The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-03 00:00:00

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

REPORT OF THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT
OF THE BOARD OF TRADE ON THE
COLCHESTER AND HARWICH RAILWAYS.
Railway Department, Board of 'Pride,
Whitehall, March 31, 1845.
The Board constituted by the minute of the Lords of
the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, for the
transaction of railway business, having had under con-
sideration the several schemes for extending railway
communication to Harwich ; viz., Harwich Railway and
Pier—Braithwaite's line ; Harwich Railway—Hoskins's
line ; Harwich and Colchester—Mosse's scheme ; Ips-
wich and Harwich—Eastern Union scheme ; have de-
cided on submitting the following report thereon for
the consideration of Parliament.
It will be remembered that at different times projects
to effect this purpose have been brought before Parlia-
ment, and from various causes have either fallen of them-
selves or have been rejected. Last year the struggle
was of a protracted and costly character, and the parties
who contested it, to avoid the recurrence of such a
struggle, combined to form a general measure, which is
now presented as Braithwaite's line. Neither is Hos-
kins's line a aew project ; it was brought forward first
in 1836, and subsequently has been repeatedly before the
public. The projects of Mr. Mosse and the Eastern
Union Company are row for the first time before Par-
liament.
Braithwaite's line commences 2+ miles to the east of
the Colchester station, running out of the Eastern Coun-
ties Railway, and terminates in a pier at Harwich, the
length of the line being 15 miles 30 chains.
Hoskins's line has a double commencement ; one
forming a junction with the Eastern Counties Railway,
and the other with the Eastern Union Railway near to
Colchester : its length is 15 miles 18 chains.
Nlosse's line commences close to the Colchester station
of the Eastern Counties Railway, and terminates in a
proposed pier: its length is 17 miles 17 chains.
The Eastern Union scheme, though called the Ipswich
and Harwich Railway, has no immediate connexion with
Ipswich. It branches out of the Eastern Union Railway
about three quarters of a mile from Manningtree, passes
through that place, and along the right bank of the Stour
to Harwich, having its proposed termination at the ex-
tremity of an intended pier: its length being 11 miles.
The accompanying map shows the direction of the
several lines.
These lines are easy of construction, and without any
engineering obstacles of importance.
Braithwaite's line and Hoskins's line save respectively
about half-a-mile in the total distance between Colchester
and Harwich, when compared with the Eastern Union
scheme, but require about 41 miles more of new railway
to be made. Mosse's line saves about three quarters of
a mile in the total distance, but requires about 6+ miles
more of new railway.
Two of these schemes are put forth by independent
parties, and two by established companies. Hoskins's
and Mosse's are independent lines, but Braithwaite's
line is to he leased and worked by the Eastern Counties
Railway Company, and the Eastern Union scheme is in
fact a branch from the Eastern Union Railway.
Where the traffic is so great as to enable an indepen-
dent company to run numerous trains, and the receipts
are sufficient not only to maintain the line, but to enable
the proprietors to deal liberally with the public, its inde-
pendence forms certainly no objection ; but, where the
traffic is inconsiderable, an independent company
must economise to the utmost ; its stock of
locomotive engines and carriages must be re-
duced to the lowest limit of what is absolutely neces-
sary to serve the traffic : the servants of the company
will be barely sufficient to fulfil their duties, and con-
sequently both the convenience and safety of the public
may be compromised. Besides a short line cannot, under
ordinary circumstances, be worked so economically as a
long line, and there is scarcely an instance of a short
railway having existed without the proprietors either
seeking to extend it, or desiring its amalgamation with
some more powerful company. But a line which par-
takes of the character of a branch, connected with a
powerful company, which has the means of extending its
accommodation without crippling its resources or injur-
ing its rate of dividend, can give to the public advan-
tages beyond what it is possible for the less powerful
company to afford.
The limited district between Colchester and Harwich
is but thinly inhabited ; its local traffic cannot therefore
be large. It is, on the whole, likely to be better served
by the branch or extension of a large company than by
an independent company.
If this be conceded, the question is narrowed into
whether Braithwaite's or the Eastern Union scheme be
the best ; and if it depended on their being considered
solely as railway schemes, irrespective of other cir-
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15i miles.
But when the circumstances of the port of Harwich
are taken into consideration, national interests become
mixed up with, and form important ingredients in, the
question, especially as each project contemplates the
erection of a pier. A communication has therefore been
made by this Board to the Lords of the Admiralty en the
subject, and they have stated, that though they do not
consider their objections to the Eastern Union scheme of
such vital importance as to be at once fatal to it, they
think Braithwaite's is, upon the whole, the most expe-
dient and the best for the public interests.
Therefore, notwithstanding the Eastern Union scheme
only requires 11 miles of new railway, we are of opinion
that the statement which we have received from the Ad-
miralty is conclusive against it, and that on public
grounds Braithwaite's Harwich Pier Railway is prefer-
able to either of the others,
COLCHESTER JUNCTION.
The length of this line is six miles, and it has a branch
to the port of Colchester of half a-mile in extent.
It leaves the Eastern Counties line about 24 miles
from its present terminus near Colchester, and slanting
in a south-eastern direction, passes through that town.
It then curves round in such a manner as to join the
Eastern Union line ; thus forming an alternative line or
loop through the town of Colchester, with so much of
the Eastern Counties Railway as is already made, and a
portion of the Eastern Union Railway now in course of
formation.
The earthworks are moderate—apparently about an
average; but as it is proposed to pass through the town
of Colchester in cutting, and as there will be a covered
arching or tunnel 220 yards long in that part, the line,
for its length, cannot be otherwise than expensive.
The deposited plans and sections are very imperfect,
and the scheme has the appearance of having been
hastily and imperfectly got up.
If the through connexion between London and Ips-
wich were made, and experience had shown to parties
interested in developing to the utmost the traffic of the
district, that it was necessary to construct a line in this
direction for the accommodation of Colchester, the case
would be different. But here is an independent party in
the field, anxious to make a short and rather costly rail-
way, not likely by itself to be remunerative, and if made,
coming into competition with a portion of the already
constructed line.
In these circumstances we beg to report that there are
public reasons why the Colchester Junction Railway
scheme should be postponed.
In conclusion, we beg to draw attention to the passage
of the Fifth Report of the Select Committee of last year,
in which it is stated, in recommending that reports
should be made to Parliament by this department upon
railway schemes, " That no such report should be held
to prejudice the claims of private persons, the examina-
tion of which should be altogether reserved to the Houses
of the Legislature."
In submitting to Parliament, in conformity with the
recommendation of that Committee, the results at
which we have arrived, with a view to the information
and assistance of Parliament in forming a judgment
upon the schemes in question, in so far as our re-
port may bo available for that purpose, we are anxious
that it should be distinctly understood that we have ar-
rived at these results solely upon public grounds, and to
the exclusion of all consideratiors how far such results
might require to be modified by a due regard for private
rights and interests.
DALHOUSIE.
C. W. PASLEY. G. R. PORTER,.
D. O'BRIEN.

PRIZE MONEY.-BURMESE BOOTY.-The receipt
from India of a further sum of money, on account o
her Majesty's ships Alligator, Arachne, Boadicea, Cham-
pion, Larne, Liffey, Slaney, Sophie, Tamar, Tees,
engaged in the Burman war during the years 1824,
1825, and 1826, having, by direction of the Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury, been made the
means of remedying some irregularities in the
scheme framed in India for the former distribution ; notice
is given to the officers and crews of the said ships, and their
legal representatives, that payment, on the adjusted scale,
calculated according to the prize proclamation, will be
made at the Naval Prize Department at Somerset House
in the first week in May. The following sums of prize
money, for the undermentioned captures, will be paid to
Lieutenant J. Foote and the officers and crew late of the
Fawn, at J. P. Muspratt's, Abchurch-lane, London, on
Friday, April 18. For the Portuguese slaver Venus,
captured on the 29th of April, 1841, 1,322/. 35.:-Flag,
821. 12s. Bd. ; Lieutenant commanding, 154/. 18s. 10d. ;
second class, 112/. 16s. 10d ; third, 56/. Bs. 5d ; fifth,
18/.165. Id ; sixth, 12/. 10s. 9d. ; seventh, 6/. ss. 4d. For the
Portuguese slaver Dandade, captured 30th Jan., 1840, 9641.
14s. ld. :-Lieutenant commanding, 160/. Ils. 9d. ; second
class, 1231. 10s. 7d. ; third, 611. 15s. 3d. ; fourth, 41/. 3s. 6d. ;
fifth, 20/. 1 Is. 9d. ; sixth, 13/. 14s. 6d. ; seventh, 6/. 17s. 3d.
For the Portuguese slaver Rosa, captured Feb. 24, 1840,
644/. 6s. 10d. :-Lieutenant commanding, 80/. 10s. 10d. ;
second class, 62/. 12s. 10d. ; third, 31/. 6s. sd. ; fourth,
201. 17s. 7d. ; fifth, 10/. Bs. 9d; sixth, 6/. 19s 2d. ; seventh,
3/. 9s. 7d.
BRUTAL CASE OF MANSLAUGHTER.-OR Saturday,
a man, named David Leigb, was committed to Chester gaol,
for the manslaughter of Peter Whittle, aged 24, at a village
called Enterpogy, in the above county, under circumstances
of a very brutal character. From the evidence at the coroner's
inquest on the body of the deceased, who was a blacksmith, it
appeared that on the 20th ult. a party of nine young men,
among whom was David Leigh, the accused, went to the
Bull's Head public-house, in the village, for the purpose of
collecting what are termed the Easter pennys.
there they met with the deceased, and after merrymaking
with them for some time, he invited the whole party to
his own dwelling. In a short time they returned to the
public-house, where they commenced wrestling and run-
ning races together. In the midst of their sport, it seems,
the deceased felt aggrieved at something that had been
done to him, and whilst he was engaged in scuffle with
the prisoner, he pushed or threw him to the ground, and
then struck him with a stick. Leigh instantly jumped
up, and both being evidently in liquor, a serious fight
ensued. The deceased was ultimately knocked down by
his adversary, and the stick having been wrenched from his
possession, Leigh commenced hitting him violently over the
head and ears. On ceasing, the deceased was found to be
utterly insensible. Medical assistance was promptly called
to his aid, but he never showed the slightest symptoms of
recovery, and expired in less than twenty minutes afterwards.
Mr. Renshawe, the surgeon, who was called to the deceased,
stated that the blows of the stick over the head had caused
the rupture of some of the principal blood-vessels, which
had produced death. The jury returned a Verdict of " Man-
. Asselitn" against List.