The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-23 00:00:00

NORTH BRITISH (CARLISLE EXTENSION).

Evidence oa behalf of this line of railway was resumed.
Mr. Saull, of Burnstock, in the county of Cumberland, and a justice
of peace for that district, generally agreed in the evidence given yes-
terday by Sir James Graham. He thought the line in question would
be used to a great extent for the conveyance of coal as well as for
the transmission of sheep and cattle. The feeling in Carlisle he be-
lieved was very generally in favour of the line. Both Cumberland
and the county of Roxburgh would be benefited by a through com-
munication.
Cross-examined When the Lancaster and Carlisle Rail-
way was opened . hat would give a good communi-
cation with Liverpool. Liverpool and Newcastle were the
great markets for fat cattle, and that line, with the Carlisle and New-
castle Railway, would give direct communications Awn Cumberland
to these markets. He thought the North British Extension would
be mainly beneficial in bringing lean stock to Carlisle and Cumber-
land. There were large fairs in Roxburghshire, from which sheep
and cattle were brought for Cumberland. There was a large fair at
Langholm, and another at Moss Paul, from which sheep would, he
thought, be brought in large numbers.
Mr. Robert Cowen, a consulting engineer, residing in Carlisle, de-
posed that the opening of the line would be highly beneficial on
account of the deficient supply of coal at present at Carlisle. The
opening of the Newcastle line had been of great benefit in reducing
the price of coal and in increasing the manufacturing power,
and the same results would, he thought, follow the open-
ing of the present line. He thought 40,000 tons of Canobie coal
would be brought to Carlisle, and that this coal would go as far
south as Kendal, and compete with the Wigan coal.
Cross-examines—There were about 60,000 tons of coal annually
consumed in Carlisle, of which, about 20,000 he thought would be
the produce of Canobie. He thought other 20,000 would be exported.
The exports from Carlisle would take place in small vessels ; those
from Annan in large vessels. The 20,000 he believed would all go
down the canal and be exported from the port of Carlisle. He ex-
pected small vessels would come up the canal and take the coals for
rebind. He was not aware that the rates were very high.
Mr. Robert Cowen re-examined—The 20,000 tons of Canobie coal
he meant was the quantity that would be consumed in Carlisle and
south of it.
To the CHAIRMAN—The length of the canal was 11% miles. The
present rates down the canal was Is. a ton, and 3d. a ton for tack-
ing, being Is. 3d. each ton. Ile had learned that there was an in-
tention to reduce it to 6d. The present price of coals in Carlisle was
for the best 83. 2d. ; second, Sc. Bd. ; and third quality for steam
purposes, 4s.
Mr. Marshall, traffic-taker, examined—lle had had considerable
experience in taking traffic. He took the traffic for the North Bri-
tish line. The observations on the present line were taken by men
placed at various points along the route in the months of
January and August. He took the passengers from the way-bills.
The traffic of this route had much decreased of late, on account of the
greater facilities afforded by the Newcastle route from the opening of
the railways south. In making his estimate of passengers, he had
added 150 per cent. for increase, which he considered a moderate cal-
culation. In addition to the passengers through Hawick, he had
taken 1,500 passengers, who went yearly by the Newcastle route for
the south that would go by the present line, if it was opened. The
whole number of passengers that went that way was 10,000, and of
that amount he thought 1,500 a moderate number that would go this
way if they had railway accommodation. The parties by gigs and
private vehicles were taken by observation, and to that also he had
added 150 per cent. The same principle of noting traffic
was observed in estimating goods. He had taken credit in the
tables for a large amount of fish that would pass along this line from
Dunbar to Liverpool and Manchester. He had calculated 1,500
tons of fresh meat that would go by this railway. His coal esti-
mate he made out from the estimate of the witnesses examined yes-
terday. The cattle and sheep traffic was made from the information
of Mr. Nelson and Mr. Maxwell. The total income was set down
at 60,5661,
Cross-examined —He took January and August for the passenger
traffic, August was not a fair month, but it was compensated by
January. The traffic in August was taken about the middle of the
month. His information of the passengers that went by Newcastle
he got from guards and coachmen and inquiries made at Edinburgh. Of
all the passengers that went by the Edinburgh and Newcastle coaches
he took 1,500 that would go by this line; as he learned that
a great proportion of those also went south of Newcastle, went to the
midland counties of England. He had but estimated 100 per cent.
of increase on the Hawick line last year, but he had seen reason this
year to consider 150 a fair calculation. The men who were placed
to make the observations were instructed to put down every person
on horseback and every vehicle that was travelling more than three
miles; and out of this information he made his tables, striking off
from the data furnished a proportion, so that the table furnished
would include only those that were travelling six miles and upwards.
He considered that 9,1371. would be raised this way. We did not
consider that an over-estimate. He had never heard of parties
being purposely sent by companies along the roads in gigs, in order
that they might be included in the traffic calculations.—(Laughter.)
If the ratite from Dunbar, through the North British to Newcastle,
and from thence in a direct manner to Manchester, was shorter, then
the 4,000 tons of fish he had estimated to be carried by this line was
erroneous, as a great portion of it would go by the east line. The
fish that would go fo Liverpool and Manchester, would in all proba-
bility, take that route. With respect to the coal traffic, he had taken
the present consumption at Hawick, and trebled it, making 24,000
tons in all. He had estimated a ton and a half to each person. When
he spoke of Hawick in this estimate, he meant the town and parish
of Hawick and the district surrounding it. The population
of the town and parish of Hawick in 1841, was 6,573.
Mr. RICKARDS asked bow he could make up the balance of 16,000
of a population which was implied in the supposition of a ton and
half being consumed by each person in the Hawick district ?
Witness then went through a series of parishes in and beyond the
neighbourhood of Hawick which when cast up made a population
of 13,419. He admitted, therefore, that 24,000 tons showed an over
estimate of 4,000. This was at the same time on the supposition
that the coal delivered at the Hawick station would go as far north
as Jedburgh and St. Bosweli's, and that the Dalkeith coal would be
shut out of this district, also that the Canobie coal would retain its
present price. His calculation givew- last year of coal
and lime being brought out of the Lottlians must now