The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-18 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
(YESTERDAY)

-
HOUSE OF LORDS.
ATANCELESTER AND SOUTHAPI'LIy TON.
The Committee to whom this Bill had been r eterred, con-
sisting of Lord Monteagle (chairman), Lord Foley, Lord
Churchill, and Lord Sondes, met this morning, at 11 o'clock,
in Room A.
whom were Mr. Grere ev
Mr. Sergeant Wrangbam,
Mr. James, Mr. Wheeler, appeared with
hnd Mr Cri •
Ta.lbote"":
for the promoters of the Bill ; Mr. • I‘ll .e. Rickards,
and Sir Thomas Phillips for the Great. ';Vestern, and
South Western, and the landowners.
Mr. Sergeant WualeGrater proceeded to, the case on
the part of the promoters. He said te A line would be 88
miles in length, and that it .would co A in round numbers,
1,000,0001., and was intended to affie A direct railway com-
munication from Manchester, in the
aserth, to Southampton,
in the south. He could start from eiceuthampton at a point
on the quay which offered, great facilities foe
loading and unloading, and woulee take nearly a direct course
north, passing through Andreefee, Marlborough, Swindon,
Cireoceeter, and even to Che,ceetham, where, at a place called
Swindon, it would form a eeanction yrith the Gloucester and
Birmingham, and pass else to the north of the existing lines.
The cost per mile wou'A 'be between 17,0001. and 18,0001., and
they had no engineering difficulties to contend with except
et, the Cotteswold fulls, which would have to be tunnelled ;
Cut the (fifth:rat:its at this point were only of the ordinary
character. Tbe whole district south of Swindon, which was
traversed by the line, was, at the present moment, lamentably
deficient of railway communication, and, in fact,
a great 'portion of the counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, and
Dorsetehire, must also be considered as being shut out from
that railway communication which other districts now pos-
sessed. Persons in the north, who carried on an extensive
trade with every portion of the empire, had had their opera-
tions crippled, and their means of extending their com-
mercial transactions cut away from them, owing to the want
of direct railway communication with this district. It was
true a portion of the district had water communication
afforded to it by the Andover canal, from Andover to
the sea, which had lingered foryears, and "lingeringly lived,"
affording no great accommodation to:he district, and certainly
with no great profit to those who had embarked their pro-
perty in the undertaking. They intended to use this canal
by an agreement with its proprietors for the purpose of this
railway, which would obviate the necessity of interfering
with residential or other property along the line, and else,
save the promoters considerable expense. The line worefa
reduce the price of coals to the whole district traversed, and
convey to the north for manufacture clay from Poeae, and
sand from the Isle of Wight to be transmuted into, glass, in
addition to large quantities of goods for exportation. By
the existing railway communication the distance. ftom Chel-
tenham to Swindon was forty-four miles‘ which the
Manchester and Southampton would redticA,Vo twenty-nine
miles, effecting a saving of fifteen mils, The distance
was not the only objection, for even if Vete recommendation
of Parliament was carried out, there we,old still be a break of
gauge at Cheltenham. To show the -reecessitY of such a rail-
way, he might state that the Great sS'estern had in the pre-
sent session proposed a line ferene Oxford to Cheltenham
which had been unsuccessful. 'Ant they had not abandoned
their intention of ultimately Obtaining the sanction of Par-
liament to the line. :ea 'great was the objection to that
route that many pers,,ns preferred using coaches and their
own private vehicles tn. order to get to Swindon and Ciren-
cester. A great portion of the district was agricultural, in
which there were a number of sheep fairs; but the
case of the Pateiborough line, which ran through an
agricultural district, and yielded an ample revenue, set
the questitee at rest, that agricultural districts could sup-
port railveays. Great quantities of cattle and sheep were
sent to the north, which would go by the line if it were made.
There were now driven as far as Gloucester, and there placed
(Lathe railway. Salt would be brought from Droitwich for
agricultural purposes. The only means of obtaining goods
by railwayfrom the north was by the London and Birming-
ham, then by cart to Nine Elms, and by the South-Western
on to Southampton, involving a circuit of ninety miles. The
Great Western had obtained permission to make a line from
Oxford to Rugby, but that route would be 19 miles longer
than the Manchester and Southampton, besides a break of
gauge at Rugby ; but if an intermediate gauge was laid down
then There would be a break of gauge either at Oxford or
Bwengstoke. Another line, from Birmingham to the north
of. Banbury, passed this session, reduced the distance front
SS to 14 miles. After referring to the local distribution of
the shares of the company, to the importance of Southamp-
ton as the southern outlet to southern Europe, and. in fact,
to the whole world, to the expression of feeling in favour of
the line by the inhabitants of the towns it was to traverse
(a petition from Manchester in favour of it having been
signed by persons representing one-fourth of the entire as-
sessment of the town) he concluded by calling on the Com-
mittee to pass the preamble of the Bill. He then objected to
the appearance of the Great Western on the ground that the
line only passed under that line; that theyonly in terfered with
a small strip of land, and not with the works or property of
the Great Western. They held a statutory title to the land,
but then they had obtained it for the purpose of a railway,
and that gave them no authority to come there in the guize
of landowners to delay the investigation, and to put them to
unnecessary expense.
Mr. TALBOT replied, and held that the Great Western
had an undoubted right to appear in opposition.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGILA3I was heard in reply, and the
room was cleared.
On the re-admission of parties,
The CetAitutAN said, the Committee had considered the
point raised, and had come unanimously to the opinion that
the Great Western Company sbould be heard on the point,
but only so far as their interests might be affected by the
crossing of the proposed line below the Great eVestern at
Swindon, and with respect to any damage likely to result
from such crossing. e The Chairman added, that this would
not touch upon the right of other landowners to appear there
against the project.
Witnesses were then called.
Mr. W. C. Somers, an extensive ironmonger at Millbrook,
immediately adjacent to Sonthamptou, detailed the advan-
tages which the line would confer on him individually, in
extending his trade and preventing delay in the transmission
of the goods he u'ed and sold.
Mr. Edwards, collector of the port of Southampton, was
examined at great length and cross-examined. His evidence
generally went to show that the salvation of Southampton
depended on the construction of the line, that it would be
141 e miles shorter than any authorised route, would obviate
the necessary breaks of gauge in other lines, and would, in
short, create a considerable traffic. Goods landed at South-
ampton might be warehoused in Manchester within 24 hours.
The imports would be materially increased from all parts of
the world. The existing route to the north, as compared
With the Manchester and Southampton was, as 282 to 212,
thus effecting a saving of 70 miles.
The CHAIRMAN said, he imagined it would not be con- .
tended on the other side that this line would not increase
the traffic. What they contended was, that the advantages
it proposed to afford could be obtained by other lines running
north and south. There could be no question that a direct
communication with the north would be advantageous.
Mr. TALBOT had no hesitation in admitting that a direct
line to Manchester was required; but then the question arose
whether there was traffic enough to 'justify the construction
of a new line eighty-eight miles in length.
Mr. JAMES said if that was the ground of his Learned
Friend's opposition, the promoters would be compelled to
enter into detail as to the traffic.
The witness having given further evidence in favour of the
line, Mr. Sturge, corn merchant of Gloucester, Mr. George,
general merchant, Mousey, and Mr. S. Payne, dealer
in earthenware and glass at Southampton, all gave
evidence in favour of the line. The last witness said lie
had some goods forwarded from Staffordshire on
the 27th of October, which reached Bristol on the
21st of November, but they did not reach Southampton
until the 27th of November following. He paid 7001. per
annum now for carriage, half of which he considered he
should save by the proposed line.--.Adjou:ned till to-morrow.

PILBROW'S ATMOSPHERIC RAIL-
WAY AND CANAL PROPULSION COMPANY.

An adjourned general meeting of the proprietors in this
Company took place yesterday at the London Tavern, for the
purpose of receiving a report of a committee, appointed at a
former meeting; J. Jones, Esq., in the chair.
The state of the affairs of this Company is most
unsatisfactory. It appeared from a report, which
they reuse to publish at the present time, that
the officials of the Company have been guilty of
frauds in issuing an immense number of shares without
having been so authorised to do by the uhvxtors. A Mr.
Collins, a former secretary of the Company, is charged
with having sold between eight and nine thousand shares for
his own immediate benefit, he never having placed the sum
received in lieu of the shares to the credit of the Company.
It appeared also that a cheque for 500/. was given to a
Captain Britten for "rigging" the market. The directors
paid themselves ten guineas a day for their attendance,
which money they have since returned. The directors
allege that the frauds have arisen in consequence of their
misplaced confidence In their officials. Shares have been issued
without the names of the holders being filled up ; and it is
asserted that they were offered for sale at anv price the pur-
chaser might fix upon at Mr. Larnond's, the sharebrolier.
The Earl of Beaborough and the Earl of Essex being among
the directors, have offered 1,0001. each to assist the share-
holders.

The report was adopted, and the meeting adjourned to
that day three weeks for the purpose of a communication
being opened between the directors and the shareholders,
with the view to a final and amicable adjustment of the
affairs of the Company.
It appears that the Company was not registered, as it
Abould have been under the Joint-stock Act ; and that even
all the shares recognised by the directors were issued and
paid upon before the registration took place. The affairs
of the Company present one mass of inextricable confusion.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

BRISTOL, AUGUST 17.
STOCK EICHANGE.-The sales are-Caledonian, 15A -Ditto, sew,
11. 6s. 3d.-Great Western, Quarter Shares, 241.4-Manchester and
Leeds Extension, 3 p.-North British, 14 p.-Ditto, New, 51i p.-
Ditto, Carlisle Extension, 41,4 -South-Eastern and Dover, New (iss.
at 151.), 33i -South Wales, 3;0
MANCHESTER, AUGUST 17.
STOCK EICOImoK.-The sales are-Amber ate Nottingham,
13-16 dis. -Blackburn, Chorley, and I:ivaenrdpgo,l,'
and rrestm. 854 p.-Boston, Stamford, Birmingham, Its. (Its
-Churnet and Blythe, dis. .Eastern Counties, York Extension,
1 13,16 p.•-East Lancashire, 9% p.-East 1,4 dis.-
Great County Down, 21s. 6d. dis.-Great Eastarne°
dis.-Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 1% dis.-Great Grimsb}elatenrdn' 28s.
Extension, 134 dis.-Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and
Canal, N p.-Ditto, Extension, % p.-Leeds and Thirsk, 3
dis.-Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester, 5 p.-Leicester.
-to n i3d
oe.
#ord, dis.-Liverpool, Ormsktrk, ,ind Preston, e. p
Manchester, and Birmingham, Quarter Shares (A), 10% p.-Londonn'
and York, ki dia.-Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock, 114 c.-hest.
cheater and 6outhampton, % dis -North Eastern, 114 013.-North
Staffordshire, 334 p.-Oldham, Birkenhead, &c., 225. c. dis.-Shef-
field, Leek, and Crewe, % dis.-Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction'
3.16 dis.-Ditto, Extension, 34 dis.-Sheffield and Manchester,
Quarters, No. 1, 4 p.-Ditto, No. 3, %c. p. Shrewsbury and ?Sir=
iningharn, C. -Shro,,shire Union, 125. dis.- South-Eagern and
Dover, Halves, No. 4, 13-16 p.-South Staffordshire Junction, 3.16
p.-Trent Valley Midland, &c., par-West Riding Union, 3 3-1 G p.
LEEDS, Auousr 17.
STOcit E "lc la A. NG E.-The sales are-Blackburn and Preston, 844
p.-Eastern Counties, York Extension, 375. p. -East Lancashire,
nis.6 c. ,
pd.-Leeds 9 p.-Greu
jairtlo,SEhxettluienlsdio,
Manchester, 2,54
43 p.-Leeds and Dewsbury, 454 p. D' tto, Branches,
,2 p.--Ditto,
Extensions, dis.-Leeds and ildralc, dis.-Ditto, New, 314 dis.
-Manchester and Leeds, Extensions, 2/. 16s. p.-Newcastle and
Darlington Junction, Extensions, 101. 85. 9d. p.-North British, Car-
lisle Branch, 595. p.-York and North Midland, East and West
Ttlding, 12% p.- Grand Union, 12s. Gd. dis.-Great Eastern and
Western, 1% dis.-Lancashire, Yorkshire, and North-Eastern, 275.
dis.-Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 17s. 6d. dis.-Leicester and
Bedford, 10s. dis.-Liverpool, Orrnakirk, and Preston, 31. Bs. p.-
London and York, 7s. dis.-Malton and Drifileld Junction, 10s. p.
-Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 21s. s. p.-North
Staffordshire, 3% p.-North Western, 6s. 6d. p.-Sheffield and Lin-
coln, 3s. 6d. dis. -Shropshire Union, 15s. dis.-Sonth Midland, 145.
6th... -West Ulding Union, 5/. Is. 6d. s.-York and Carlisle, 41s.
• a and Glasgow Union, 38s. 6d. die.
SHEFFIELD. AUGUST 17.
spojekl. Attor..-The sales are-Grimsby and Sheffield, 1;i
dis.-Ti I tension, X Ms.-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 9s. 6d. die.
• . Lincoln Union and Canal, 19s. dlB.-Sheffield and
00 dirs.
At>, fe).:•;?"
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