The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

GROUP XXVIII

The Committee re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock, in Room 33
of the New Houses of Parliament. There were present Lord Dal-
meny (chairman) and the other members.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM (ST. ALBANS

AND LUTON BEAN cw.

The evidence in support of this Bill was resumed.
_ . __.

Mr. John Walton examined—Lived at Flamstead, on the
line. Their two nearest market towns were Luton and Hemel
Hematead. The want of a railway communication with St. Albans
was sensibly felt. '
This witness was cros-examined at great length, but nothing ma-
terial was elicited.

Mr. William Elliot examined—Lived at Dunstable. There was
considerable tragic in straw plait manufacture from Dunstable to
London. By the railway proposed they would have accommoda-
tion two ways, while by the London and York line only one would
be atlorded.

Cross-examined by Mr. .Wsu.s, on the put of the petitioners
against tha Bill.—ltedhourne had suffered very severely by the
withdrawal of the traffic from that plate. He would be as well
satisfied with a line that should he three miles longer to London,
for he considered it would be equally beneficial to Dunstable.
After hearing some further evidence,
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till Thursday.

GROUP XXXI.
SOUTH WALES.—(No. TX.)

The Committee assembled this morning, at the usual hour, when,

The CHAiastAze inquired what proposition the supporters of the
Bill had to make to the Committee, a portion of their preamble had
having been struck out.
Mr. AUSTIN, for the promoters, said, that they proposed to carry
the line from Chepstow to Bumspill, on the river Severn, and to a
point of junction with the Forest of Dean Railway. This railway
would fill up the lacuna caused by striking out part of the preamble,
and enable the trunk line of the South Wales Company to be
carried on without break or interruption. Again, if the preamble
were so altered as to allow a junction of the South Wales Railway
with the Monmouth and Hereford, a continued communication might
be obtained with the city of Gloucester.
The clauses of the Bill were then proceeded with and arranged,
Several new clauses, having respect to the junction of the South
Wales. Railway with existing lines, and for the regulation of the tolls
were introduced Into the Bill, and the Committee adjourned.

CIXOUP XXXII.
The Committee met this morning at twelve, Mr. J. E. Denison in
the chair.

lITICHINGHADZSHIRE (TRXNG TO
BANBURY).

The preamble of the Bill for this project was declared proved yes-
terday, and the clauses were partly read and agreed to ; but the
matter was re-opened by
Mr. Cociumax, who appeared for the Great Western, and stated
that It had come to his knowledge, and that of his clients, that what
mainly influenced the Cosnmitee to pass the Bill—namely, the
forming of a junction with the Oxford and Rugby line—could not be
effected, owing to there being a difference of 25 feet in the levels of
the two railways,

Mr. STEPHENSON said that it was quite an easy matter to form a
Junction between the two railways by a siding on the slope of the
proposed line, and join the Oxford and Rugby line viithin the line of
deviation.

Mr. COCKBURN said he perfectly understood the question now. The
promoters intended to make a line which was not laid down in the
sections deposited, and therefore it could not be done.
The CHAIRMAN said the question had arisen at the winding up of
the Bill yesterday, and after the opposing parties had left the room
the Committee thought that the opponents of the Bill had neglected
the most important point ; but having done so, they had now nu
locus slandi before the Committee, and the Committee must investi-
gate the question for themselves.
Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Carter stated that it was not necessary to
lay down sidings on the plans deposited, or to apply to Parliament
for powers to make these tidings, as they did not ask for power to
compel the Great Western to allow the junction. The same means
had been used in forming a junction between the, London and Bir-
mingham and the Grand Junction, and no application had been made
to Parliament for powers.

The Committee;afteiConsideration, said that their decision of yes-
terday would not be affected by the paint which had been raised, and'
proceeded to read the rest of the clauses.

Sir T. PHILLIPS applied to have five clauses admitted into the Bill
as a security to the Oxford and Rugby line, and wished to be heard,
on them. He stated that two of them had been serve,l on the solici-
tor for the Bill last night, and three this morning, but it had been re-
turned for answer that they would not read them.
The CHAIRMAN thought the answer was very proper, inasmuch as
they had neglected the main grounds of vpposition to the Bill when
ample opportunity was furnished for securing their own interests,
and ncw, after conshlerable delay had been caused, they made appli-
cation when the case was about being wound up.
The Committee refused to hear counsel upon the clauses, but or-
dered them to be given in.
Two of the clauses were admitted into the Bill and this closed the
case.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-

HAMPTON.

Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., 31r. Talbot, Q.C., and Mr. Whitmore, appeared
fqr the promoters of the line, which is opposed by Mr. Selfe and air.
tSrpi
co
to noeprp
0, osni n
st h, ea
npda r tb
yo f t thee s
oi rhoeni
tmo
ra sttoe r s
thea n
Ld 0 lnadnodno wannedrsmirnm
ithe
hdaims -
Railway.
fru3mlr.tThe.txmnaoiTn olpheien,edwhbirelheflhysathhee
emnesranitsotoiofntedhe
hbyrapneahrlestampernoptolsaesdt
year. The objects of timßilwl,ashe
four tulles
mwielrees fourfold-t-hto fotrurmnka
branch to Witney, which
line; and the branch to Strafford on Avon; another to join
theto take powers to purchase the Stratford-on-Avon Canal and the
southward
communication
co Stokemmunica brantiontoch neoafr last
te
year, g
town of Droitwich
a
fiDroltsvlcsoh
Canal.wStottdolurbrioodngfeerExgrteensatiobnenenton a
The branch
with a ranehto tphoepuration of 6,0c0
town of Witney
:
in which were considerable wool and glove manufactories, where as
many aa 1,200 tons of coals were consumed annually, and 1,000 tons
more in domestic purposee, at a price of 30s to 335. a ten. That price
would certainly be greatly reduced, and the price of timber
from Gloucester, which came by a very circuitous route,
would also be affected. The Stratford branch was nine miles long,
running through the parish of Weston,in Gloucester, through Mickle-
ton up to the borough of Old Stratford, There existed, he said, at
present a tramway from Stratford to Morton-in-the-Marsh, and in the
contest of last year much stress was laid upon this tramway, which
the Company, it was understood, would keep open and improve. But
that tramway was circuitous and inconvenient for locomotive purposes.
The present branch was therefore proposed, but yet the tramway
would be kept open. The communication to Stratford at present
was by the Avon and the canal to Birmingham. Coals were prin-
cipally brought from Staffordshire, between Kidderminster and
Dudley, and there was great traffic in corn. There was consider-
able traffic with Esham, with Chipping-Camden, where there
were silk mills, and with Chipping-Norton, where wool manufac-
tures were carried on. The Droitwich Branch was intended to open
csaomrnunication with the Stoke works. The Stratford branch, he
had
As. whcahaull7seadnd
nbgeetnheP
caster. But last year they had o
boyn, another
et ht ex. a
m Committee,Londone,
tig
tliandra:
oneo.ln eftrhofßirminghamermominnais
mwnCepee tmdo
line,onp
;al
annt
ny;
dA, w
ornwdohewrno-
irassiaedsthyeeenxr
gtailnisntealhloawd I
yocptsepadrettehinaotntsedPtaro.
tlisakmeanwt
awyotuhl de
hrs wouegrehcwalhliedoh7rdaneetammainreedproonvothseed.traffie of the
tsdrtheiieacet"oaf the line which had been already
eurtaldiwstirttnuessts
through
Mr. Brunel, engineer for the line, stated that the length of the
branch to Witney was 43 miles ; to Stratford, 8 miles, 6 furlongs ;
and 0 Stoke, about 1 mile. There was no engineering difficulties on
them, a
different
and the steepest gradient on them was one in 74, for a distance
of 20 chains. The estimate for the Witney branch was 68,0001., for
the Stratford,
tford 114,0(101., and for the Stoke branch, 12,0001., but the
gross estimate was 220,0001. Ile stated that on the main line th
the broad and narrow gauge f they
were laying down
rom Abbotsford to
Worcester and Wolverhampton, by order of the Board of Trade. He
what gauge would be adopted on the Oxford to Ban-
did not know
see any difficulty of communication He did not
bury line.
broad to the narrow gaugeg•
adjourned to Thursday next, at twelve.
The Committee then .1

GROUP XLIV.
PLZETV/02,0x0DDiNPGRETITNST:TNioN.AN D WEST
(Continued from our Afternoon Zdition.)
The Committee proceeded to read the clauses of this Bill, but
Mr. ALEXANDER applied for leave to enter first upon the merits ef
the Preston and Wyre Railway—
of the Committee of Classification, had not been referred to this group
till lately.
The CDAMMAN refused to enter upon the consideration of this new
project, which, in coniSrmity with the rules of the Louse, must be
postponed to the sth of June next.
Mr. ALEXANDER applied to have a clause introduced into the Bill
then before the Committee, giving powers to the Freston and Wyre