole of it went into Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire, but the trade is at present limited, from the
expense of carriage. If this line were made, it would, he
anticipated, quadruple his trade He had landed goods at
Lynn, and the difference of freight as between the
'Baltic and Lynn and the Baltic and Ipswich is
as 33. _ 6d. to 3s. 9d., but this is far more than

counterbalanced by the saving of the internal carriage. His
trade with Warwickshire and Northamptonshire would be
largely increased by this line, especially in rape cake, which
is extensively used as a manure where it can be obtained.
But many of the mills in Cambridgeshire have been stopped
by the cheapness of the imported article. There is a preju-
dice against Yarmouth as a port, because vessels cannot ap-
proach it at all states of the tide.
The cross-examination of Mr. Calvert elicited the fact that

the witness' trade only extended to Bury, Newmarket, and
the neighbourhood, but the validity and tendency of the evi-
dence were in no respect shaken.
To the re. examination of Mr. BAGELLY the witness replied
that Ipswich and Harwich are preferable to Lynn, in conse-
quence cf the sands of the last place being dangerous, and the
dock being a dry one, while vessels can obtain refuge in
Harwich harbour at all times.

Mr. John Muskett, steward of the Duke of Norfolk, stated
that he had lived at Bury for forty years, that he farmed
1,000 acres of land on his own account, and had managed
upwards of 2,600 acres for the Duke, though at present he
had much less of the Duke's in his hands. The Bury dis-
trict is extensively arable, the whole produce nearly being
exported to London, or sent into the western and manufactu-
ring counties. He had been one of a committee, in 1836, for
the formation of a line like this, and great disappointment was
felt at the Eastern Counties line stopping at Colchester. As
much as 70,000 quarters of barley are grown in the neigh-
bourhood of Bury, which was forwarded to Hertfordshire
and Bedfordshire, where it was malted, and there sent for-
ward into the manufacturing counties. The trade would
certainly be greatly increased by the railway, and a great
advantage especially would be obtained in the article of
coals, which now cost 30s. a ton. There would
be benefit in the competition of Lynn and Ipswich for the
supply of that article to Bury, as also with the parties who
would bring them from the interior. The witness also spoke
to the peculiar nature of the Mildenhall population, which
he described as generally scattered. There is also this supe-
riority in the Ipswich and Bury line, that it follows the
course of the old coach road, and it gives generally more
accommodation to the district.

Mr. Macnamara, a carrier, was called to show the
superiority of the line of traffic through Bury to London.
There are now eight coaches by Bury to London, five by
Newmarket, two by Colchester, and one by Chelmsford,
which averaged nine passengers each journey.
Mr_ Aitisorr, a wholesale butcher at Bury, stated that on
an average he slaughtered 300 sheep and 10 bullocks
a week. A great portion of the meat is sent to the
London markets ; and if this line were opened, he should
send all his meat by railway, as well as the living animals.
He could say that there was a large number of pigs sent by
railway from Cambridgeshire, and as many as 100 beasts and
500 sheep are now sent weekly to London, by railway, from
Bury market. . .

On cross-examination, the witness replied that large num-
bers of cattle came from the north to Bury.
Mr. J. P. Everard, a wool merchant, stated that the firm

to which he belonged bought as much as 500 tons of wool
every year, and testified generally to the advan-
tage which would be derived from the railway by the dis-
trict in -which he resided.

On cross-examination, the witness stated that he had been
a party last year to the Chesterford and Bury line, which was
now abandoned.

Mr. Fairman, a malster in a large way at Bishop's Stort-
ford, where he made upwards of 12,000 quarters a week,
which he sent to London, he spoke of the advantage the
line would occasion to the district, giving the preference to
the Ipswich and Bury line.
Mr. Briant, of Newmarket, stated that there were 58,700
quarters of wheat, and 25,500 quarters of barley sold at
Newmarket in the year 1845, as well as a considerable quan-
tity of oats, which are brought from the fens chiefly, to the
whole of which a great benefit would be wrought by the con-
struction et the railway.
The Committee here adjourned till twelve to-morrow.

GROUP XLVi,
This Committee re-assembled to day at twelve o'clock;
present, Mr. Bramston (chairman) and the other Members.
irsrvirC.S.STlal and DARLINGTON, DURAL/UK
84
The 1,1.
41r SUNDERLAND, and WEARDZOITTE
1)-`, 3rURCHASE and BRANCHES.
ela ses of the amended Bill were gone through.

THE 11; OE"ra
750.npvia referred met to-day,
_,6,?j5a1t°,1311:3 LI.
The ConmEmlTZAittee illitolwrichAlthir?34.3lll"24l.2llAMlZlSV:lTH
at twelve o'clock, in Room No.
(chairman), Lord Ossulston, the Hon. Tit' Mr. C. Wood
hill, and Mr. Welby. le, Captain Pol..
Mr. Henry Robertson, examined by mi... .s,v
Is the engineer to the line. Has preparer
sections, and does not find any engineering difficut
ties of consequence. There are no tunnels, and only
one level crossing. The steepest gradient on the line is lin
82, and the sharpest curve has a radius of 2 0
lchains—that.is
at the junction of the branch with the main
ein:o The Bir-
mingham and Gloucester Railway joins th L t.inon Llnd
Birmingham at a curve with a radius of only 8 chains.
The
length of the line is 4 miles, 2 furlongs, and 3 chains. ri
turnpike road crossed upon a level is so bad that it is almost
disused. It has an inclination of I in 9 for a distance of 300
yards, and if lowered would be inundated by
the adjacent
canal. If it were raised it would destroy the water of the
canal. The length of the branch line to Ffrewyd is a mile
and one-third, and the steepest gradient is lin SO. There is
a joined estimate for three branches, amounting to 65,000/.
60,0001. of that is required for the Llangotlilen branch. The
estimate for the deviation is rather more than 43,0001., and
the length of it is 2 miles and 27 chains. The steepest
gradient ia 1 in 83, and the sharpest curve has a radius of half
a mile. There are no level crossings. The formation
of the deviation will save 30,0001., and the station will be
placed in a much more advantageous position. The
summit level of the line is 15 feet lower, and the branches to
the iron and coal works will be made with less difficulty and
expense. The working expenses will be about 40 per cent.
on the amount of the traffic. _ _

By Mr. CHAILBERS—Has been before engaged in railways.
Has been engaged in two, one of which is now partly at work.
The length of the Llangothlen line is 44 miles. It is pro-
posed to make an occasional station for certain trains at the
junction of the branch with the main line. There are ample
funds for such a station. The junction is formed very nearly
on a level. Will say that the whole length of the branch,
4 miles, is asymoderately e, and neither difficult nor ex-
pensive in its formation. The high road to Llangothlen is

very hilly, and the branch line runs parallel with that road
for two-thirds of the distance. The greatest distance
between the line of the road is ifteen chains. The
greater part of the railway will be in cutting, varying in
depth from 18ft. 3in. to nothing. The road itself is a
cutting. The railway does less damage than railways
usually do, but it certainly does cut through a great deal of
the cultivated land. If the damage done were to be esti-
mated at 20,000/. his estimate would be destroyed. The line
only goes through half a mile of the Trevor Hall estate.
Dues not think that Trevor Hall will be injured by the line;
is rather of opinion that it will be improved.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock until twelve
to-morrow.

GROUP LIII.
This Committee, consisting of the Hon. E. Lascelles
(chairman), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Mr. Hildyard,
Capt. Dalrymple, and Mr. R. Clayton, re-assembled to-day
at the usual hour.

SHROPSHIRE vs zoN AND CANAL
(CHESTER TO WOLVERHAMPTON).
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE resumed his address in opposition
to this scheme, and said, that in dealing with this matterthey
were first of all to take into consideration that by the stop-
ping up of this canal they not only interfere u ith that par-
ticular canal, but indirectly they would affect the large out-
lay of capital in the improvement of the navigation of
the Severn, and they would inflict an incalculable
injury on the internal commerce of the country. According
to the evidence of Mr. Scott given before the Select Com-
mittee, to which he had alluded on the previous day, no less
a sum than 617,0001. had been expended in the formatin❑ of
the Birmingham Canal, besides 400,0001. additional in the
construction of mineral branches flowing into it. Now, if
this Committee sanctioned the scheme before them, they
would render that large outlay useless. Bur, in addition to
that, they would affect other canals in Staffordshire,
Warwickshire, Coventry, Oxford, &c., which joined
the canal under consideration. They would also affect
the present water communication between Manchester and
Shrewsbury. He would call witnesses who would in the
most distinct manner prove that they, in common with the
public, derived considerable benefit from all these canals,
and that if this scheme were, sanctioned they would suffer
great loss and inconvenience. What was the case set up
by the promoters? The proprietors of the canal for some
reason or other had not derived as much profit from
their undertaking as they anticipated. But such a view
as that was a very partial one, and before the Committee
sanctioned the conversion of the canal into a railway, he
besought them to take into consideration the great damage
which such a decision would inflict on the proprietors of the
other canals of which this was a link, and whose undertak-
ings were far more important and expensive than this. If
they decided that this Bill should pass, they would
disturb the whole internal water communication of the

country, and not only the proprietors of those canals,
but the community at large, would be seriously in-
jured. The decision which the Committee might give
upon this question would be the first given since the sitting
of the Railway And Canal Aina/G-aoiation Committee, and be
had no doubt that the decisions that would hereafter be given
en similar schemes would be affected by that decision, and
he therefore hoped they would pause before they decided that
the scheme should be sanctioned. He did not think that it
had been satisfactorily explained how this canal had failed
as an investment. The proprietors had from time to time
tried various schemes to make it profitable, and the consequence
of those schemes had been the continual dwindling of the
traffic, and diversion into other channels. He believed that
they had not justly dealt with the public. He believed that
they had obtained, as late as last year, an Act under false
pretences, and that while they pretended to be seeking for
powers to improve the canal as a water communication, they
in fact were preparing the way for the present scheme of
converting their canal into a railway. He would now come
to the last point on which he should address the Committee,
and that was, whether this line was to be a rival with any
other line of railway? Would it afford any competition? He
happened to recollect having heard his Learned Friend Mr.
Austin distinctly stating to the Committee, in opening the
promoters' case, that it would not be a competing line. This
scheme was, in fact, suggested as an alternative line for
heavy traffic. Now, his Learned Friend must, of course,
have been instructed to make that statement. Mr. Stephen-
son had distinctly repudiated the notion that this line was
to be the means of transit for goods between Birmingham
and Liverpool, for he said the Grand Junction would
ever carry the traffic of that district. Birkinhead
and Ireland were the points aimed at by the pro-
moters. But were the public to be deprived of the
advantages which this canal (the best outlet to Liverpool,
according to the evidence of Mr. Scott) offered them in the
sending of their traffic from the inner districts of the country
to Liverpool 2 Mr. Stephenson had said that this scheme
was not to be looked upon as a mere line between Wolver-
hampton and Nantwich, &c. ; but that it would form a most
important link in railways hereafter to be formed. Now he
should like to know by whom this and the other lines were
promoted. It was evident that this scheme was not promoted
by an independent company, who intended to struggle with
the powerful railway companies in the district through which
it passed. The Manchester and Birmingham Railway Com-
pany had, in fact subscribed 250.000/. to the scheme, and he
suspected that it was a sub rose scheme of that as well as

the Grand Junction and the London and Birmingham Corn-
Rallies. There was no doubt that it would be associated with

them. The Chester and Holyhead Company, in which the
London and Birmingham were more than greatly interested
(and in turning to Mr. Stee's evidence he found he admitted
the fact) were also subscribers to this undertaking to the
amcunt of 300,0001. Now, the Chester and Holyhead was
ruled, as every man knew, by the London and Birmingham.
If this scheme were sanctioned people in the district in ques-
tion would be left to the tender mercies of the Grand June.
tion Company, and the Ccuninittee would thus cripple the
commerce of that district which,with the present water commu-
nication, had prospered to a considerable extent. He main-
tained that the promoters of the scheme had not fairly presented
the case to the Committee, and had, with great ingenuity, no
doubt, left upon him the'great burden of presenting it fully
and fairly before them.. They had represent ed it to be an
unimportant and isolated canal. It was not so, it formed, as
he had previously said, ainost important link in the water
communication of the interior of this country. The witnesses
whom he should call would prove it to be so. The Learned
Sergeant concluded by hoping that the Committee would
give no veto upon this scheme until they had the other
schemes, of which they had been said to be a part, fully
laid before them, lest they should give a decision which they
might hereafter regret.
Mr. MACAULEY then proceeded to call in support of the
case represented by the Learned Sergeant,
Mr. John Barker, ironmaster, Wolverhampton, who stated
that the commerce of that district would be much injured by
the drying up of the canal in question, inasmuch as there
would then be but one means of transit for their
goods, the proprietors of which would be the
Grand Junction Company. A meeting was held at
Wolverhampton on the 12th March last (which was
convened by the Chief Constable in compliance with
the requisition of the principal portion of the iron masters,
&c., of that district), to take into consideration the Bill now
under consideration. At that meeting, which was a very
stormy one, in consequence of Mr. Stee, the agent of the
Canal Company, and others interested in the progress of the
Bill taking part is the proceedings, resolutions w3re agreed to
deprecating the conversion of the canal into a railway.
Cross-examined by Mr. LALNG (one of the Learned Counsel
for the Bill)—Had given his active support to the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton line. Supposing there were
a clause in this Bill to compel the Company
to carry heavy traffic at one penny per ton, such
goods would be carried from Wolverhampton to Liverpool
at Bs. 6d. per ton, being Is. less than the amount charged
by the present canal proprietors. This scheme had his sup-
port at ene time, under certain stipulations. 25,000 tons of
iron ore arrived in the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton
every year from Ellesmere, and he believed that if that ore
was forced to be carried by the Grand Junction Company, a
very considerable tax would Od imposed on the ironmasters.
Lord Dalhousie did not, itieply to the deputation that
waited upon him last year to represent the non-desirable-
ness of converting this canal into a railway, say that, after
giving the subject full consideration, he believed it would be
well to sanction the present scheme.
Mr. HILDYARD (to the witness)—You have told us that
it is your opinion that the Manchester and Birmingham and
the Grand Junction Companies would be very glad if the
preamble of this Bill should not pass. What reason have
you for saying so?—Why, they think that it is imposing a
tax upon them, and would have the effect of driving them
into a bad bargain with a worthless line.
Mr. Thomas Bagnall, iron-master, Wolverhampton, gave
similar evidence to that of Mr. Barker. He believed that
the failure of the canal was owing to bad management.
This scheme would be of no use to South Staffordshire, and
his candid opinion was, that, even if the canal were dried up,
the public would not be a whit better off by the construction
of this undertaking.

The Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP INT.
The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of
the Bills compri*ed in this group re-assembla at the usual
hour this morning ; Mr. Ewart in the chair.
ENinram AND EDMONTON.
The case for the promoters of this scheme was resumed,
and nearly the whole of the day was occupied in hearing
general evidence in favour of the line.
Mr. Seymour, the surveyor of the line, proved that the
line would require 9 acres, 1 rood, and 33 furlongs. The
value of the land, house property, &c., to be taken for the
line, he estimated at 9,6431.