The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-30 00:00:00

The Committee next went through the clauses of the Leeds and
Thirsk line, and discharged some formal business.
It may be remarked that all opposition to the Leeds and Thirst
and to the Church Fenton and Harrogate lines had been with-
drawn, with the exception of the Earl of Cardigan's, which must
be now confined to the clauses.

The length of the line and branches is about 45 miles, passing

through Harrrogate, Ripley, and Ripop, to Think, generally
a populous district, and touching upon numerous lead and iron
mines, as well as upen numerous excellent limestone beds.

The estimated capital is 890,0001., and the usual amount of de.
posits have been paid in.
It was feared that the tunnel at Bramkope would cut off the
supply of water to this village, but a guarantee was given that the
inhabitants should suffer no incouvenieuce; if any water should
be unavoidably cut off, other of an equally good kind would be
supplied.

The works on the line are unusually expensive, there being
about a mile and three.quarters of heavy tunnelling, and four or
five viaducts.

The promoters are, however, very sanguine as to the success of

the scheme, and produced abundant evidence to show that the im-
portant towns of Leeds, Bradford, Ripon, Knareiborough, and
Harrogate would be much benefited by it, by the increased faci.
lily of obtaining coal and other mining produce, by the increased
commerce they would occasion, and by the ready transit the lines
will afFord to agricultural produce.

Mr. BAINES imposed additional clauses to the Leeds and Thirsk
line, referring to the navigation between BorouElthridge and Ripon,
and enabling the canal proprietors to sell the canal to the proprie-
tors of the. railway, and the latter to buy and distribute it among
the proprietors.

. .
WHATELEV said he appeared on beh...lf of the proprietors of
the Aire and Calder Canal, who made a thousand a year by the
traffic which came into that canal through the Ure. They were
attempting to cut off one of the sources of their profit. There was
no notice in the Bill referring to this proposed amalgamation.
Mr. BAINES said petitions had been presented to the House,
praying for these supplemental clauses, and they had been referred
to the Committee, which had a perfect right to adopt them if
they thought proper. Several navigations Interfered between the
Aire and Calder Canal and the Ripon and Boroughbridge Canal.

Mr. WHATELEY said that distance had nothing to do with the
matter, and that though one canal might be 50 miles distant
from the other, still if, the purchase of the latter interfered with
the navigation of the former, they could be no more justified in
interfering with it than in diverting the course of a stream several
miles from a mill, which stream supplied that mill with water.
Mr. BAINES, on the other hand, contended that if such a prin.
ciple were allowed, it would prevent any amalgamation whatever.

He protested against his Learned Friend being heard at all by the
Committee. He had no locus standi, and, had given no notice
whatever of his opposition.

The CHAIIIMANsaid this opposition had certainly come upon the
Committee by surprise, and they should take time to consider
whether or no they were justified in entertaining it.

After some deliberation,

The CHAIRMAN inquired whether, if the sale and purchase were
made, the Company would engage to keep up the canal at the pre-

sent rate,

Mr. BAINES said he hat no objection to introduce a clause to
hat effect.

Mr. WHATCLEY said, if there were any dispute about the
amount of tolls, it would be very desirable to refer it to the Board

of Trade.

Mr. BANES said the maximum was fixed, and they could not go
beyond it. The Railway Company would, in case of purchase, suc-
ceed to the rights as well as to the liabilities of the canal.

The CustustaN said he would take care that clauses were in-
serted in the Bill so as tb protect the public by keeping the canal in
a fair state for traffic.

Mr. WIIATELEY said that was just what he wished. He feared

that unless some such provisions were made, the railway would
engross all the traffic, and tend to drain off the traffic from the
canal to the railroad.

It was finally agreed that clauses should be introduced, providing
that the canal be kept in a proper state of repair, and that the tolls
should not exceed a certain maximum.

Mr. WHITEIIURST again urged the necessity of making due pro-
vision for a supply of water to Bramhope.
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The CHAIRMAN decided upon adopting the same clauses in this
Bill with referenceto Bramhope, as had been adopted by the Leeds
Water.works Company.
LEEDS AND WEST JUNCTION LINE.

The Committee having completed the Leeds and Thirsk line,
and the Church Fenton and Harrogate line, and revised all the
clauses in these Bills, proceeded to make some alterations in the
Leeds and West Junction Railway Bill, which had been re-com-
mitted on the previous night.
The alterations made had reference to tolls, and some minor
matters of form.

Group EE.

DUNDEE AND PERTH (NORTH) RAILWAY.

The Committee assembled as usual at twelve o'clock, the Right
Hon. F. T. Baring, chairman.
The CHAIRMAN said, that with reference to the Dundee and
Perth line, i t would be necessary that the Committee should make
a special report with respect to the particular clause which they had
caused to be introduced into the Bill, whereby it was rendered com-
pulsory on the part of the Company to have third-class carriages
by at least two.thirds of their trains. It was desirable, too, that all
the railways which met at Perth should have one common terminus
—it was advisable that there should be one common terminus for
all, and coinciding as the Committee did with the report of the
Committee DD upon that subject, they had arrived at the con-
clusion that all the works, sn far as the terminus at Perth was
affected—he alluded to the proposed terminus on the. South Inch—
should be suspended until the question had been determined. But
in their report the Committee would insert words to the effect that
they " trusted the question of terminus would be settled by the
Board of Trade as early as possible."
THE ABERDEEN RAILWAY.

The proceedings in this line were then opened.
Mr. Austin, Mr. Talbot, Mr. B. Andrews, Mr. E. James, and
Mr. Taylor appeared on behalf of the supporters of the Bill, and
Mr. Cockburn, Mr. Forsyth, and Mr. Hope represented the op.
ponents of the Bill, namely the Scottish Midland line, the magis-
trates and town.council of Brechin, the inhabitants of Brechin and
several others.

A long discussion arose upon an objection taken by counsel
for the Bill, to the appearance of counsel on behalf of the Scottish
Midland line, upon the ground that the Company had no locus
standi in the Committee. '

The Committee ultimately held the objection to be good.
Another discussion took place upon an objection raised by the
same Learned Counsel to the appearance of counsel on the part of
the magistrates and town.council of Brechin, on the ground that
they had no lauded interest in the matter.
The Committee, however, after, as in the case of the former ob-
jection, having considered the point with closed doors, held that
the magistrates and town-council were competent to be represented
before that Committee. _

Mr. E. JAMES then proceeded briefly to open the case on
behalf of the promoters of the Bill. In the present case,
he said it was proposed by the advocates of the mea-
sure to carry out a line which would be calculated to
afford the greatest extent of accommodation to a large
number of persons living in and connected with what might
justly be termed the third place, in point of commercial import-
ance, in Scotland. It was proposed to carry the Aberdeen Railway
from that place down to Lawrence Kirk, communicating at its
terminus with the Arbroath and Forfar Railway. At this point,
the Committee would observe there were two prongs, as they were
called, running, the one to the right, the other to the left, and then
there were two branches, one to Brechin, and one to Montrose.
This project had been for some time under consideration. Origi-
nally, it had been suggested that it would be the better course to
form a coast line of railway, but it had been found that the expense
of such a line would have been as much as 15,000/. per mile more
than the now proposed line, independent of its not being capable
of affording anything like the same extent of public accommotia.
tion. The opposition which remained, although under a different
name and title, was in reality neither more nor less than the op.
position of the Scottish Midland Company. There had been an
attempt on the part of the promoters of the Bill to steer a middle
course between two extremes or points with the hope of giving
satisfaction to all parties, but, as was often the case, where such an
object had been in view, it had turned out that the so ardently.
wished.for an end had not been accomplished. The line, however,
would communicate with Edinburgh, and thus reach on from Perth
to Dundee, and from Dundee by the Arbroath and Forfar line, so
that there would be a through line completed. The Learned
Counsel having entered into more minute details of the route of
the line, called
Mr. Patrick Pirie, a justice of the peace for Aberdeen, stated
that he employs 1,700 hands in his character of flax manufacturer

in Aberdeen. The population was about 70,000, and was on the
increase. A very large amount of capital was employed in mer-
cantile pursuits at Aberdeen. The main objects in which that
capital was engaged were flax, very largely in paper, coals, iron,
combs, lime, and so on. The opinion in Aberdeen was almost
universal in favour of the line ; indeed, opinion had never been so
unanimous in that place as upon the subject of this railway. The
station at Aberdeen was the most advantageous that could have
been selected. The flax which was now used in Aberdeen was
received by its importation into Dundee, which place, in the event
of the proposed railway being made, would at once beco.ne, for
the northern parts of Scotland, as a port, that which Liverpool was

with reference to the cotton trade in England. It was of the ut-
most importance to the flax trade as well as to Aberdeen and Dun-
dee and every part of the northern districts of Scotland that this
railway should be carried nut. At present, in consequence of there
not being any market at or near to Aberdeen, the manufacturers
were compelled to hold very large stocks, the interest for four
months upon which would exceed the extra carriage of the rail.
way for the year. The cost of conveyance now to Dundee was
about 31. per ton. The whole of the goods at present were
brought to Aberdeen from Dundee in casts. There was as much
as 5,000 tons of flax manufactured in Aberdeen, of which the
value was 250,000/. or 300,0001. The exportation of flax manu-
factured at Aberdeen was nearly 500,0001. per annum. The ex-
ports were principally to France, Germany, England, the United
States, and to the Brazils. These goods were now sent to Dun -
dee by cart or steam-carriage, at very considerable expense in the
shape of money as well as in time. The witness then went into
a minute detail of the traffic, showing that the advantages to
Aberdeen to be derived from the completion of this railway were
very great.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

Group 88,
The Committee to which the subjoined schemes are submitted
for investigation met at half-past 12 o'clock; Mr. Colquhoun in
the chair, viz :—the Waterford:and:Kilkenny,.Wexford, Carlow, and
Dublin, Kilkenny Junction, and Kingston and Waterford (Carlow
and Wexford) Railways.
WATERFORD AND KILKENNY RAILWAY.
Mr. TALBOT stated the case for the promoters of the Bill, the
objut of which was to give Waterford a railway communication
with Dublin. The line commenced at the south side of the river
Suir, crossed the Nore by a viaduct SO feet in height at Thomastown,
and terminated at Kilkenny ; the whole distance being 31 miles
and 20 chains. The scheme embraced a branch line to Kells, of
6 miles and 20 chains in length. The works, generally speaking,
were not of an expensive character, and no engineering difficultiesthe
were contemplated. The peculiar feature of the project was
determination of the Proprietors to adopt Payne's patent wooden
rail, at the sane time making provisions for the substitution
erim of the
iron rails, without an enormous outlay, shoul expent
prove a failure. As the traffic was not expected to be very large
at first, it was proposed to lay down a single line, leaving room for
the addition of another, should the convenience of the public re-
quire it. The estimated cost was 250,000/. ; but this sum in-
cluded a surplus sufficient to defray the expenses of putting down
iron rails, if necessary, the cost of which was calculated at 9001.
per mile. The promoters were ready to make any arrangement
with the existing or projected railways, to insure a direct commu.
nication with Dublin.
Mr. MARTIN applied to be heard in opposition to the railway, as
counsel for the shareholders of the Leinster and Munster line; but,
after some discussion, the Committee were unanimously of opinion
that, as the whole Company did not oppose as a body, he had no
offered.
Mr. locN:lsor.sottLahndleoryidoip,npolatslniiedtioCangeomtnomtttihtootetphe.
reolmocatrqwuaiss
Ormonde, and Mr. A.
M'Kean, manager of the Kilkenny Provincial Bank, were called
to prove the fertile nature of the district, the advantages expected
to result from a more easy communication with the seaport of Wa-
terford, and the general sanction given by the landowners and in-
habitants on the line of railway to its formation.
Mr. Ballantine, the engineer, stated the cost of construction,
pointed out the course proposed to be taken across the hilly country
between the two termini, and observed
viaducts (the one crossing
the Waterford terminus), the works that, excepting the two
were of the must simple cha-
racter.

The Committee adjourned to half-past eleven o'clock to-morrow,

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE.
This Committee met to-day between one and two o'clock.
The Committee decided that in the case of the Birkenhead, Man-
chester, and Cheshire Junction Railway, the standing orders ought
not to be dispensed with.
In the case of the Sunderland and Bishops Auckland Railway,
the standing orders ought not to be dispensed with.
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