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

GROUP XXVII.`

This Committee re-assembled this morning at the usual hour, sir
Charles Lemon In the chair.
8017TII MIDLAND.

it:, Berkeley, A land °gout of Northamptonahire, NVAI the tint

for a tine to White Mills, from a conviction that the London

and Birmingham Company would proceed with their line. He
would just briefly point oat 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 grant
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
three ports. Lynn,
At present the town of Northampton was really without any good
communication with the towns ou the coasts, and their line proposad
,d,erew
eeittleepterdesentmovreery
to meet that want, and to give them direct communication with
Northampton which was already connected with Ely, which
was not only a port, but one from which Northampton itself
was therefore eviderunimatnmyedthiaoatftelayists worldfasv4urPitphalises,the
was therefore was concenied, there could be no doubt of the advan-
tage of this railway. Thi too,
seen, that though a numberraPe?
With respect to the lines, would be clearly shown by evidence.
prince ; fer it would b e
towu Northampton. thus
of
satisfy any one orgrserfth
...,,c.aosasts on she eastern
il9, an inspection of the map would
the country, there was still total
were traversidg
absence of auyth ng
like a direct communication betwa .atlhte
greatest importance that such a communication matter
and western sides" of the kingdom.
cam
that the gra- -
tu,
i 1 of.) the
tablished. In conclusion, he had clay to say
d:ents were very favourable, there being only two of 1 in 1(0,
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 be 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 Ms
undertaking did not intend to proceed further, and that the soli-
licitor was going on merely with a view to discharge
what he considered he was legally hound to perform.
He thought, therefore, that it would be desirable if the
further consideration of this Bill should he postponed till the
sense of the shareholders should have been obtained. He wou'al,
therefore, propose that Mr. Wilkinson, the solicitor of the Compary,
should be called to substantiate this statement.
Mr. O'MALLEY said he was ready to accede to the proposal of Lis
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 ne objection to Mr. Wilkinson being called.
Mr. Wilkinson was then called and examined by Mr. Hon 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 com
fo,•est of hands were held
up on, p
a
n
y
,
ttohepromcoeuedonwitthhatthethßeillaff;
aiourso
ground being that the five per cent. had not been paid up. A
of the Company should be wound up. It was in conse-
quence of his being of opinion that they were legally bound to
bring the Bill before the Committee, that he had proceeded with it.
He had no objection to the propesed postponement.
The room was then cleared,aand on our re-admission,
The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee were of opinion
that it would be better for all parties to postpone the 811 l till the
23th instant.
The Committee then adjourned.

GROUP XXXI.
The following Rills are comprised in this group :-
1. Portbury Pier and Railway (Ne. 2).
2. Bristol and Birmingham (Bath line).
3. Bristol and Birmingham (A.shehurch, Tewkesbury, and Malvern
line).

4. Bristol and Birmingham (Bristol and Storehouse 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 H.
Radford, and the Ron. C. Cavendish.
No. 1 was petitioned against by the corporation of Bristol and the
Bristol Dock Company; No. 4, by the Great Western 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, Sevens and Wye Railway and Canal, &c.
The usual formal proceedings haying been gone through, some dis-
cussion ensued with respect to the Bill which should be taken first.
It was at length decided that the .
BRISTOL arm SOLITE WALES aouiverisizox
Bill should be first proceeded with.
The Bill was unopposed.
Evidence as to its length, amount of capital, ac., having been
given, the Committee immediately passed the preamble, and agreed
to the clauses without alteration.

GLOUCESTER AND DEAN FOREST.
This Rill was next proceeded with, the parties promoting' the South
Wtes.gailway (No. 2) not being prepared to proceed with Heir cu s.
Company, aiYiVw::s Id-ended 'to make a railway from the 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 Railway
was fifteen miles and a half, the branch to join the Monmouth and
llereford Railway one mile and two furlongs, and the branch to Glou-
cester docks one mile and two furlongs, and the estimated ex-
pense 320,0007. During the last session an application was
made to Parliament to sanction a great part of the railway
for which powers were now sought, but in consequence of the acci-
dent to which he bad 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
project, and stated that it had been mainly objected to be-
cause it crossed an objectionable part of the river Severn. The
line was not opposed by the South Wales Railway, but by the
merchants and corporation of Gloucester, but he apprehended that
their objection to the line would be removed by the insertion of
clauses In accordance with their views. They were also opposed by
the Wye and Severn Canal, but at the proper time he should object
to their opposition, on the ground of inconsistency and misstatements,
and their total want of locus standi. The line and branches would
greatly facilitate the conveyance of minerals, and would open up a
railway communication with the south of Wales.

Mr. Brunel, the ergineer to the line, was then examined with re-
spect to the line. After describing its course, he went on to say that
the works were very light and moderate, and were of a nature to allow
the opening of the line by the completion of the Monmouth and
Hereford Railway. The Haglow or AM-re branch was direct, and
passed along the valley of the Severn. There were no tunnels. The
steepest gradient was 1 in 99 for 15 chains, but it was close to the
Gloucester station. The shortest curve was 33 chains in length. The
estimates were amply sufficient for the construction of the line. In
the event of its being made, it would carry all the coals from Wales
to Gloucester and its neighbourhood, and would have a great quantity
of other mineral traffic.

Mr. CROWDER was about to cross-examine Mr. Brunel, but
Mr. WHATELEY objected, on the ground that his clients—the
Wye and Severn Canal Company--had no locus standi, 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 interfered with their property nor their traffic.
Mr. CROWDER maintained 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 South Wales and the Great Western
RallwayAboth of which interfered with the traffic on the Wye Rail-
I earned Friend were
bweafoyrCeatthutle
C.
omHmetithteereefore held that his clients had a locus stand.
admitted to be tenable,
Mr. WHATELEY said,
ground on which lie held he had a
they would create. The simple
pt
iht thel tGreatar
tihVeesctoe
nm.
portion of the necessary capital. The
Companies would furnish a
tihfetrheewaortgird been stso °•lniti i 'to 'th' e confusion which
Great Western company supp 1 someouthllo' afl etsh the
if the right ''admitted,his
Learned Wexford Railway; and mere
struction of a
right to appear was this, thattbree
Learned Friend might leave opposed that line singly, because the
Great Western supplied some ot 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 CHAIRMAN 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 XXXV.
The Committee met to-day at 12 o'clock, in reom Xo. 27 (Grand
Corridor), by adjournment from Tuesday last. Present, Mr. G.
Bankes (Chairman), Sir A. L. Hay, Mr. Bruges, Sir T. Williams
Bulkeley, and Sir Thomas Winnington, and resumed the consideration
of the

EAT COAC.
The examination of Mr. FuS e
enginiton, thT
eer, was continued.
The witness was cross-examined at considerable length by Mr.
WEBsTER, as to the engineering details of the bridges, and other
works projected on the line, and as to the mode of junction with the
Direct York, the Ambergate, and other railways.
Sir John Rennie was examined by Mr. COOK, on the part of the
promoters, and gave detailed evidence of great length in favour of
the line as respects the probable traffic, the wants and capabilities of
the district, and the engineering merits. This gentleman was also
exa

mined by the Committee minutely on the ;abject of the large
tract of land now in course of being gained from the sea, and is
called Victoria county. He described this as being in a most promis-
ing state, 4,000 acres being completely reclaimed and now in culti-
vation. Several little towns had sprung up there, and the East Coast
Railway would give a great stimulus to further improvement. He
approved or the bridges designed by Mr. Fulton, and he thought they
could not be dispensed with.

Mr. Cubitt, the engineer, was next examined to the earn pur-
pose, when
The Committee decided that the preamble was not proved, and the
Bill was, accordingly thrown out.

The COmmittee than separated, having gone through the Bills in
their group.

GROUP XLIII

Z e
r witness examined. He depOsed to the accuracy of the estimates fc
land, &c.
Several other witnesses gave the usual formal evidence as to
valuation, &c.
This closed the case for the promoters.
Mr. FLOOD, on the part of Mr. Justinian Isham, an opix,int
landowner, then addressed the Committee. He contended that the
promoters had made out no case whatever for the construction of the
proposed line. The population of the district and the traffic did not
require it.

•
GROUP Xl,Charles W
This cotte®
ttee assembled to-day at one o'clock; present, LOrl
y (chairman), and the other Members.
mirar..a.ma AND EASTERN COUNTIES
(CAMBEEDGE TO WEEXIION).
The usual preliminaries having been gone through,
Mr. 0. MALLET, on the part of the promoters of the B ill, laid, that
it would be his duty to lay the merits of the Bill before the Committee.
At present Cambridge was the focus of severe railways--one of
these connecting Cambridge and Norwich, Cambridge and London, and
Cambridge and Bury. The objeet of the present railway was to connect
Cambridge and Weedon, and by that means to connect Yarmouth,
nem-felt, and other ports on the eastern coasts with those on the
western coasts by a direct line, instead of having to go round by the
port of
London, as is the case at present. The line they
anti man originall proposed was one from Cambridge to Worcester,
were occasionedlead 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 course
and make their surveys for a line to Esham, had tin n deserted them.
They then found themselves obliged to give up that portion of tl:eir
line as far as Worcester. It was then
so laie that they were o m-
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 Londonsancl Birmingham Company should succeed in their
line from Worcester to Northampton, so as to meet their Peterborough
usearsttf•adrianstllst;i(iteMiglia,
unad,
and Eastern
Etwhattertnt
lei3n-ep)rnopilol,stedo
natorryi
their
cl
to run then into the London and Birmingham Railway. From this
havea
Duly e
would be evident that the Bill at present was virtually