The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-15 00:00:00

GROUP XXX.

This Committee assembled to-day at one o'clock; present, Lord
Charles Wellesley (chairman), and the other Members.
MIDLAND AND EASTERN COUNTIES
(CAMBRIDGE TO WEEDON).

The usual preliminaries having been gone through,
Mr. 0. MALLET, on the part of the promoters of the B ill, said, that
it would be his duty to lay the merits of the Bill before the Committee.
At present Cambridge was the focus of several railways—one of
these connecting Cambridge and Norwich, Cambridge and London, and
Cambridge and Bury. The object of the present railway was to connect
Cambridge and Weedon, and by that means to connect Yarmouth,
Harwich, and other ports on the eastern coasts with those on the
western coasts by a directline, instead of having to go round by the
port of London, as is the case at present. The line they
originally proposed was one from Cambridge to Worcester,
and many of the difficulties they had laboured under
were occasioned by their connexion with Worcester, for
the London and Birmingham Company considered that that
district belonged to them. But this was not the only difficulty they
had to encounter. The South-Western Company, who at first entered
warmly.into their interests, after inducing them to alter their coarse
and make their surveys for a line to Esham, had then deserted them.
They then found themselves obliged to give up that portion of their
line as far as Worcester. It was then so late that they were com-
pelled to make deposits of alternative lines, thus considerably in-
creasing the preliminary expenses. At present they proposed to con-
struct a line only to Weedon ; here it might be as well for him to state
that if the London and Birmingham Company should succeed in their
line from Worcester to Northampton, so as to meet their Peterborough
line, that they proposed to have a clause inserted in the (Midland
and Eastern line) Bill, to carry their line only as far as White Mills,
to run then into the London and Birmingham Railway. From this
it would be evident _that the Bill at present was virtually
for a line to White Mills, from a conviction that the London
and Birmingham Company would proceed with their line. He
would just briefly point out to the Committee the advantages
that would result from the Bill. The port of Harwich was likely to
become the great eastern port, and it must be consequently of great
importance to the towns in the district and the people of Harwich
to have a direct line of communication with the western ports, in-
stead of as at present being obliged to go up two sides of
a triangle. The town of Ipswieh was a most important trading town.
It was chiefly important, however, from its iron manufacture, and
the importance of a communication directly to it must be apparent
At present the town of Nor hampton was really without any good
communication with the towns on the coasts, and their line proposed ,
to meet that want, and to give them direct communication with
three ports. Lynn, which was already connected with Ely, which
was not only a port, but one from which Northampton itself
drew at present very many of Its supplies, would thus
he connected more immediately with Northampton.
It was therefore evident that as far as the town of
Northampton was concerned, there could be no doubt of the advan-
tage of this railway. This, too, would be clearly shown by evidence.
With respect to the line generally, an inspection of the map would
satisfy any one of its importance ; for it would be
seen, that though a number of railways were traversing
the country, there was still a total absence of anything
like a direct communication between the coasts on the eastern
and western sides of the kingdom. It was a matter of the
greatest importance that such a communication should be es-
tablished. In conclusion, he had only to say that the gra-
dients were very favourable, there being only two of 1 in 100,
and these not exceeding together more than four miles and a half.
The other engineering points were equally favourable, and the oppo-
sition of the landowners was not greater than that usually offered,
and upon no more forcible grounds.
Mr. HOPE, on the part of the petitioners, said he had to make a
proposition which might save further trouble with respect to this
Bill. There could be no moral doubt that the shareholders of this
undertaking did not intend to proceed further, and that the soli-
Bettor was going on merely with a view to discharge
what he considered he was legally bound to perform.
He thought, therefore, that it would be desirable if the
further consideration of this Bill should be postponed till the
sense of the shareholders should have been obtained. He would,
therefore, proposk that Mr. Wilkinson, the solicitor of the Company,
Should be called to substantiate this statement.
Mr. O' VALLEY said he was ready to accede to the proposal of his
Learned Friend. However, though he entertained a different opinion
last night, he believed that this Bill would be prosecuted, and he was
instructed that a meeting would be held on the 22d with reference to
the subject. He had no objection to Mr. Wilkinson being called. •
Mr. Wilkinsoh was then called and examined by Mr. Horn—
Mr. Wilkinson stated that he had attended a meeting of the share-
holders on the Bth instant. One advertisement of the meeting had
been omitted from the Times. He stated to the shareholders
that he would call another meeting, and made a statement
of the aecounts of the company, which was received with
considerable disapprobation from several parts of the room. There
was a general disinclination on the part of the meeting, under the
financial condition of the company, to proceed with the Bill ; one
ground being that the five per cent. had not been paid up. A
fo*est of hands were held up on the motion that the affairs
of the Company should be wound up. It was in conse-
quence of his being of opinion that they were legally bounl to
bring the Bill before the Committee, that he had proceeded with it.
He had no objection to the proposed postponement.
The room was then cleared, and on our re-admission,
The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee were of opinion
t it would be better for all parties to postpone the Bill till the
25th instant.
The Committee then adjourned.

GII.Otr XXXI.
The following Bills arra comprized in this group
I. Portbury-Pler and Railway (\O. 2).

2. Bristol and Birmingham (Bath line).

3. Bristol and Birmingham (Ashcliureli, Tewkesbury, and
4. Bristol and Birmingham (Bristol and Stonehouze Junction).

5. Bristol and South Wales Junction.
6. South Wales (No, 2).
7. Gloucester and Dean Forest.
The Committee to whom they have been referred met this after-
noon, at one o'clock, in No. 22 Committee-room. Present, Mr.
Charles Round in the chair, Lord J. Manners, Mr. Burroughs, Sir IL
Salford, and the Hon. C. Cavendish. _ _ _

—NO. fives petitioned against by the corporation of Bristol and the
Bristol Dock Company ; No. 4, by the Great West ern Company ;
No. 5, by the Duke of Beaufort; No. 6, by the merchants and cor-
poration of Gloucester, and others; and No. 7, by the Hereford and
Gloucester Canal Company, the corporation and merchants of Glou-
cester, Severn and Wye Railway and Canal, &c.
The usual formal proceedings having been gone through, some dis-
cussion ensued with respect to the Bill which should be taken first.
It was at length decided that the
snxsToz AND SOUTH WALES JUNCTION
Bill should be first proceeded with.
The Bill was unopposed.
Evidence as to its length, amount of capital, &c., having been
given, given, the Committee immediately passed the p, an
to the clauses without alteration.
GLOUCESTER. AND Dzar; FOREST.
This Bill was next proceeded with, the parties promoting
with thei r c the Soase.
uth
Wales Railway (No. 2) not being prepared to proceed
Mr. WHATELEY then proceeded to open the case on the part of the
promoters. He said it was promoted by some merchants in the city
of Gloucester, and by the Great Western and South Wales R
Company, and it was intended to make a railway from theailway Great
Western Railway at Gloucester to join the Monmouth and Hereford
Railway at a place called Westbury, on the Severn, thus completing
that portion of the Monmouth and Hereford Railway, which,
but for being thrown out in the Standing Orders' Committee,
would no doubt have been passed last year. The second object
which they had in view was to join the South Wales Railway in the
parish of Awre, in the city of Gloucester, thus completing
the railway from South Wales to Gloucester, and the third
object was to make a branch for the conveyance of coals
from the main line at Awre to the Gloucester docks. The
length of the line from Gloucester to the South Wales Railwa
and
was fifteen miles and a half, the branch to join the Mony
Hereford Railway one mile and two furlongs, and the branch to Glou-
cester docks one mile and two furlongs, aid the estimated ex-
pense 320,0001. During the last session an aprlication was
made to Parliament to sanction a great part of the railway
for which powers were now sought, but in consequence of the acci-
project,
dent to which he had referred—an accident which sometimes hap-
pened to the best schemes—it was thrown out of the Standing
Orders, but the Committee reported favourably to the House on the
metrcZanaetfti
isnodat
nodsptpeaootrsepeddortabbriaotuthoit had been mainly objected to be-
causelin it crossed an objectionable part of the river Severn. The
their objection to the the South
GSelouutchestleVr,ales but Railway,he ai)
line would be removed by the insertion of
pre
hbeuntd
ebdy t
ht ha et
clauses in necorcinnee with their viewsaThoy were also opposed by

the \ Wye and Severn Canal, but at the proper time he should object
it opposition on the ground of inconsistency and misstatements,
"'` air total want of locus stencil. The line and branches would
and th, facilitate the conveyance of minerals, and would open up a
greatly . ,ommunication with the soath of Wales.
railway , •nel, the engineer to the line, was then examined with re-
Mr. Bri. line. .After describing its course, he went on to say that
spec
openingt t he
of the nhheet andbitya
gtmoderate,oew completionor A w
ra edbwroea
frnect
branch
awas Monmouth
dnatureallowiretcot,nand
d
the works were
the
ey of the Severn. There were no tunnels. The
1 in 90 for 15 chains, but it was close to the
die shortp t s curve was 33 chains in length. The
Gloucester station. _
estimates were amply so.Mcierr t for the construction of the line. In
passed along the v ult.
the event of its being made, it would carry all the coals from Wales
to Gloucester and its neighbor' trhood, and would have a great quantity
Hsteereepfes'irtdgßraadiliwenaty'lvao:
of other mineral tr affle.
Mr. CROWDER W 'as about to cross-examine Mr. Brunel, but
Mr. WHATELRY object Led, on the ground that his clients—the
Wye and Severn Cans 1 Company—had no locus stencil, inas-
much as the petition. which they had presented against
the Forest of Dean related chiefly to the South Wales Railway, and
to the widening of their own line. They did not run within 9 miles
of them, and neither interh'red with their property nor their traffic.
Mr. CROWDER maintalCed that his clients had a locus standi
before the Committee, as it would materially interfere with
the property, and because the Bill before the Committee was a
joint project between the So.uth Wales and the Great Western
Railway, both of which interterei with the traffic on the Wye Rail-
way Canal. He therefore held tiiat his clients had a locus standi
before the Committee.

Mr. Wnemmr said, if the arguments of his Learned Friend were
admitted to be tenable, there would be no end to the confusion which
they would create. The simple ground on which he held he had a
right to appear was this, that the South Wales and the Great Western
Companies would furnish a portion of the necessary capital. The
Great Western Company supplied some of the capital ter the con-
struction of a Wexford Railway; and if the right were admitted, his
Learned Friend might have opposed that line singly, because the
Great Western supplied some of the capital. The argument was a new
one, and it almost perplexed him, because he was completely sur-
prised by its novelty and clear impropriety.
The room was then cleared.
On the admission of the parties, the CRAlRmerr intimated that the
Committee were of opinion that the Severn and Wye Railway Canal
had no locus standi before them.
The Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XL] 11.