The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-13 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEUS.
(YESTERDAY.)

-•~---

HOUSE OF LORDS.
THE EL.E.CIEBUR.N, BUENLZY, 11.CCIZIEM-
TON, AND COLNE EXTLIXTSV,...IT

WAY.
The Committee on this Bill commenced their sittings this day at
eleven o'clock, Lord Somers, Chairman.
The Bill was unopposed, and, the preamble having been declared
proved, the clauses, with amendments, were agrcei to.

131.11111MISrzzxal AND reaIaicEMSTME
ILIIILWELY AND CANAL.
The Coromitee o►► this Bill also met for the first time this day,
at twelve o'clock, Lord Coiborn, Chairman.
The Bill is unopposed on the preamble, but there is to be a warm
contest on the clauses.
The preamble of this Bill was declared to be proved, and the
clauses were then proceeded with.
The Manchester and Laeds Railway Company asked for a clause
in the Bill which would compel the promoters to furm a junction
with their line.
The Committee rejected this proposal.
On behalf of Lord Stamford it was moved that the promoters
should lay down pipes beneath the canal for the purpose of con.
veying water to his Lordship's property. An arrangement was
come to between the parties, and the opposition having been with-
drawn, the remaining clauses were agreed to with amendments,
and the Bill gone through.
The Committee then separated.
Up to five o'clock the Standing Orders Committee were engaged
in proving the standing orders relative to estate and improvement
Bills. There are many railway Bills down for hearing, but it is
impossible to tell when they will be taken.
STANDING ORDERS.
The following Bills came before Lord Shaftesbury at six o'clock
this evening, and being unopposed, were declared to have passed—
the Leeds and Dewsbury Railway, and the Huddersfield and
Sheffield Railway.

HOUSE OF LOMMONS.
GROUP KK.

EUXT'ON AND SOUT=POR.T
The Committee resumed at the usual hour, Sir C. Lemon in the
chair.

Mr. Sergeant KiNGLASE proceeded to examine witnesses in sup-
port of the Euxton and Southport project.
It may be mentioned that the main design of this line, which is
about fourteen miles long, is to afford a place for recreation and for
bathing to the inhabitants of Manchester and the other manufac-
turing towns. Southport is now a iourishing little town on the
coast of Lancashire, and has grown up within the last forty years.
It appeared from the evidence submitted to the Committee that
recently public promenades and baths have been built there, and
that many of the Manchester and Rochdale merchants take their
families there for the purpose of sea bathing.
The evidence of the medical witnesses examined this morning
went to show that the inhabitants of the manufacturing towns
were subject to nervous and spinal complaints, for which sea
bathing and sea air would be in most cases desirable. It went fur-
ther to show that Southport possessed these advantages in a very
eminent degree. Southport is 39 miles from Manchester, and the
prpposed mode of communication between them is by the projected
line to Euxton, thence along the Bolton and Preston line to Bolton,
and from Bolton to Manchester almg the Manchester and Bolton
Railway.

Mr. Thomas Gooch, the engineer of the line, was then called.
and stated that the proposed line had been laid out under his
direction, and that it would commence at Southport, on a level with
the streets of that town. The line was mostly level. The
gradients would be favourable, the most difficult being I in 121.
The estimated expense of making the railway was 150,0001., and
if the Bill passed, the line might be completed in twelve or fifteen
months. It would cross several roads upon a level, but he did not
apprehend any difficulty therefrom, as the country was very thinly
populated. It was impossible to cross the roads otherwise, from the
flatness of the country.

Being cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS, witness ad-
mitted that the rail passed through ground part of which was
flooded by the sea. Had not seen snipes or skaters there. Had
no doubt that the line might be constructed in such a manner as
to be entirely free from all damage from sea-water or other local
impediments. The route by Skelinersdale would be a mile shorter
than by Rufford, and that line, passing on by Wigan, would be on
the whole considerably shorter; but on this line the gradients were
worse, and they would have the disadvantage of passing over four
different lines of railway.

Further evidence was given to show that there were no engi-
neering difficulties of any moment in the line, and that the ineory
land through which it would pass was in course of drainage
and improvement. The probable traffic on the Euxton and South-
port line would be 13,6171. 13s. 4d., from which deducting 4,5394,
lett a net annual incume of 9,078/., yielding to the shareholders
an interest of 6 per cent., The estimate was not, however, formed
upon strictly accurate calculations.
A good deal of laughter was excited by the evidence of one of
the witnesses in his cross.examination by Mr. TALBOT. He raid
that only five persons ravelled in six months by the first-class
trains between Chorley and Southport, arid having been further
pressed said that two and a half of them were up, and two and
a half down, thus halving the odd gentlemen.

The case for this project closed after some further formal evidence.
Mr. HATHERTON said he appeared on behalf of the trustees of
Sir W. Hesketh, a minor, and other gen+ lemen who opposed the
project, as landowners; and contended that the projected line
would inflict severe injuries upon them, an assertion which he
would support by competent witnesses ; and also that the scheme
could not be justified on public grounds. He would submit a much
better scheme by Skelmersdale and Ormskirk, which all those
gentlemen would approve of.
Evidence was then given in support of these cases of private in-
juries, and the Committee adjourned till to.morrow morning.

GROUP LL.
This group met to-day at twelve o'clock.
RICHMOND RAILWAY.
IMPORTANT DECISION.
Mr. CALVERT, at the sitting of the Committee, stated that the
case for this Bill was closed.
The room was then directed to be cleared, and en our re-admit.
twice, after a few minutes,
The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had come to the de..
cision that the preamble of this Bill was proved, and that the line
had met with their approval.
The Committee then proceeded to dispose of the clauses of the
Bill, which they got through before two o'clock.
SOUTII-WESTEXIT EGAILIETAY EXTENSION.
The Committee then tock under their consideration the clauses
of this Bill which they had postponed from yesterday.
After having gone through all the clauses of the Bill, it was or-
dered to be reported, and the Committee adjourned to next Mon.
day week.

GROUP MM.
WEST LONDON RAILWAY.

This Committee met at the usual hour, Mr. Granville Vernon
in the chair.

Mr. B. ANDREWS having addressed the Committee yesterday
on the part of Prosser's Patent Railway Guide Wheel Corn.
pang, and contended that the West London Company failed in the
performance of their contract in not giving their line for the purpose
of trying Prosser's Patent Guide Wheel, therefore his Company
opposed the present Company.
Mr. MEIMEWETIIER then put in the Bill which was filed itl the
Court of Chancery to compel the performance of the agreement
entered into with Prosser's Company by the West London.

Mr. George Hadley, secretary to Prosser's Company, put in the
agreement between the respective companies, znd the loss sustained
by his Company in consequence of the West London Company not
giving the oppertunity of trying the patent.
Mr. Thompson, secretary to the West London, was examined by
Mr. HOPE, on behalf of the West London, and he stated that this
negotiation was broken oft' in consequence of the Directors retiring
from office, and a negotiation with the London and Birmingham
Company for a junction, the London and Birmingham refusing to
form any junction with the West London unless Prosser's negotia.
tion was given up.

Mr. MER REWETII ER cross-examined this witness, but nothing was
elicited.

A long discussion took place as to the dates pending the nego.
tiation between the parties and the formation of a new Board of
Directors, who refused to ratify the agreement of the retiring
directors, and a long correspondence between the solicitors was then
put in and read. _

Mr. HOPE then addressed the Committee on the part of the
West London, and contended, as far as regarded Mr. Prosser's
patent, if the present Bill passed, his (Mr. Prosser's) rights
would not be interfered with, and as to Lord Kensington's case
against the Bill, he complain d that his building ground would be
injured. His Lordship would receive ample compensation by a
jury. He, therefore, hoped the Committee would be of opinion
that the preamble of the Bill was proved.
The room was then c'earcd, and after an absence of ten minutes,
The Committee were of opinion that the preamble of the Bill
was proved.
The clauses were then gone through, and the Chairman was re-
quested to report the Bill, vOtth Its amendments, to the House.

GROUP P.
SOUVII WALES RAILITTAy.

The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock, and imme-
diately proceeded to the further consideration of the scheme be-
fore them.
Mr. Brunel, the engineer, was examined by Mr. Aosrlar—He
stated he had been engaged in 1836 in a scheme for making a rail.
way through South Wales. Many influential persons and land-
owners were concerned in the scheme. At that time he recom-
mended a line to go along the coast to Swansea, from Gloucester,
and the line coincided s cry nearly with the present proposed rail-
way, and it would admit of a further extension westward. The
directors of the Great Western Railway had always contemplated
the formation of a line similar to the present, and were willing to
meet the views of the parties who proposed it. He had subse-
quently made a careful arid minute survey for the purpose of bringing
the scheme before Parliament. He had in the survey considered what
would be the best engineering line for the accommodation of the
districts through which it would pass. The main line was 162
miles long, with a branch to Paton. in Pembrokeshire, of 20 miles
in length ; and another branch to the Forest of Dean of 61 miles;
and to Monmouth of 221 miles. There was a tunnel on the line
of 1,3:10 yards in length, and there were no very peculiar engi.
neering difficulties along the whole line, with the exception of the
crossing at the Severn. The levels as far as Swansea were all very
favourable, but beyond Swansea, the country being very hilly, the
gradient: were rather severe, but still practicable for working pur-
poses. The steepest gradient consisted of 1 in 57, and
was on the line near Fishguard. Beyond Swansea
there were two inclined planes, which would require assistant
power to surmount them. One ascending had a gradient of lin
.52, and another descending with a gradient of 1 in 57. At the
summit of these places the tunnel of which he had spoken was
situated. The levels generally were of such a nature as would
readily admit of an easy and economical mode of working the line.
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at Neath and Swansea would be accommodated by the trunk
line, as it passed very near them. There was a good
anchorage and sufficient supply of water at Fishguard, and it would
form an excellent point of communication to the coast of Ireland,
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kashguard could be
made at a very small expense as good a port as Milford
Haven for steam-packet communication with Ireland. Its
distance from Wextord Bay was sixty-seven miles, and from
Wexford town siaty.nine miles. The port of Vs'exford
was nut a very convenient port, but the bay was capable of being
made an excellent harbour, as it was very well sheltered, and during
spring tide, the rise and fall of water was only five feet. When
the railway was constructed, he had very little doubt that the dis-
tance from London to Fishguard could be accomplished in five hours.
The approbation and encouragement of Commissioners of Woods
and Forests had been obtained to the formation of the branch
line through the Forest of Dean, as they considered the benefits
to be derived from the railway to the royal demesnes would be
very considerable. The total estimate of the line, including
every contingency, was 2,800,0001. The line was throughout
laid down on double rails, with the exception of the coal
line,
which was a single one. The only opposition on the line from a
landowner, was from Mr. Lewis, at a place near Chepstow- it
was proposed to make a short canal at the bending in the Severn,
e
Co as to connect the two bends of the river.
Id be crossed by a drawbridge, and the river by
across the Horse ,
The canal would
a stationary bridge. The proposed canal would hold a larger
vessel than any canal that wculd go to 4c A.