The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-06 00:00:00

Group V.

The Committee appointed to consider of the following railway
plans, viz., the Midland Railways Extension (Nottingham and Lin-
coln), Newark and Sheffield Railway, Manchester, Sheffield, wad
Midland Junction Railway, met in room No. 18, at twelve o'clock.
The Members were the O'Conor Don (Roscommon country,
Chairman ; the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay ( Edinburgh), Mr.
Pusey (Berkshire), Mr. Thomas Esmonde (Wexford county), Sir
John Rae Reid (Dover).
The preliminary arrangements having been completed, the several
petitions against the projects were read, and the Committee then
decided to take the first of the proposed lines into consideration.
Mr. HILDYARD then opened the case on behalf of the promoters
calculable advantage to Lincoln and Nottingham, sa
of the Bill. He contended that the proposed line would be of in-
connecting
these towns with a rich and fertile country, and by a proposed
line at present under the consideration of the House with Hull,
the principal town on the East Coast for the Baltic trade.
There were no objections of any importance urged against the
projected line, although there were several petitions, one from Lord
Chesterfield, complaining of damage that would be done to a
shooting-box of his near Nottingham. lie (Mr. Hildyard) was in-
' structed that the line would not come within half a mile
of that box, and considering the advantages to be de_
rived from the line, he thought the petition of
minor consideration. There were a few more petitions, but they
were even of a less potent character. He should at once then pro-
ceed to call witnesses in support of the line.
Mr. Bell, the Secretary to the Midland Railway Company, was
called to prove the capital required. They Proposed to raise a
capital of 408,0001., 136,0001, of which would require to be
borrowed.
William Henry Johnson, general ironmonger at Lincoln, was
of opinion that the trade of that city would be greatly increased
by the proposed line, as it was shorter than the turnpike-road, and
greatly shorter than the Trent Navigation Canal. The saving in
time would be material, and the necessity for a large
part of small traders would be obviated. capital on the
John Welbourne, coal and corn merchant at Lincoln, was called
to prove the unsatisfactory water communication, and the increase
in price which, in consequence of canal stoppage', took place in every
article imported.

John Hartley gave similar evidence.
Joseph Adams, malster, Newark, made from 60,000 to 70,000
quarters of malt, which were sent to the estward. Great quail.
v
tities of coal were imported from Nottingham by the Trent Navi-
gation Canal, and they were raised sometimes in consequence of
the stoppage on the canal, frora 105. a]ton to nearly 20s. He
thought the proposed railway would be a blessing to the country
there.
Richard Bell gave similar evidence. said that 4,000
Charles Simpkins, a butcher at Nottingham,
beasts were driven annually from Lincolnshire to the first-named
place. The cattle were greatly injured by the driving, and this
evil would be obviated by this railway.
Richard Strelly was of a similar opinion.
Samuel Thorpe, carrier between the towns on the proposed line
for above thirty years, said that the traffic which would flow on to
the line would be annually about '253,140 tons, and the total
freightage would be nearly 62,000/.
Mr. Harley, coach proprietor in Lincoln, returned the traffic of
the coaches on the line at about 6,000/., and van traffic at 2,000/.,
the greater part of which would be absorbed by the intended line.
William Filkins, laceinan, Nottingham—Thought that the rail.
way would be of the utmost importance to the trade of the town,
and naturally diminish the alterations or fluctuations which had of
late years proved so injurious to Nottingham.
William
atothte
Ilardmett, residing near Nottingham—Was a maltster
and h
douisgthritett.
The examination of the witness was proceeded with till fourhat the proposed line would do a great deal of good
o'clock, when the Committee adjourned till to-morrow.

Group G•

BERKS AND HANTS RAILWAY.
The investigation of the clauses of this Bill was resumed this
morning, before the Committee; the Hen. T. H. Liddell, chairman,
when the clauses postponed at the previous sittings were gone
ainled;be that second-class passengers shall be
charged no more than 2d. per mile;
and that third-class passengers shall not be allowed more than
through, and several verbal amendments were proposed and accepted.
By the 23d clause it was enacted that no first-class passenger shall
be allowed more than 1001bs. of luggage, or be charged more than
afterallow
edt h e6rate
.o
of f 31
udg.
gpaegr e m,
40Ibs. of luggage, or be charged more than I I/2d. a mile. The
charge for cattle and merchandise shall be after the following
rates ;—Horses, sd. per mile per head; Cattle, 2d. ditt;
o Sheep,
and other small animals, ',id. ditto; Manure, I id, per ton per
mile; Coals and culm, 2d. ditto; Sugar, 3d. ditto; Cotton, 4d.
ditto; Wheat, id. ditto, with power of entering into a special
agreement for peculiar cases.
The Company proposed an increase on these charges_pa,.
sengers excepted—to the extent of 10 per cent on all goods carried
not further than three-quarters of the whole length of the railway;
20 per cent. for those carried not further than half the length ;
and 30 per cent. for those carried not more than one-quarter of the
whole distance ;—but the Chairman and the Committee, to whose
desire to do justice to all parties, we are bound to bear the most
ample testimony, and to state that while they were ready to
further the interests of the Company, they also were evidently
anxious to preserve the rights of the public, this appeared a trot,.
blesome division and somewhat unnecessary ; and, after a length-
ened conversation, as the line was a short one, it was ultimately
decided that further information should be given before the prin.
ciple was admitted.
Mr. Saunders, the Secretary of the Compeo-,
was then exa.
mined on this point, and in reply to the inquiries of Mr. Entwistle,
he stated, that in consequence of the expenses incurred by short
distances, partly by locomotive power, partly by the use of trucks,
and partly by the use of stations, that rate of charge which would
remunerate on the whole distance would not only not re-
munerate but would be an absolute loss to the Company. As, for in.
stance, the same truck work and station expense would be required
for goods carried to a station 10 miles on the way as those carried
the whole length ; for that which was carried 10 miles the receipt
would be 71., while for that carried the whole length the receipt

would be 41. The expense of fuel, of engineers' wages, arid alt the
other incidental charges, were proportionally increased, If two
stations were to be stopped at, two trucks, instead of one, would be
required. This principle had been heretofore adopted in the
charges on the Great Western Railway.
To an inquiry from Mr. R. H. Yorke, Mr. Law stated that the
principle was not applicable to passengers, bemuse they occupied
less room, and there being a necessity for •the stoppage of pas-
sengers at the different stations, a carriage was alone appropriated
to them, and could be thrown off at any station.
To an inquiry from Mr. ENTWISLE, Mr. Saunders stated, that
he based his principle for a differential charge on the necessity to
divide the line into certain portions ; and the use of the locomotive
engines and of the trucks, was required by the stations, and not by
the absolute number of miles over which the engines and the trucks
travelled.

To an inquiry from Mr. Yostatz, Mr. Saunders stated, that on a
line of ten miles he thought that the charge ought to he higher
than on a long line, such as that between London and Bristol.
On this point Mr. Yorke divided the Committee, and on the in-
troduction of strangers, the CHAIRMAN intimatel that the Com-
mittee had agreed to an amended clause which, instead of the pre-
vious rates submitted by them, enacted that the only increase of
charge should be one of 15 per cent. additional on all goods carried
not further than one.half the distance of the whole line. By another
clause it was decided that the charges should be on the average of
the charges made on the Great Western Railway, but that in no
case should the charges be greater than the maximum stated in the
previous clauses.
An objection was taken by the agent of the South-Western
Railway to the clause which regulated that, should any difference
arise between the Great Western Railway Company, and the cons.
patsy of the South-Western, respecting the junction of the lierks
and Hants Railway. The guages of the two railways arc different,
and the South-Western Company were anxious to have the forma.
tion of the junction under their own control, while the Great
Western Company were anxious to make the junction a matter of
mutual agreement; and should any difference of opinion arise, that
the difference should be referred to the Board of Trade. The
Committee conceived the latter plan to be the fairer of the two, and
overruled the objection.
By one of the clauses it was enacted that no station should be
made within less than three miles from Strathfieldsaye, without the
consent of the Duke of Wellington; but the distance was amended
to five miles instead of three miles, and the alteration was adopted
by the Committee.

By other clauses all obstruction or injury to the Kennet and
Avon Canal was obviated.

The remaining clauses were then passed, and the Chairman,
signed the Bill. As the Chairman would have to report on a gnat
many circumstances, Mr. Burke, the Parliamentary agent to the
line, had prepared a report, comprising all the facts of the proposed
railway, which he read to the Committee. This, atter the intro-
duction of a notice of the principle of a graduated charge according
to distance, for the first time legally recognised by the Bill for the
line, was approved, and received by the Committee for presentation
to the Houso. This concluded the inve►tigation before the Select
Committee, and it was agreed that the Bill should be reported
accordingl.

THE SOUTHAMPTON AND DORCHESTER RAILWAY.
The consideration of this Bill was postponed till Wednesday
morning.

THE WILTS AND SOMERSET RAILWAY.

Mr. SLYSTEAD appeared for the promoters of the Bill, and stated
that the opposition of Mr. Ainstey had been arranged.
Mr. GREENWOOD appeared for the Somersetshire Canal Com-
pany, and proposed a clause for securing the interests of that
Company. In doing this he alluded to the statements of Mr. Sly-
head, and the inquiries of Mr. Entwistle, which we noticed in our
report when this railway was last before the Committee. The
ground of opposition then taken to making the Radstock Branch
was now abandoned, and the desire of the Canal Company was not,
therefore, to interrferc with the carriage of coal to the south and
south-west, but to preserve the monopoly of the carriage of coal to
the north and northeast. The preservation of this monopoly
would preserve the property of about 120 shareholders, who
held to the extent of 1,0001. and under, who were all people of
small substance, without enhancing the charge to the public to any
considerable extent. _ _ _

Mr. SLYHEAD thought that the Counsel for the Canal Company
ought to have adduced some authority for his proposition,
whereas there was not a single Act of Parliament which con-
tained such a clause. It was an unprecedented thing for any
one to ask. There was no security whatever that these caual
companies would not very largely increase their tolls. The Lame
principle of public advantage which applied to the south and west,
applied equally to the north and east. It would be introducing a
precedent of great and injurious effect to the public interests.
When the Great Western line was formed it came into direct
competition with the Dartmouth and Bridgewater and with the
Rennet and Avon Canals, and no such plea had then been set up.
The CHAIRMAN here interrupted the Learned Counsel, and
stated that he thought it was impossible for the Committee to
sanction any such principle as this. Mr. YORKE agreeing in this
view, the proposition was immediately withdrawn, and the Corn-
ittee went into the clauses of the Bill.

The rates of charge for the carriage of passengers and goods were
precisely the same as those provided in the Bill for the Berks and
Hants Railway.
On reading the clause by which the Company proposed to take
a power of increasieg their charge for carrying goods less than
the whole length of the line, Mr. Saunders stated that
the length of the line from its junction with the
Great Western Railway to Salisbury was thirty-eight miles, and to
Weymouth seventy.five miles, but that the Company held these
as one line, and in consideration of the distance, they conceived
that this extra charge ought to be allowed. Considerable discus-
sion arose in the Committee, and Mr. Saunders was ex-
amined at considerable length, the result of his replies
establishing the principle which he had avowed during
the consideration of the Berks and Hants Railway.
The conclusion was that an increased charge of 5 per cent. was al-
lowed on all animals and good carried not more than three fourths
of the length of the whole line ; 15 per cent. on those carried not
further than one-half the whole length ; and .25 per cent. on those
carried not further than one-fourth of the whole length.

Provisions were made for protecting the rights of the Duchy of
Cornwall, and the Kennet and Avon Canal, as arranged at the
sitting last week.

A clause for the protection of Mr. Ainstcy's property was intro-
duced with that gentleman's consent. Provisions were also intro.
duced for saving any Intrusion on the barracks at Fordington, near
Dorchester, and the clauses were concluded.
Mr. Buttike then read the report, which, atter it had been
amended in some unimportant particulars by the suggestions of the
Committee, was approved and adopted.
The Bill was signed by the Chairman, who was instructed to
present it to the House.