The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-31 00:00:00

RAILWAY' COMMITTEES.

(V'ESTE- Itl)A.'i.)

GROUP A.

LONDON AND Nonza KENT RAILWAY.
The exailiinaiOn of Mr. Vigil°les (cOiiirti;icki bOt Afternoon

Edition of yesterday )
The witness having further stated in detail the engineering pecu-
liarities of the two lines, was then examined as to the traffic. He
calculated the passenger-traffic alone at 173,730/., and the cost
of purchase and construction at 1,949,0404 He had known the
eoutitq all his Ate, and he had do doubt in the world that, by
tollowing up the system of cheapness and accommodation to the
public which he proposed, the Company wou'd be as prosperous as
any other of the same extents

Cross-4reo.mintti by Mr. 'cbuoußN—lle had not included in his
ettithhte the cost of the several stations, which would amount to
about 100,0001. This would be raised by loan, under the powers
given in the Act. The branches to Blackwall and Sheerness had
been given up on account of the capital not being sufficient. With
respect to Woolwich-common, it had been arranged with the Board
of Ordnance that the line across the common should be arched
over. This was not done through any apprehension of datiger to
the passengers front the shell-practice on the common, as the
railway would be beyond the range of the shell ; but Ito
secure the safety of the crowds who might congregate to see the
trains passing. The railway would pass close to the estate of Sir
Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, who was chairman of the Company. That
was at Welling. The population of Welling was one thousand.
Perhaps Sir I. L. Goldsmid might be the " Knight One thousand
and one."—(A laugh.)
Mr. CocKunam—And for the one and not the thousand :he rail-
way came.—( A laugh.) In going to Welling, the pcpulous town of
Woolwich was left half a mile to the left. But that was done, not
to benefit Welling or Sir I. L. Goldsmid, but to comply with the
wishes of the Ordnance. In the arrangement finally come to with
the wardens of Rochester Bridge, Mr. Pearon and Mr. Nicholson,
on the part of the South-Eastern Company, conjoined with witness
and another, who represented the North Kent Company.
The cross—examination was continued to the rising of the Com-
mittee at four o'clock, but it referred altogether to 'Minute details
of no very interesting character.
The Committee adjouined to twelve o'clock on Monday.

GROUP B.
LIVERPOOL AND BURY LINE.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

_ .
The CusutstAN said it was obvious and beyond dispute that the
trade of Liverpool had of late years greatly increased with the
northern districts ; therefore it was useless fur the Learned Counsel
to call for the witnesses to this effect.

Mr. WILKINS said he would open a new branch of his case, and

Mr. Dickinson, a partner in the house of Mathew and Dicken.
son, Liverpool—They were engaged in the coal trade, both for
home consumption and export. Chiefly obtained his coal from
Pemberton and Brell. The coals were at present conveyed by the
Leeds and Liverpool canal. A railway would be a better mude of
conveyance. There would be two gnat objects achieved by railway
conveyance. There would be less breakage, and they
might keep smaller stocks on hand. Great breakage took
place by canal, and they were obliged to sell the slack at a very
►ow price. Coals in stocks loft very much in quantity. The pre.
sent mode of conveyance obliged them to keep very large stocks
on hand in order to supply contracts. Railways would also save
them wharfage, which was very expensive. The Manchester and
Liverpool line did not afford them sufficient accommodation for
the transportation of coal. Had often seen a string of coal.
waggons a mile in length at the railway terminus, in frosty
weather, waiting for delivery. Had often been obliged to sell
coals 2s. a ton cheaper than he bought them, to supply
contracts, in consequence of the present mode of conveyance.
The proposed line of railway passed through several rich coalfields.
It would increase the coal trade to Liverpool to a very consider.
able extent. He thought 2s. a ton would be saved in carriage by
the new line, and that the export trade of Liverpool would be
tripled. The coals around Wigan were of the best description. If
coals were cheaper in Liverpool, ships would take large quantities
of them as ballast, and the export trade with the Continent would
be increased.

The CHAIRMAN—How much per ton does it now coat for con-
veying the coals from Wigan ? Witness-ss. 7d. He went on to
say that he thought his house would sell three times as much coal
for export if the present line were carried out. The cost of ob-
taining coals by canal, according to the present mode, and in-
clusive of their cost at the colliery, was 13s. (id. per ton ; by the
railway they could be sold in Liverpool for I Os. 9d. If the rah-
way were carried out, the exportation of coals to Dublin would be
increased. The balance in favour of the carriage of coals by railway
would be 3s. 3,1,d. per ton on those for foreign exportation, and
2s. riid. on those for home consumption. The witness then went
into calculations to prove the accuracy of his statement.
T. R. Forward, of the firm of Leach, Harrison, and Forward,
Liverpool, merchants and shipping agents, gave evidence in favour
of the proposed line. Those in his business in Liverpool were, he
stated, in favour of the Liverpool and Bury line, because it would
cheapen the freight of manufactured goods and foreign prints by,
in the first instance, cheapening the wool, and the effect of
such cheapness would be that the ships would take out
coals as ballast. The projected line went through
ane of the finest Lancashire coalfields.—(phis witness likewise
spoke of the great inconvenience arising from the detention and
delay of goods at the present railway termini at Liverpool. This
delay and detention was a great loss to him. The Liverpool and
Bury line would to a great extent remove the disadvantages of
which he had spoken, and the Yorkshire and Lancashire manufac-
tures would be separated from those of 'Manchester.
Mr. William Brown, a grocer at Wigan, was next called—Pur.
chased nearly all his groceries at Liverpool. His tonnage by Liver-
pool amounted to almost 100 tons, at (is. 3d. per ton, whether by
canal or railway. If the projected line were made he
would save Is. 3d. a tot), as 4s. Gd. would be the charge
by railway. They now got goods from Liverpool
by canal in one day, by railway in two. Dispatch was very
important to persons in his trade. Knew there was a con-
siderable communication between Wigan, and Bolton, and
Bury, but it was now very circuitous, and the roads were very bad.
Thought there would be a very large third.cLss traffic between
the towns at which the Liverpool and Bury line touched. On the
Manchester and Leeds line they had conveyed 30,000 Sunday-
school children at Gd. per head. The people of Wigan were anx-
ious to give these opportunities of recreation to the poor children,
but were always thwarted by the expense.
This witness was cross-examined at some length, but nothing
material was elicited, as upon re-examination he said that ttle
people of ••,••• in foyour c ,rie Liverpool and
~wry line.

Mr. Evans, a magistrate and engine.maker, living in Wigan,
gave testimony favourable to the proposed lino, and thought it
would be highly advantageous to the town of Wigan. lie would
save 2SOI. a year by the carriage of iron along the Liverpool and
Bury line. Owing to the defective state of communication between
Bolton and Wigan and Bury, the trade between those places was
much limited and restricted. The whole charge of carrying iron
rein Wigan to Liverpool, if the proposed railroad were made he
estimated at 4s. 6d. per ton. The road between Wigan and
Bolton was very bad.
Mr. Caldwell, a corn merchant, in Wigan, stated that he im-
ported a larger quantity of grain than any other merchant in
Wigan. The bulk of the flour and grain consumed in Wigan
was Irish produce. Sold 300 sacks per week ; 2,000
sacks of flour and wheat were weekly consumed in Wigan-12,000
or 13,000 tons per year. Got most of the corn from Ireland, front
Drogheda to Lytham, and thence it was brought by the Leeds and
Liverpool line.: The cost of transporting goods by that dila-
tory route of eight or ten days was 126. per ton. Sometimes the
transit of goods from Drogheda to Wigan occupied
three weeks. The insurance was about Is. Gd. per
ton. The route by Preston would cost I 6s. 10d.; that by the
Leeds and Liverpool cane from Liverpool was 14s. 7d. ; and that
by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the same. They
could import goods by the Liverpool and Bury line, as projected,
3s. 6d. less per ton than by either of the last-mentioned
modes of conveyance. The carriage by the projected line
would be much more expeditious than by any of the
others. The cost of carting grain anti flour from Wigan to Bolton,
was Gs. Gd. per ton. Wigan had considerable natural advantages
over Liverpool in the way of corn-grinding, for the corn which
was ground by engine at Liverpool was done by Wigan coal. It
the projected line were carried out, he thought there would be an
increase of mills there. The present railway communication be-
tween Liverpool and Wigan was subject to considerable delay.
The cost of railway from Wigan to Bolton was 6s. 8.1. per ton. 11
the line were carried out, traffic would be much extended between
the towns at which it touched. There would be a saving of 4s.
per ton between Wigan and Bolton by the projected line. There
would be a great saving effected in the importation of Irish produce.
Mr. Ormrod, living between Ilindley and Bolton, miller and
corn merchant—Agreed entirely with the last witness as to the in-
efficiency of the present line of communication between Bolton
and Wigan, arid the desirableness of the projected line. At the
I'arkside station in Liverpool carts of wheat wire so much delayed
there, that the wheat actually sprouted in the sack. The delay in-
volved great loss and inconvenience. The rate of carriage was
amid being raised on the Liverpool and Manchester line.
Mr. Sergeant BELLASIB cross-ea amined this witness, who admitted
that there was not at present much trade between Wigan and

At the close of this cross-examination, the Committee rose, it
being past four o'clock.