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

THE rgaEVTASH VALLEY LINE.

Messrs. Calvert and Hope appeared for the promoters of the
Bill, and

Messrs. Talbot, Macaulay, Greenwood, and Wilmore represented
the opponents.

Mr. CatvERT opened his case, by stating that the object of the
8,11 was to open the t ade of the coal fields through which the line
was to pass. The district consisted of sixty thousand inhabitants,
over a space of 15 miles. The traffic of this district woulsl
be greatly increased. The superiority of railway traffic over
canal was quite manifest. The latter was subject to
the casualties of frost and drought. This line was selected by
Mr. Rennie in 1836, and was favourably received by the House of
Commons. There were no engineering difficulties to impede the
acconmlisliment of the work. After the Learned Counsel had gone
into detail of the advrastages of the line, he called witnesses in
support of h.s statement. _ .

Evidence was gone into at great length in support of the Bill.
The opponents' Counsel, on cross.examination, elicited nothing to
mar its progress.

The Speaker being announced to be at prayers, the Committee
adjourned until to-morrow.

GROUP V.

TLIE MANCMESTER, CHESTZRPIELD, AND
MIDLAND JUNCTION RAILWAYS. THE
SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE ALTERNATIVE
LZNE.

Members—The Chairman, the O'Conor Don, Sir Denham Nor-
reys, Sir John Rae Reid, Mr. Davies, and Mr. Hope Johnstone.
The Committee proceeded this morning to receive further evi-
dence on the alternative line.

The evidence was of the same uninteresting character as before.
Mr. Isaac Vickers spoke to the injury which would be done to
the hay and cattle market in Sheffield, if the Chesterfield and
Sheffield Railway were allowed to be constructed.
Thomas Dunn Jeffcott, coal valuer, Sheffield—He was well ac-
quainted with the coal fields in the neighbourhood of Sheffield and
on the lines of the Chesterfield and Sheffield and of the Lincoln-
shire Railway. The coal on the latter line was of a much
more useful quality for manufacturing purposes, and could be more
easily reached, the nearest vein on the other line being six miles
from the town of Sheffield. There was no converting coal at Dron-
field.

A number of witnesses gave similar evidence, and the Committee
adjourned at four o'clock.

GROUP w.
BRAYTON AND GOOLE RAILWAY.

The Committee en this line met at twelve to.day, Mr. Pakington
in the chair. The Hon. Mr. Maxwell, the Hon. Mr. Bouverie,
Mr. Whitmore, and Lord Seymour were also present.
Mr. KNOWLES, on the part of the promoters, resumed his address
to the Committee. He contended that the Brayton and Goole
line should pass irrespective of any other line, for it had independent
merits of its own—would develop the general resources, and espe-
cially promote the extension of the traffic in coals and lime of a
large tract of country, that was hitherto isolated and crippled to a
most enormous extent, in consequence of having no outlet for its
commerce. The Learned Counsel pressed this point at great length,
and proceeded to say that the cost of the line would only be 100,004,
and that it passed over a tract of country where no gentleman's
res►dence would be destroyed—no park or place interfered with in
its whole course. The Committee should not hesitate for a moment
as to the propriety of passing the line. But when he compared it
with the competing line (the proposed Wakefield, Pon-
tefract, and Goole line) as a communication with Wake-
field, Bradford, Leeds, and the west, he considered that it had
claims which made it greatly superior. In the first pace, only twelve
miles of line would be required to be constructed, while by the
other route there would be twenty-seven miles. The cost would
be only 100,0001., while the cost of the other would be 350,0004
In the second place, it possessed gradients far more
favourable, which, even by the admission of its opponents, more
than counterbalanced the three miles which it exceeded the other
line in distance to Wakefield. When he also considered that it
would afford accommodation and facility of conveyance to the
traffic to Wakefield, Leeds, and all the towns to the west, that
had hitherto been in the habit of importing and exporting
at Goole and Hull, the advantages which it presented were in-
finitely greater than those of the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole
line. On these grounds, therefore—cheapness, gradients, accom-
modation, and advantage to the general traffic of the country—he
contended that the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line
was not for a moment to be compared with it.
But if the Committee would, in the face of the evi.
dence which had been adduced to prove these facts, be of
opinion that it had not such a superiority over the Wakefield and
Goole line, as a communication with the manufacturing districts,
he thought that he had brought forward evidence sufficient
to induce the Committee to grant the line on its own
independent traffic. Taking all these advantages into account,
together with the trifling expense which the construction of the
line would cost, the Committee, he was sure, would exercise a
sound judgment in passing the Brayton and Goole Railway, whether
they passed the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line or not.
This closed the case of the promoters of the line.
The CHAIRMAN then asked Mr. Bliss, who appeared on behalf of
the oppos ng landholders on the line, whether he would bring for-
ward any witnesses ?

Mr. Buss replied that he would not adduce any evidence, but
with the permission of the Committee he would address them on
behalf of his clients.

The CRAIRIIIAN---then ordered the room to be cleared, and re.
mained in deliberation for three quarters of an hour. On our re-
admission
The CH/IRWIN told Mr Bliss to proceed with his address.
Mr. Buss then went on to comment on the evidence which had
been brought forward, and contended that no case whatever had
been made out on the part of the promoters of the Brayton
and Goole line for cutting up the property of his clients.
There was no evidence of a satisfactory character to show that it
had any merits on the ground of independent traffic. It was a
pure and gratuitous assumption on their part. Along the whole
line of twelve miles there was only one mile on which the land-
owners were favourable to it. There was eight miles
Of dissentients, and three miles, on which the parties were neutral,
or had returned no answer. When the Committee considered e. that
there were a'ready five lines of railway
when intersecting
theyand u
con considered
the property of the Hon.)rlr. Petro,
:lle and
other landholders, and that
proposed which would afford a 1
there was another line
the opposition that was off-
,ed b y