The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-21 00:00:00

ADVANTAGES OF A LONDON AND

BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.

The directors of this undertaking will make another ap-
plication to Parliament for an Act authorizing it to be carried
into effect. The intended line of road is to go in the di-
rection of Pinner, near Harrow, Watford, Leighton Buz-
zard, Stoney Stratford, to Bilsworth ; then off towards
Daventry, through Rugby, Coventry, and to Birmingham.
The distance is 110 miles, and it is calculated it may be
performed in five hours and a half. There are to be nine
tunnels. The estimate of the whole cost is 2,500,0001.,
and the annual amount of revenue at 730,6921. The
evidence before the Committee of the House of Lords,
which last session threw out the measure, certainly showed
that the public would derive great benefit from the esta-
blishment of the railway. Numerous merchants who
were examined, deposed to the inconvenience under which
trade laboured from the absence of an expeditious and
certain mode of communication between London and
Birmingham. Mr. Helmsley, a director of the Union
Kent Glass Company, said that the swiftest con-
veyance of goods at present was by fly-boats, which
are four days on the road : 1,050 tons were received in
London from the Company's factories at Birmingham every
year. This came to the sum of 200,0001., and the ave-
rage breakage of the glass was 21 per cent. The Com-
pany, therefore, sustained a dead loss of 5,0001. per an-
num. On a railway the breakage would not amount to
a half per cent.—Mr. F. Barnes, an ironmonger in Fen-
church-street, said,coaches frequently refused to bring up
his parcels from Birmingham, and the proprietors said t
him, " Mr. Bawes, you would not like to travel in a
coach with 800 or 9001bs. on the top of it and in the
boot."—Mr. Barry, a ship.broker, stated that the transit
of go ids was frequently stopped in winter by the freezing
of canals.—Mr. Mason, a merchant at Birmingham, once
engaged to ship a quantity of goods to London, and he had
an action brought against him for the freight of the good.,
which were detained by a stoppage in the canal, and he
was not only called on to pay the freight, but the goods
were thrown upon his hands. A short time since, there
were three instances in which he might have executed
orders for 1,500/. if he could have executed them in time
for shipment in London. From the evidence of several
farmers, it appeared that the cost of sending up cattle to
London from a place 40 miles distant, is '7s. a head, and
for sheep Is., and the distance so frequently injured the
poor beasts, that they are left in the towns on the
road to be sold for whatever they will fetch. Graziers
would give 10s. a head to despatch their cattle to London
more speedily. A sheep driven SO miles, loses ECUs.,
value 4.. 6,1. Mr. Marshall, Secretary to the Provincial
Bank of Ireland, deposed that a railroad to Birmingham
would be of service to the Dublin Post ; many hours' time
would be saved, and this would be of great importance,
when Ireland wanted bullion from London, in consequence
of any sudden demand for gold, which frequently occurred
from political circumstances. Lieut.-General Sir T. W.
Gordon stated, that the railroad would afford considerable
facilities for transporting military stores, which would be
very beneficial to the public service. It would also, in cases
of emergency, afford an opportunity for the more rapid
conveyance of troops. The expenses of the traffic between
London and Birmingham for one year, including passen
gers and goods, amounts, by the pre+ent mode of convey-
ance to 1,326,143/. The expenses by railway are calcu•
hated at '793,407/.