The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-10 00:00:00

RAILI‘AY COMMITTEES.
(I ESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
TZIE CORNWALL RAILWAY.

The Committee met this morning at eleven o'clock, the Earl of
Ellenborough in the chair.

Messrs. Nethewy and Veale were called by the promoters of the
Bill. Both gentlemen are traders resident in Cornwall. They
gave evidence in favour of the line, which they thought would be
very beneficial to the people of that county, more especially to the
inhabitants of Truro and St. Auvtel. The present cost of carriage
was very great, and much time was consumed in it. The line
would also benefit the pilchard fishery on the coast, in which much
busintvs was done.
Mr. Drew, mayor of Lestwithiel, said the line would greatly
benefit the agricultural district bordering on that town, by the fa-
cilities it would create for the carriage of lime, Ire. All the inha-
bitants of Lostwithiel were in favour of the Bill. The line would
greatly benefit the mining trade of Cornwall.
Cross-examined—Was a -hareholder in the line.
Ur. Elliot and Mr. Fox gave evidence in favour of the Bill.
The litter witness stated that the population of Plymouth had
doubled since the war.
The remainder of the day was occupied in hearing the evidence
of The Earl of St. Germa•=s, the Earl of Morley, and the Earl of
F ho sevvral'y to re testimony to the advantages of the
proposed line. They thought it was the best practicable lide, and
that it would confer great benefits on Cornwall.
The details, entered into were, however, wholly uninteresting,
and the engineering evidence had yet to be disposed of, when the
Committee adjourned at a quarter past four o'clock.

VIOTICESI'En, AN D WOLVMR,-
NAIVEPTON.
THE BATTLE OF THE GAUGES.

The Committee met to-day at eleven o'clock. Members of Com-
mittee present, Lord Auckland, Chairman, Lords Saltoun, Rosalyn,
Zetland, and Winchester.
The crone-examination of Mr. Mathews was then resumed in
favour of the London and Birmingham scheme, but nothing of
importance was further elicited.
Mr. Barker, iron and coal master, of South Staffordshire, was next
examined. He said he was connected with one of the largest firms
in the district, being an establishment that made one-fourth of all
the malleable iron in the district. The make of iron in the district
Of South Staffordshire he represented to be 9,000 tons of pig iron
weekly, being nearly one-third of all the make of Great Britain.
The whole make of pig iron for the United Kingdom was 30,000
tons weekly. 01 this 10,000 tons were made in South Wales,
9,000 tons in South Staffordshire, 7,000 tons in Scotland, and
the remaining 3,000 tons in Derbyshire and Shropshire.
At present they had great difficulty in competing with
the Scotch ironmasters in shipments to the Centinent, arising
from the high rate of carriage and the imperfect accommodation.
He had heard the evidence of Mr. Mathews, and agreed with him
respecting the superiority of the present line over the rival line
proposed. He could speak, however, definitely respecting that
portion from Dudley to Wolverhampton, in which space the line
under consideration accommodated the greater number of iron-
works. .He had seen the machine at Paddington for transhipment
of goods, and was perfectly satisfied with its efficacy for the purpose.
Cross-examined by Mr. HOPE—He was not able to explain the
process exactly for the transhipment of goods proposed. That
would be better done by the engineer. From what he had seen
oft, however, he was satisfied it would be found efficient for the
purposes required. The principal markets of his firm were Liver-
pool, Manchester, and Hull. He did not send so much to Bristol
or London. He understood that the tonnage on the broad and
narrow gauges were to be the same, and in that case, so far as
Bristol was concerned, it did not matter much which linethey used.
He was satisfied that competition was beneficial in reducing the
T. si f carriage. Before the opening of the Liverpool and Bit-
rneigf am hue, the carriage of lime was 20s. per ton to Liverpool.
It was now iaern for 10s., and he thought it might be still less.
Mr. Thorneycroft, irotimaster, of Wolverhampton, was examined
generady with respect to the merits of the two competing lines.
liis evidence was principally confirmatory of the evidence given by
Mathews yesterday. He admitted that the new line to Lon-
don was necessary, in order to force the London and Birmingham
Company to accommodate the public better than they bad hitherto
done

The cross-examination of the witness did not elicit anything parti-
entar,

Mr. Graysbrook, of Stourhridge, deposed as to the general cor-
rectness of tie evidence furnished by Mr Matthews. He believed
the teelmg of South Staff rdshire was in favour of the Great
Wi stein scheme. No tarther back than last Saturday he sent
round a petition to the House of Lords in favour of this scheme
for sig-iatures, when every master in the district of Stourbridge
signed it with one exception.
Mr. Farden, alkali manufacturer, of Stoke Priors, was examined
as to the amount of the salt trade of Worcestershire. He deposed
that, with improved f...citities for transmitting the salt, three
adjeiniug counties might use at least 100,000 tons yearly. At
present the make was 1,500 tons weekly. Twenty years ago it
was but 300 tons weekly.
Ir. South, farmer, of Berkshire, gave evidence respecting the
great advantage which would ue conferred on Berkshire in supply-
sue salt for the agrlculiurat districts by the construction of this line.
The light lands between Reading and Basingstoke required salt for
top draining, and if it could be had from Worcestershire at any
price under 11. it would confer a great benefit. The present line,
he was persuaded, would accomplish this. It might be supplied at
Chipping Norton at 12s. 4d. per ton, at Farnborough at 17s. 9d.,

aud, at Listints• Wise at 11)S.
Com mitt,: then adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock,

DUAL= AND BELFAST lUNCTION
RAY .WAY.
IMPORTANT DECISION.

The Select Committee on this Bill reassembled this morning
soon atter eleven o'clock, and proceeded with the evidence in favour
of the case for the promoters of the Dublin and Belfast Junction

Raitway.
Sr Wm. Somerville, M.P. for Drogheda, was called to prove
that the majority of the people of that town were in favour of the

proposed railway.
Sir J9llll M`Neil, the eminent engineer, who had laid out the
proposed line, proved that it was one of the most important in Ire-
land, inasmuch as it took in the great stream of traffic running
to the north and to the south. The length of the line from
Drogheda to Portadawn was 56 miles, and from Drogheda to
Navan 171/2. Calculating from Dublin the trunk line would be
7i miles long, but the inland line would be eight or ten miles
longer. The severest curve was twenty-seven chains radius, and
the deepest gradient 1 in 100. There would be a viaduct near
the Boyce of about 400 yards in length. He estimated the cost of
the main line at 630,5451., and the branch at 117,0271. He set
contirgencies down at 74,757/. He estimated the working ex-
penses at 30 per cent. upon the expected annual revenue.
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. M. CHASIDERS at con-
siderable length, with a view of showing that the necessities of the
country called for an inland instead of a coast line, and that the
works of the line were of a very slifficult character.
This closed the case for the promoters of the Dublin and Belfast
Junction line.

Mr. CHAMBER'S then applied for an adjournment, urging that
they had bczn taken so much by surprise by the very sudden ap-
pointment of the Committee that they had not had time to get their
avitne.ses over from Ireiand.

Mr. MURPHY resisted the application, and eventually the Com-
mittee (leaned to grant it.
Mr, M. Clismaxas then proceeded to address the Committee on
of the pr.moters tir the Dublin and Armagh inland line,
contending that the coast line was commencing at the wrong end.
The Commissioners appointed in 1836 to ascertain the best mode of
supplying Ireland with a general system of railway communication
bad recommended that all main trunk lines ought to pass through
the interior of the country, as bad been done in England, and
leave it for time to produce bra,che, to the main ports and exten-
sions along the c,aist. The Dublin an. 4 Armagh Railway was one
eit these main trui,k Loess, Lut the Dunnalk and Portadown was
(oily a coast extension, and theretore the Learned Counsel con-
tenaed that the Committee ought to prefer the former, and reject
the latter.

Two witnesses were then called to prove that theinland line was
the be,t of the two, a. ,d the case for the opponents closed.
Toe room was therefore cleared, and the Committee having re.
mained in deliberation for five or six minutes, strangers were re_
atiiiii,ted. when

The CHaUtMAN announced that the preamble to the Dublin and
Belfast Junction Bill had been proved.

STANDING 071MMRS COMMITTEM.
The Committee met at three c'clock. The Earl of Shaftesbury
in the ch,iir.

The fdlowing Bills passed through Committee :
The Preston and Wyre Railway.
The Norwsch and Bandon Railway.
The Gla.gow Jut coon Railway.
Toe consideration of the Gteat Western Railway Bill was post.