The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-16 00:00:00

GROUP XIII.

The Committee met to-day at the usual hour. Sir Wm. Clay, in
the chair.'
CALZDONIAN EAXLV72I7 AND DM/INCHES.
The case on behalf of the promoters of this company was pro-
ceeded with, on the assembling of the Committee.
Mr. Locke, civil engineer, was re-called and examined on the esti-
mates for the Caledonian branches. He stated that the estimates
for both' the Dumfries and Northern branches was 500,0001. The
Dumfries branch was set down at 338,752/. ; and 147,0641. for the
Northern branch. These items were for the construction of the
branches, 20,0801. was allowed for the stations. The Nithsdale Com-
pany had estimated their Dumfries and Car'isle line at 33
per cent., but that he thought was an under estimate. He did
not think they ought to have put it' down at less than that
estimated for the Calelonian. There were no engineering difficulties
in the construction of these branches. He estimated the working
expenses of these branches at 16,0001., on the estimated receipts of
24,0001. The Caledon;an Extension, as a coaception, was brought
1:,,f0r.a the_ mug jae_Lords' Committee list year.
Cross-examined by Mr. Andrews —He estimated the Dumfries and
Langholme branch of last year at 178,000/. lie could not give an
estima•e of the Ca edoniau Extension. The Kelso branch of this
extension had been lost on the standing orders; but the western
portion into Ayrshire still remained. The estimates had been made
out for the whole, and he had not deducted from the estimates for
what had been thrown out.

To Mr. LIDDELL, who appeared for Lord Mansfield, and the Duke
of Buccleuch, and Lord Queensberry—The Springfield branch went
through Lord Mansfield's property for some extent. It also went for
halt a mile through that of the Duke of Buccleuch. There were no
very heavy cuttings or embankments, and there would not be
much damage done to farm-buildings. A number of occupation
roads were crossed, and the line ran for some distance
parallel with the turnpike road. The branch went for three miles
through Lord Queensberry's property, but the works were about the
same as the others. There were ne heavy works. There were very
few farm buildings on the line of deviation. The works on the Dum-
fries Branch, through Lord Queensberry's, were of a similar cha-
racter. Two roads were crossed on a level. On the Duke of Due-
cleuch's property on the same branch, very little damage was done
to farm buildings.

Re-examined—:With regard to the first-named
Niths-
dale Branch went nearly in the same route, and would consequently
do as much damage. No damage was done to residential property.
It was as feeders to the main line that these branches were most
desirable. branch, the
Mr. COCKBURN said, as the evidence on behalf of these branches
was closed, it was necessary they should consider the propriety of hav-
ing all the lines before them that constituted the whole or perfect scheme
on each side. He submitted that no decision should be come to
till the whole extension schemes in relation to the two Companies
were gone into, and the evidence in support of them taken. The
question mainly depended on whether the Nithsdale line and the
Caledonian line could co-exist, and before a fair decision could be
come to, it was necessary that not only the Citledonian extension
should be heard, but also the case for the North British, Ilawick and
Carlisle extension. It would save time, as he would not sum up till
the whole evidence was gone through.
Mr. ANDREWS must decidedly oppose the applica'ion, as most
monstrous.' It would be deferring the decision almost indefinitely,
as the Caledonian extension would not be ripe till Monday week, the
25th. That was the earliest day in which it could be heard, as it
could not be read a second time till Monday next, and seven
days would have to transpire to allo*petitions to be presented. It had
been admitted by the agent of the Caledonian Acheme at the begin-
ning of the sitting that the Caledonian extension did not necessarily
compete with the Nithsdale scheme; the competition being in
reference to the southern branches of the Caledonian scheme. His
clients had done every thing to push forward their bill, and had the
seco..d reading of it etteried through at the earliest day; whereas the
Caledonian EXtensien had been delayed to the latest niinnte. There
was, therefore, no reason why the Nithsdale Company should be
made to suffer by being detained here day by day to watch the pro-
ceedings which halt no strict relation to their own cage. Still less
reason was there that the Nithsdale Company should wait Until
the North British Extension, in which they were not in the lean
interested, either for or against, was entered upon. He submitted
that the application should not be alldwed.
Mr. TAhstit, on behalf of the petitioning landholders against the
Caledonian Witches; followed on the same side. lie objected id ilet
application on the ground of hardship to his clients, and that the
granting of it *ptild mix up a great deal of new matter that had no-
thihg really tti do With the case,
Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS, on the part of the gorth British (litivrielt
and Carlisle Eittensicip). protested against the delay in relation to his
scheme; sehiCh Yeail iniroleed in the application.
llele Ceekit!Are teplied; guilt' Ober UR! Objections on the Other side.
The Legislature had granted the Caledonian main line ISt ytati and
extensive contracts on the faith of that flat bad peengone
lute: Nei* the . whole ig the titles had a strict relation to
the Caledonian scheme. The Isittee was thieateneci on the one
side by competition with the Nithsdale schenie; and by the Atitth
British Extension on the Other; and no itist decision in relation to
the intereiltS ht the Caledonian
.line Could be come to till the whole
of these scneines were fully before the Conti:MUM They ought to
do so, in order to loam whether the Caledonian line, which had re-
ceived the solemn settatfoit pt .r arllattient last.year, could,exist, in
the el,elit ot Oi_keh solemn_
line@ boil l' giiinteil, grid vrizetl!er; with
the branches proposed and the Caledonian Extension, the walks of
.ntl,iaerrcaonutneldry. 7iioettisdunbonitabteedas
Granted.
The TOO Wds tlieu gle.ared for the, deciSion de trite e
their decision until after the
conclu.Son that they. iwould not _defer .d,l_ -
ha North British (Hawick •
called, and
cases for the Caledonian aii . piogglit to a eltise.
atild,ll;:rlilisil: Mr. CockbutP, i 4 tiplk to the
Legislature'
The COMMITTEE then caned o
)171:1:
hilittuidmbeahtnedgBtriheatinnttise Committee lied Opine to the 1
Before.this was done . Mr.
that the engineering peeullerities of the
1 coitintied; to, the effeetch,
fr
Tt cr a ran ad
ee -:
ii that they tOuld ndt be worked with
evidence adduced
Isnifheir,:fcbit,:lo,l:
gNehaittghsi
aud:alre
roe: se ewthhisme
tfale (Mien Wencher: were . u
thg al9ng 1 e h main line.
safety to the, trains Pgo§—,
E .fiftieisoipalni applicatione,d.as theoa l should traffic, e
c et the country
oatti-Igri:ai
the decision was giVen in •aath•
theetisetttnliel'astheli deelde/t wa"s the comparative
pincwa :rail 1
If: i!o7ebifea;rtt year. life
p i; 1:::tec:
hwTa-hel ji
oim:el lines,aed . .sb
e eanpresenting i
viit oe
4e the:f,
eßothabesthouses; who
forau
xtracti frepeuaythtt6telltnraiee.epdoofit:t
id favottr of theSe.sehenaes „affirmed the
Mr Coe/Buell then proceeded to sum up the case. He Said the else
features "'
of
V"
i del dby the
61'16 Beard ,of Trade On ,tilt Igp,Stlpft; The
,qlOtationa were iii
ittbstance to the eect, that for c iinettinit Editibrtrall itto GRogovr
The Learno Gentlernen then .read. several
ai therefore the Dumfries and Glasgow
fullyeiata,ned:l4lleet"lCde6. ;licit , .
ieai • also Stated thab the traffic would not warrant any
nainalithlecNheonirteh
wofoScomtluttelid
pwretitha.Caberelislthe and
,xthiteh sovutallh
bier ttirotteli Rile;
like; on the one side, or toe Ilaftitlt &id Carlisle line, on
the other; could not co-exist with such a through line as the
Caledonian. The Dumfries line, it was admitted, could accommodate
Aykshire and part of Dumfrieseltire in a better manner than the
Csiledmilan line; but as a through line to the more important and
pepitloultistricts, it was not to be compared to the latter. The
Caledbhian would connect in the Most direct manner a poptilation of
1,2E10,000; whereas the Dumfries scheme Would not specially accom-
modate more than about MOM The Board of Trade, while they
objected to the Hawick and Carlisle Extension on the grounds of its
being a competing line to the Caledonian, still admitted, that in order
to aceottahodate local traffic, the Edinburgh and Hawick Branch
will aciVistitie. Shell Wert the views of the Board of Trade,
declaring that the two schemes Were incompatible with
each other, It was quite evident that the Board of
Trade weighed the local advantages of the one scheme
' was confirmed by Committees
against the great national advantages of the other, and the advert-
tages preponderating in favour of the latter, the decision was given in
its favour. The view of the Board of Trade, after the careful exami-
nationaofn db oetho ofm Houses.paebtoi
nugt Itonelines,
eI hundred ub
oadnrtdiei d
that
Houses
witnessestwosuch lines, with the amount ofi
t was held that these were rival
traffic in the country, could not co-exist ; therefore it was, that the
best line, the Caledonian, was selected and the other denied. That
the view taken by the Board of Trade, and the Committees of last
session, was a correct one, had been shown by the evidence of Mr.
Locke and the other witnesses who had been examined in regard to
working expenses and the expected traffic. On the faith of
the decision of last session, the Caledonian Company had
entered into extensive contracts, and it would be most
prejudicial to its interests if a rival line was now let loose
upon them. If ever there was a time in which it behoved
Committees to be wary It was the present time. It was evident that
Sir Robert Peel's resolutions had not operated to check rash specula-
tions and it was
in the way expected, _. necessary that the utmost
vigilance should be exercised by the Committee on such cases as that
now submitted to its consideration. Last year when speculation was
at its height the present scheme was denied as incompatible with the
existence of the Caledonian line ; how then could the Committee
to be expended in rash and ramous
capital should nee tie
decide now in its favour, when the public
blitchamind had become more
sober, and when there was such
a opeculatiQu?. The LearnedClf4lo_l3l4ll tIICII Went Oyertbe evidence,
drained from trade or commerce,