The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-25 00:00:00

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The CIIAIB3IAN observed that it was not ncessary to mark
the limits of deviation if it was not intended to take the land
included in them ; but if it could be shown by the books of
reference or other papers that it was intended to take the
land, the omission would become a non-compliance with the
standing orders.
It was also alleged that a certain turnpike-road passed
by the proposed line, was described in the plans thus—
" turnpike-road, level and unaltered, the railway to pass
under. Height of arch 18 feet," while, from the sections, it
appeared that the railway crossed the
that thoi road s
n anwas moral y embank-
ment of 31 feet. It was represented a
ri word " under" being substituted for
clecal error—the
" over," and that it was not calculated to mislead.
Mr. WEBSTER admitted i hat it was clearly a clerical error,
and that no one could be misled by it. Ile, therefore, with-
drew the allegation.
Several other allegations having been disposed of, the
Committee decided that the standing orders were not com-
plied with.
DONCILSTZE, WA SEIMELD , AND LEEDS.
This case again came on, and was finally disposed of, th
Committee deciding that the standing orders were complied
with.

Sub-Committee, No. 5.

TEE LONDON, SIA.I.ISEVE.Y, AND YEOVIL
Stir; OTION (BASINGSTOKE TO YEOVIL).
Thenext allegation was, that John Green the younger, was
described as the owner of certain property in the county of
Dorset, marked No. 3 on the plan, while the Rev. John
Goldsbow was and is the owner, the said John Green being
only the occupier. This allegation was found not proven,
and. Mr. Venables said he was happy to say that ended the
case

e CHAIRMAN then announced that the standing orders
were not complied with.

GLASGOW, DAIZEHrian, AND NEILSTON
DI SECT (nmaNcnr.s TO THORNIE-BANIE,
HOUSE:CULL, AND 11URLIET).
This Bill was opposed by petition of the Earl of Glasgow,
complaining of non -compliange with the standing orders.
Mr. Dimms, of the firm of Dimms, Dunlop, and Hope, ap-
peared as Parliamentary agent against the line, and Mr.
G. 11. Long appeared for the promoters of it ; and the soli-
citors were Messrs. Campbell and Lenants, Glasgow. The
capital was 150,000/., and the estimated cost 150,0001. Sub-
scribed, 86,250/.
The Committee decided that the standing orders were com-
plied with on the Thornie-bank, Househill, and Ilurlet
branches, and then proceeded to consider the Paisley branch
of the said lice.
The first allegation was, that the book of reference
deposited with the schoolmaster of the parish of Paisley was
not a copy of the book of reference, inasmuch as property
described in the book of reference in some instances was
arable land, when it was not so.
The objection was not entertained.
The next allegation was, that the height of certain
bridges described in the book of reference did not
correspond with the copy deposited with the parish
schoolmaster of Paisley, and were loot marked in plain
figures. In this instance the Committee were of opinion that

the allegation was sustained.
The next objection that the names of several lessees were
not contained in the book of reference through which
the branch railway was proposed to pass and that they
had not received notice of such railway, although they were,
and are, owners of some of the land through which it was to
go. After some considerable time spent, the agent withdrew
this objection, and the Chairman stated that the standing
orders were complied with except in one case.
GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCK
(BRIDGE Or WEIN. BRANCH.)
The object of the petitioners for this line, is to construct
a branch railway from the Glasgow and Greenock lines to
the Bridge of Weir, the estimated cost of which is 60,000/.
Mr. VENABLES appeared to oppose the Bill, and the first
allegation raised was, that in the parish of Kilbarton there
was a carriage-road not shown, or the height or span of the
bridge proposed to be constructed on another road not marked
or described truly on the section.
'1 h e Committee decided that the standing orders were not
complied with in those cases.
The next allegation, "That the datum horizontal line was
not properly marked," the Committee found that the stand-
ing orders were not complied with.
Mr. VENABLES next proceeded to prove that the parties
who signed the subscription contract were not liable, inas-
much as two gentlemen had not given their proper address.
The Committee decided that the standing orders were not
complied with, and it being then ten minutes to five ad-
journed until to-morrow, at twelve o'clock.

Sub-Committee No. 6.
This Committee resumed its sittings at twelve o'clock this
day. Present, Captain Jones (in the chair), Mr. Pakington,
and Mr. Deedes.
WEST LONDON EXTENSION AND IM-
PROVE-I'4:EN T.
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Certain documents relating to this Bill, from the Private
Bill-office, not being forthcoming, the Committee ordered
that the case should be postponed until Friday.

SOUTH 'VJAMiES.
The promoters of this line not being prepared, this case
was also adjourned until Friday.
WOISCESTER AND PORT DYNX,LAEN.
The object of this line is-to construct a line of railway
from Worcester to Port Dynllaen. The length is 150
miles; the estimated cost 2,700,000/., and the amount paid
into the hands of the Accountan-General is 2,025,000/.
1.-The engineer is I. K. Brunel ; the Parliamentary
agents, Messrs. Burke and Co. ; and the solicitors, Messrs.
W. and W. Hunt.
The hearing of this case was postponed, and the Corn-
mittee then adjourned until two o'clok on Friday.

SOUTH. WALES RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)
The second hal:'-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this
Company was held at one o'clock this day, at the Great
Western Railway Station, Paddington. Charles Russell,
Esq., in the chair.
The advertisement convening the meeting having been
read, and the seal of the Company affixed to the register of

proprietors,
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to address the meeting. He
said, when the directors had the pleasure of meetirg
the proprietors in the month of November the Company
had just passed through that feverish and unhealthy
state of railway speculation in which so many futile projects
had their origin. It was then impossible for'them to foresee
how many of these projects would arrive at a state of matu-
rity so as to affect that Company. They had since ascer-
tamed that upwards of 46 schemes were projected in the prin-
cipality of Wales alone, a district through which they would
remember they had the greatest difficulty, at no distant
period, of carrying their line, although it was projected to
pass through the very heart of the mineral and manufacturing
districts of the country. Out of these schemes only 15 had
survived to undergo the test of a Parliamentary investigation,
and several of them would be unquestionably beneficial to
the South Wales Company. At the last meeting the Com-
pany agreed' to support some of these lines; they now sug-
gested that they should give their assistance to a line from
Sandford to Tenby,which was projected by the independent
Company. It was obviously to their interest to support this
line, as it would facilitate intercourse with the south of Ire-
land, particularly towards Wexford ; and as it could not fail
to bring a great accession of traffic to their line ; for the
same reason, it would be to their interest to support the Wa-
terford, Wexford, and Dublin, and the Cork and
Waterfoid Railways. For the improvement of their
lines, it was necessary to seek the sanction of Par-
liament for the branches and deviations enumerated
in the report. But the most important feature in the Bills
which they had introduced into Parliament was the applica-
tion for power to complete their line of railway from Chep-
stow to Standish, including the passage of the Severn. The
object of crossing that river was now under the consideration
of the Admiralty, and it would therefore be advisable not to
discuss the matter at that meeting.—(Hear.) Gentlemen,
(he proceeded) we have encountered an unexpected obstacle
—an obstacle, however, which cannot long be permitted to
form an obstruction to our proceedings. I alluee to the
report which has been presented to the Government
by the Gauge Commissioners, in e Inch they recommend that
the four feet eight inches and a half, or narrow gauge, should
be declared by the Legislature to be the gauge which shall
be adopted on all the railways now under course of construc-
tion, and hereafter to be constructed in Great Britain. The
directors have intentionally avoided all allusion to this ob-
ject in their report. The question is too grave ,and too
deeply affects the most important private interests, and the
largest public principles, to be discussed in warmth or in
haste, and the directors do not, therefore, think it quite
ripe
for discussion. For the same reason I shall abstain from
making any observations on the question. I could not, in-
deed, venture to embrace in the compass of a short
address to the proprietors a subject of such magnitude and
such importance. It will, however, be the duty of the direc-
tors to enter into a full, calm, and dispassionate review of all
the facts and all the reasonings which have been adduced,
either in the report of the commissioners in the evidence which
was given before them, or in the experiments which they
witnessed. Gentlemen, I had always a positive assurance—
an assurance which has been confirmed by the discussion
which took place in the House of Lords last night
—that the Government and the Legislature would
not allow the investigation and consideration of
the subject to terminate with the report of the
Commissioners. I was satisfied that they must themselves
give to that report the fullest and completest consideration ;
and if such a consideration be given to it, I for one cannot
entertain a shadow of a doubt that they must reject the
unfair, the biassed, and the violent and impracticable recom-
mendations with which that report concludes, as involving
not only a large expenditure of money and a vast waste of
capital—as involving not only a breach of public faith,
under which you - were invited into these enter-
prizes -- but upon the pretext of personal, and
local, and trivial inconveniences, which have been
grossly magnified, which I, perhaps, should more
properly say have been created for this purpose. Can you
have any doubt that it is a pretext; for the real cause of ap-
prehension has been the want of an approximation of the
broad to the narrow gauge, and a comparison of the com-
petition which will necessary result between two gauges. I
say I feel satisfied that their recommendations must be re-
jected, not only on account of the important private interests
which they involve, but as entirely subversive of all
the improvements which have been made, and still
can be made, in this wonderful invention which
is still in its infancy, and is destructive of competition, and
the advancement of the railway system in this country,
it
com-
mercial whether in the form of power, accommodation, safety, or in
interests trove deeply r
the
country. detrimental both
tihailsacinuclesctoimon-
.h. e\-y!Oxietion of chares so that, instead of being beneficial,
might, perhaps, in the Gentlemen,tothe
in our proceedings le.estimation of some, cause us to pause
I am satisfied ; but lam not of that opinion, as
that a determination
must be come
to at an early period, ate
may be felt at the ar.) Some d:s ,ppointment perhaps
delay which had .
con-
struction of the line ; but when occurred in the
did nut obtain their Act until tt
great portion of the summer and the of August, that a
devoted to surveying, that the line nijir _inontlis had been
miles in length, that they had
had
abranches was 210
they
considered that they
weather, which rendered the construction great Teel of wet
and deep cuttings an unusually heavy
task,
tii,ei embankments
no time had been lost ; 1 ' would
perceive that and ha
could assure the proprietors that all the energies of the
directors and of the engineers would be exercised to facilitate
the works, and that no delay which could possibly be avoided
would take place,(Chee .
rs ) The Hon. Gentleman then
called on the secretary, Mr.
Armstrong, te read the report,
which set forth that the Company had applied to Parliament
for an Act to empower them to construct a branch of about
five miles in length, to the town of Haverfordwest : for a
shoft but important branch into town, and to the Quays
the .
in the main line of about
of Swansea ; and for two alterationslength,in as well as
twelve to thirteen miles eachd . . .
two of much less extent, and to make several deviations
the first was between Carmarthen and Kidwelly, which
would much improve the gradierts, and diminish consider-
ably the amount of works, and particularly of tunnelling;
in all which respects the original line at this part was com-
paratively defective. The distance would be increased by
about three miles, notwithstanding which the engineer con- 1