The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-09 00:00:00

rtirbf 9littitton

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(T HIS DAY.)

Group X
LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
Mr. Palmer was subjected to a long cross•examinatien, but
nothing material was elicited.
The Committee then proceeded with similar evidence with
respect to Newark. Several witnesses, tradesmen in the town,
were called, and they stated that the proposed railway would be a
great advantage to them.
The Committee then adjourned to Monday week.

Group E.

NORTHUMBERLAND ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.
The Committee at its sitting came to the determination of ad.
journing the consideration of the Newcastle and Darlington. At
the request of the Chairman, Mr. Cubitt, said that he would en.
deavour to get a diagram ready, showing the manner in which it
had been proposed that different trains running on a single line
should stop or pass etch other, and lay it before the Committee in
the course of the day, in order that the cases now before the Core.
mitts e should be brought to a conclusion this week.
Mr. Fawcett, chemist, of Gateshead, on examination by Mr.
Sergeant Witaxansm, gave instances in which the proposed viaduct
would be productive of serious danger, especially as Dean-street,
through which it would pass, was a very great thoroughfare. The
fueling of the people at Gateshead was decidedly against the New.
castle and Berwick line, as they were now convinced from the re.
port of the Committee if the superiority of the atmospheric system.
Cross-examined by Mr. HILDYARD—In witness's opinion the
height of the viaduct would not tend to diminish the danger of acci-
dents.
Mr. Robson, a member of the Town Council of Gateshead, was
examined, and corroborated the evidence of the former witness.
On being cross.examined he stated that a resolution had been pro-
posed by the Town Council of Gateshead in favour of high level
bridges.
Mr. Busby was called to prove that the feeling of the inhabitants
of Alowick and that district was favourable to the Northumberland
atmospheric line.
The traffic tables were then put in, and Mr. Kennedy stated
that the case for the promoters of the Bill was closed.
Mr. Avails, having been permitted by the Committee to ad.
dress them on behalf of the landholders, for whom he appeared,
against the proposed Northumberland line, produced a general
plan of the line, and pointed out the circumstances under which
a painful interference would take place with most valuable
property. The line between Hawick and the sea shore.
which would have been a practical level, had been rejected because
it interfered with one estate ; but now the inconvenience would be
felt by two estates, one belonging to Sir Matthew Ridley and the
other to Mr. Brandling. In order, then, to avoid injuring one
property they were now called upon to inflict a serious injury on
two. The injury would be sufficient to preclude the adoption
of the atmospheric line. The railway trains, according
to that plan, would pass within earshot of two houses
on Mr. Brandling's property. The injury would admit of no
compensation, but the injury done by the formation of the
locomotive tine would not be very material:to their estates. When
it was evident that all the purposos of railway communication
could be effected by the latter system, he trusted that the Com-
mittee would not sanction the formation of a railway which would
inflict such serious injury on the owners of these estates. The
Learned Counsel then produced several drawings of the grounds
and houses alluded to.
Mr. J. Dobson, architect of Newcastle, the Rev. R. Brand.
ling, and Mr. Turner, the steward of Sir Mathew Ridley, were
then examined for the purpose of showing the serious injury
that would accrue to the estates of Mr. Brandling and Sir
Mathew Ridley, .if the proposed line of atmospheric railway
were adopted. After which the Committee adjourned.

Group DD.
THE CALEDONIAN AND GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND

consumption in Oxford was about 50,000 tons. The coals were
derived from South Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and
Somersetshire. A considerable portion was from the north, and
brought by canal. The average price at present was 255. per ton.
There was very little through going traffic at Oxford. The heads
of the University were in favour of the Great Western scheme;
but the popular feeling was with the narrow gauge. If they bad
the broad gauge to the south and west, and the narrow gauge to the
north, it would be all that they required.
Mr. Robert Houston, of Gloucester, said he had been fifty
years in the employment of Messrs. Pickfced and Co., the exten-
sive carriers. One of the chief advantages of the narrow gauge
was, that small quantities of goods could be sent long distances
without being disturbed, the carriages required being so much
smaller than those employed on the broad gauge. Great delay often
took place at Gloucester in taking goods from one gauge on to the
other, so much so, that parties often preferred using canal, it being
found equivalent in point of time. As an instance of this delay, a
quantity of fish, lately sent from Bristol for, the Birmingham market,
that left at half-past six o'clock on Saturday morning, did not reach its
destination till the market was over (half-past ten o'clock) in the
evening, so that the fish had to lie over Sunday, and could not be
sold, exeept at very depreciated prices. The parties who sent the
fish were now seeking to recover 10/. for the damage done. He
considered the best points for the break between the two gauges
would be Bristol and Oxford.
Mr. W. Harding,manager of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway,
which was a broad gauge line, he considered Bristol a better posi-
tion than Gloucester, as there was much less through traffic at
the former than at the latter place. As a proof of this, while
during a week they shifted at Gloucester 470 tons from one line
to the other of through going traffic, they only shifted at Bristol
on to the Great Western line thirty-six tons. Birmingham and
Wolverhampton had an immense amount of through going traffic
which would require shifting, while Bristol and Oxford had
very little. Nearly all the traffic at the latter places was ter.
mlnal. He considered Oxford a much better point for a break in the
gauges than Wolverhampton. The narrow gauge was connected
with 12,000,000 people, the broad gauge with about 3,000,000,
while 2,000,000 were unprovided for. He thought it much better
that this remaining 2,05e,000 should be connected with the larger
than the smaller number. The number of miles of both gauges
already completed, in progress, or projected, was as follows. This
was including Scotland :