The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-06 00:00:00

GROUP VIII.

The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills
comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this morning,
Mr. B. Hawes in the chair.

ZDINDURGH AND LEITH ATMOSPHEEXO.
The case for the promoters of this Bill was brought to a close
to-day.
The remainder of the day was occupied with the landholders'
opposition to the line, and the merits of the competing scheme is to
be gone into to-morrow.
The Cemmittee adjourned shortly after four o'clock.

GROUP XIII.

GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)

The Duke of Buccleuch gave general evidence as to the district
requiring a line of railway accommodation through the valley of the
icith. He supported the line now, because the line had been altered
not to interfere with his property at Drumlanrig.
Sir David Hunter Blair, Mr. Mackie, and Mr. Lenny, the con-
veners of the counties of Ayrshire, Dumfrieshire, and Kirkcudbright,
corroborated the evidence of the previous witnesses.

Mr. Wright was examined respecting the coal-fields of Sanquhar ;
and Mr. Reeves, late surveyor of the post-office of the south and
west of Scotland, as to the amount of business done by the post-office
in this district, wken the engineering evidence was proceeded with.
Mr. Blythe, civil engineer, said he had prepared the plans and
sections of this line. The witness then gave the distances from
Kilmarnock to Carlisle, Annan, and Dumfries respectively, to show
that in point of distance the advantage was in favour of the
present scheme. The gradients were generally favourable, and there
were no great engineering difficulties. There is a tunnel of 1,500
yards in length in the neighbourhood of Dramlanrig Castle. The
whole length of the scheme, including branches, was 90 miles 61
chains. The estimate of expense was 1,200,0001.
Cross-examined—Me believed that Dumfries, as far as Edinburgh
was concerned, would be as well accommodated by the Caledonian
scheme as the present; and also the country north-west of Sanquhar
towards Ayrshire and the Caledonian Extension , so that the ques-
tion of superior accommodation from the present scheme was mainly
confined to the district between Dumfries and Sanquhar. The ne-
cessity of it, therefore, would much depend on the character and ex-
tent of this traffic. _ _

Kr. Hero, who valued the land required for the railway, deposed
as to the estimate being 92,4341.

Mr. Laurie concurred in this valuation.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock.

GROUP XIV.

This Committee met at the usual hour ; present—Mr. Protheroe
(Chairman), Mr. John O'Connell, Lord Emlyn, and Mr. Grogan.

~
Mr. Sergeant WEANOIIAM, on the part of-the North Kent, replied
to Mr. Austin, and proceeded to answer his objectiens. The Learned
Counsel had not finished when the Committee adjourned, at four
o'clock.

GROUP XVIII.
SOMERSETSEIRE MIDLAND.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
The Committee having remained for a long period in deliberation;
called in the parties.
The CHAIRMAN then put several questions to Mr. Harris, 'the Se-
cretary to the Company, with reference to the names of certain direc-
tors which appeared in the deed, and who had not paid the whole
amount:of the subscription on their shares.
_ _

Mr. R. YORKE asked the Secretary if he could undertake to say
positively that every gentleman whose name appeared on their printed
list had paid up the amount Of his shares.

The Secretary—l think so.

Mr. R. YORKE —But can you not give a positive answer?
The Secretary—There are one or two cases in which I have not
seen the hankers' receipts ; but I believe the amount has since been
paid.

General EVANS—Then, in point of tact, these parties had not paid
their money on the shares when the Bill was presented ?
Mr. R. YORKE—How long would it be after the money is paid to
the banker before you, as secretary to the company, would be aware
of It?

The Secretary—Sometimes it was as much as two or three months.
Mr. R. YoBBE—Now, as secretary to the company, can you under-
take to say that that is a regular mode of doing business ?
3 he Secretary made no answer.
General EvAms—Are we to understand that the public signed the
deed is SePtember, and the directors in the months of December and
January ?
The Secretary—They did.
General EvAris—Can you account for the circumstance of the
deposits having been paid by the directors in these months, while
the public paid theirs in September?
Mr. M. Swim, the counsel for the promoters, stated in explanation
that 9,000 shares had been.allotted to the public, and only 6,00 had
been paid on. The directors had taken as many of these unpaid
shares as convenient, in order to carry on the line. The shares were
at a discount when they took them. _ .

r. Morgan, one of the directors, was then examined at some
length; respecting the data of his signing the deed and receiving the
scrip.

. -
This portion of the inquiry having been completed,
Mr. Hill, the engineer to the Company, was called, who stated that
the line commenced at a point of junction on the Bristol
and Exeter line called Ililbridge, and proceeded thence through
Glastonbury to Frome, at which part it formed a junction with the
Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway. The total length of the
line was 31 miles, 7 furlongs. The steepest gradient was one of two
miles in length of I in 56 ; there were gradients of considerable
length of 1 in 82% and 1 in 60. The line was on a level
at the point of junction with the Wilts, Somerset, and
Weymouth. He did not think a more favourable • line
could be obtained, considering the nature of the country.
No more injury had been done to private property than was abso-
lutely unavoidable. The line would be a single line, and it was pro-
posed to be a broad gauge. The total estimated cost was 360,000/.
Of this sum, 41,0001. would be required for the purchase of land. The
strata through which the cuttings would have to be made were for
the most part of mountain limestone, which would be available for
the purposes of masonry along the line.
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.