The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-30 00:00:00

Have you ever been on the Croydon line?—Not since the
atnim,piieric
Have you ever taiseti the tio.6le tv gu Eft.;
it from passing on the Brighton line.
Mr. John Winter called in and examined by Mr. COCK-
BURN—I believe you were.stationed to observe the working
of the atmospheric trains on the Croydon line ?—I was.
When were you placed there ?—On the 2d of February.
How long were you there ?—Five weeks.
You were not employed by ,11r. Locke ?—No.
Di,l'you observe each train ?—Ye., for that time.
Did yQu travel by each train ?- I travelled generally 24
trains a day.
How many trains a day were running or professed to run at
that time?-23.
And you checked them for five weeks ?—Yes.
During that time, what was the total number of delays and
stoppages ? did you take a note of each that happened?—Yes.
By the Committe—What year was the?—l>{46.
By Mr. COCKBURN -From February the 2d to the 25th,
since the Croydon line was opened ?—Yes, there were 50 trains
taken by the locomotive engine.
How many delays were there altogether?-84.
What was the total number of trains stopped and delayed on
the line during that time, quite independently of locomotives?

In how many instances, during the time you were there ob-
serving, were the-trains stopped or delayed on the line?—tB4.
When you say stopped or delayed, what do you mean by that
—you include both the locomotives and atmospheric ?-1 am
includi,g the mere fact of stoppages; I include both in that
number which were delayed and taken by locomotives.
You say they were 181 instances of stoppages—in how many
of those instances were you obliged to have recourse to loeomo-
motive power in order to get the atmospheric train on to its
place of destination ?-84.
Eighty-four times they were obliged to have recourse to lo-
comotive power?—Yes.
Of that eighty-four instances necessarily arose in the month
of February ? —Yes.
In the other instances, when they did not have recourse to
locomotive power, what was the nature of the del iy —how long
was it generally for ?—The delay was up to thirty minutes, and
as low as ten. three, and two minutes

In some iestances up to thirty ? —Yes.
In Some instances did you find up to thirty minutes ?—Four.
It varied from that down to nothing in fact?—Yes, I have
had one as high as thirty-five minutes.
Did you make any observations with reference to the expense
of the line ?—Yes.
Have you got the details, the expense, the number of men
employed, and ti .e quantity of coal consumed ?—Yes, there are
■ x men employed in the first instance at the Croydon.
What would that he per man per day ?—Six shillings and six-
pence per man 11. 19s. per day ; tht n there are six stokers, 45.
per man, 1/. 4s a day; then there are six cleaners or helpers,
21. 61. a day, that is 15.. ; four entrance valve men—three are
employed continually, and one is moving about, to release the
others from time to time—at 3s. 6d. per day, 145.; twelve
longitudinal valve men—that is, the long valve that runs along
the line—at 3s. per day ; two men at piston carriage, at 3s. 6d.
per day ; two men at heater carriage, 3s. 6d. per day ; four
switch men, for shoving across, 3s. per day.
Are those extra men the switch men ?—They are extra men,
that would not. be used on a locomotive line. There are more
swatch met u-ed than. Iheie, but these are only more than those
used on a locomotive line. Cost of coal and coke together, at
each engine house, per (lay, 41/ tons, at. 18s., '2l. 3s.
How do you get at that I Bs. ? That is assumed, is it not?
—lt is. I could not ascertain what th y really paid for the
coal, but I believe it is more; they travelled fourteen trains
per day.
By the COMMITTEE—,
What is the amount for the coal ?-121. 3s.

By Mr. Cocicau aN—
What is the aggregate of all those sums, 19/. 1.75. per day ?
-Yes.
_ _

For what diiitanee 7—That is the five miles they run four

teen trains per day ; that makes twenty-eight trains; five times
that makes 141 miles travelled per day ; cost per mile 2s. 11A.,
for cost. of level and labour only, exclusive of repairs. The
average weight of trains is 42 tons.
Cross-examined by Mr. M Eir Iva LE.--Who employed you to
spy the nakedness of the land P—Mr., Cabry.
He is an engineer ?—Yes.
He sent you to watch this?—lt was by Mr. Cabry and Mr.
Hudson's order I went there.
King Hudson ?—The Chairman of the York and North Mid-
land.
Did you say you came from those gentlemen ?—Yes.
Who to ?—To several I cannot generally describe the
gentlemen I said it to, but I said it to a good many.
You told the people that you came for the purpose of spying?
—I told the people there I came down for general information.
For those gentlemen ?—Mr. Cabry, Mr. Hudson, and myself.
And you saw all ?—Yes.
So of those between the 22d and 25th of February, am I
right in saying that those fifty all occurred in two days?—No ;
they did not.
Just give us the dates ?—February the Gth, there is one,
3d, seven, and 4th, six.
That makes thrteen in those two days?—Yes; the 3d, two;
the 10th, five.
What took place on the 10th? Did not both connecting-
rods of two engines break ?—One broke, and one was cracked.
Does not that account for those five accidents at once?—
That accident accounts for those five.
Does not that single breakage account for thirty-three of
the stoppages?—Yes, it allows for thirty-three taken by the
locomotive,on account of the connecting-rod.
That you speak of is four-and-a-half tons a day, that is your
estimate —Yes.
Do you know Mr. Samuda consumes two tons a day ?—No,
I am not aware of that.
You spoke of 17s. for coal, do you know that Mr. Samuda
is actually paying 12s. ?—I aria not aware of that at all.
You took Mr. Locke's calculations ?—Yes.
And is the whole of your estimate as loose as that ?—No, the
other is taken from facts.
Re-examined by Mr. COCKBURN—My friend took you
down that list, to a certain extent, and stopped on the 10th of
February, when you had five stoppages—give me the residue.—
On the 21st one is taken by lewomotive.
By Mr. MERIVALE—Do not you know all those accidents
occurred from detects in the engines ?—Not all of them.
State asy one of them that did not.—On the 9th a train out
of London was stopped for want of vacuum at Forest-hill.
For how long?—Fifteen minutes—that oas from the longi-
tudinal valve ; the men had not had time enough to pass along
to seal it.

Any more?—l think that is all.
Out. of eighty-five, eighty-four were the result of defects of
the engine,?—No, there were a great many more ; of those
being stopped from the snow and the frost there were eli.ven.
Do ,ou know there were eleven one day from the snow and
the frost?—Yes ; I have them from the party who has ob-
served the l:ne.
You do not know about the eleven ? Yes, I do.
You have got it from other parties?—lt is not my own ob-
servation, but I am lerlectly sure the party is correct.
By Mr. COCKBURN—
Who is the I,arty ?—A gentleman in Croydon.
What is his came?—Mr. Bree.
By Mr. MEkIVALE—
Is hr an engineer?—He is not.
By Mr. CocKnnitN—
Have you known several instances where the delay has been
occasioned by somethtn4 connected with the valve ?—By the
longitudinal valve and the valves of the engines preventing the
valve acting as it ought to do—several nave occurred from
that, and several from the longitudinal valv.. There were a
great number delayed for want of vacuum.
By Mr. MERIVALE—
They were delayed from defects of the longitudinal valve, or
defect- in the engine house?—They are defects in the valve in
general belonging to the system.
We want to .know how much of these happened from de
fects in the apparatus and the engines ?—The valves are al'
connected; one valve acts in another; if one will not act an,
other will not.
How many of these acts happened from defects to the long

udinzl valiTe shoilid imagine be• ter than hallo'

then..
From defects of the longitudinal valve itself ? The men not
having time to pass along.
By Mr. COCKBUR N—When you say that, do you mean any-
thing that happened to the valve, or from the men not being
able to get it in proper order ?—They had not time to pass
along the line to seal it to prevent the leakage.
I believe you are in the employment of Mr. Cabry ?—I am.
I have been for the last five yeat s.
How many instances have you of the stoppage tak'ng place in
consequence of something at the valve ?—I have got a great

mayor.
Ab ,ut host many ?—About half as many as what I have down
I cannot tell to one or two.
The witness withdrew.
The Committee adjourned till Monday at twelve o'clock.

GLOUCESTER, MARCH 25.—The following address
was yesterday unanimously adopted by the corporation of this city
on the motion of Councillor Kimberly, seconded by Ald. Taylor :
"TO THE RIGHT HON SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART., HER MAJESTY'S
FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY.
" The address of the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the city of
Gloucester in council assembled.—We, the mayor, aldermen, and
burgesses of the city of Gloucester in council assembled, impressed
with a deep sense of the importance of the Government measures
now before Parliament, for relaxing the duties on corn and provi-
sions with a view to their eventual abolition, as well involving a
general reduction in our commercial tariff, avail ourselves of these
means respectfhlly to tender to you, as their responsible projector,
our cordial and entire approbation of the principle on which those
measures are founded. Comprising as this corporation does, indi-
viduals of various shades of political opinion, we are, nevertheless,
unanimous in our admiration of the boldness," justice, and equity of
the proposed changes, and of their complete adaptation to the spirit
of the age and to the ends thereby proposed—namely, the increased
happiness and comfort of all classes of her Majesty's subjects.
It is not the practice of this corporation, as a body, to identify
itself with general political questions, but there are occasions
which seem to justify a departure from the usual course ; and we
deem the present an opportunity which our strong sense of the im-
mense importance of the Government proposals will scarcely allow
us to forego, of testifying our high approval of them, and of cheering
on the first Minister of the Crown In his glorious yet difficult career
of carrying theist forward to a successful issue. We are fully sensible
of the many painful struggles which must have preceded the proposal
of measures involving principles in direct opposition to the vews of a
large and influential section of the Government supporters i
but we
offer our respectful homage to the moral courage and independence
which could disregard that support, and appeal to the higher tribunal
of public opinion dispassionately expressed through its representa-
tives in Parliament. It is our anxious hope that these measures may
speedily become the law of the land; we believe their tendency to
be—to secure at home social and political contentment, active em-
ployment, health, and wealth—abroad, to annihilate prejudices, to
increase goodwill towards this country, to remove the barriers to a
free exchange of labour and natural products;—and thus, by pro-
moting an universal treaty of amity and commerce, to secure that
v,hich must almost inevitably flow from it- the blessing of universal
AL"
CORN FOR EUROPE.—Several shipments of Indian
corn having been made from this country for various ports in Ire-
land, the impression prevails that on corn at least the duty has been
or will be taken off. The shipments, as already stated, are by order
of the British Government, for the aid of the poor Irish who are suf-
fering from the injury to the potato crop. Indian corn, however,
will be included in the tariff of bread-stuffs, if it shall be ascertained
that sir Robert Peel is strong enough in both Houses of Parliament
to reform the coni-laws according to the principle he has laid down ;
but it is certain that recent experience having shows: the utibty and
economy of Our Indian corn, and as it cannot be produced by the
corn-growing countries of Europe, our west will have the benefit of
an extensive sale of this valuable product, as every kind of experi-
ment will be made in England to improve the manner of baking it.
In other bread-stuffs it is possible that grain from the Baltic
could be sold in England as cheaply at from this countryßut if
we look at the importations of our bread-stuffs Into England during
the months of I secenther and January, say in th, port of Liverpool
alone, we are doing a heavy business even with the corn-law in ierce.
Of flour there was entered in those months 133,833 bis.,
bushels of wheat, 188,012 bushels of corn, besides barley, peas,
taw,
&c. It Is a doubtful policy for us to tie ourselves up by a com-
mercial arrangement of reciprocal duties in relation to the tariff.
We reduce our tariff as a national policy. and England reduces her
duties un the corn-law in conformity with the wi .hes of the people.
The change is mutually beneficial, and operating silently to the
benefit of both. There is no necessity fort. eaty stipulations. Inde-
pendent of tile double crop of corn produced in the prairies of the
west, we can grow to the north several millions of bushols more than
we did in 1845; and we learn that our fanners at the present season
are preparing to plant many additional acres of Indian corn.—.Netc
York Sun.
A HINT TO OLD MACHELORS.—There died this week
in the union poor-house three patriarchs, whose united ages amount eel
to 301 years. Each of these " fine Irish gentlemt st, all of the olden
time," were married, it is stated, no less than four times ; a circum-
stance to which, no doubt, is attributable their lengthened sojourn iu
the land of the living.—llraferfrd Freeman.
MILIT vitY LEGISLATORS.—In the House Of Commons
hare are tw t Admirals, one General, one Lieutenant-General seven
Major-Generals, twenty- two Colonels, thirty two Lieutenant-Colonels,
seven Majors, sixty-seven Captains of the Army and _Navy, twelve
Lteatenants, and two Cornets. In all, olio hundred and fifty-three
law-makers with a direct interest in the consumption of gitupowda.