The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-16 00:00:00

GROUP X.

DIRECT NOE:TIME; EINE-TAILRINGDON,
STEEET EXT _IV SION.
IMPORTANT DECISION.

The Committee on these projects met this morning at the cus•
torn ary hour. Present Vismunt Courtenay, Chairman, Mr,
Darby, Mr. Scrope, and Mr. B. 'Wall.
Previous to the resumption of evidence adduced by the London
and York line against the Farringdon-street extension,
Mr. TALBOT, Q. C., renewed the application made by Mr. Hild..
yard yesterday afternoon on behalf of the North-Eastern and Mid-
land Companies, that a more specific arrangement should be made
respecting the time and order for hearing the evidence of those
lines rebutting that of the London and York.
Mr. DARBY wished the Learned Counsel to answer whether he
considered he had any right whatever to be heard, as the opposi-
tion of the various schemes had been by a previous decision of the
Committee amalgamated in that of the Direct Northern.
Mr. TALBOT replied that he most certainly contended for the
principle audi 'aterant portern. The London and York had
put forth a case plausible and extravagant enough, but he
would pledge himself, if permitted by the Committee,
to produce evidence which, would demolish every
partical of the absurd statements put forth by his opponents, and
more especially their attempts to drag all the coal traffic of the
south upon their wholly unconnected line.
'1 he CHAIRMAN urged that during the rebutting evidence of the
Direct Noi them, full consideration had been given to the effect of
the statements made respecting the traffic south of Huntingdon as
calculated to come upon the London and York hue.
Mr. TALBOT, Q C., contended that such evidence was merely
trivial and indirect, elicited perhaps in the course of croes.examina-
lion, but that which he would produce separately, and in the dis-
tinct character of another opposing party, whose locus standi
had been recognised and allowed, was highly important, and he
strongly protested against an attempt to withhold from him that
right which he unquestionably possessed.
The Committee having then withdrawn and remained in deli-
beration an hour and a quarter, on their return
The CHAIRMAN said—As it appears that the resolutions we had
previously come to are not yet fully understood, the Com-
mittee are desirous of withdrawing all misapprehension, and to re-
peat their former determination. I, therefore, am requested to
state to the parties interested that we have, after mature delibera-
tion, come to the following resolution :
" That the Committee, in the exercise of that discretion vested
in them by the House of Commons, have selected from the
various schemes submitted to them for affording through
communication to York, the London and York line and the system
of railways made up by a combination of the Cambridge and Lin.
coin, the Direct Northern, and the Tottenham Extension, with the
existing railway to Cambridge, as the only two schemes which com.
pete inter se. As respects a direct trunk communication from
London to York, it is not open to the promoters of any other line
to bring forward rebutting evidence against either of such schemes,
as far as respects the through communication.
"That the Committee will take the Cambridge and Huntingdon
line next in order ; the promoters of that and other lines will then
have an opportunity of bringing forward positive and rebutting evi-
dence, as well inter se, as against such portions of either
of the two schemes referred to in their former resolution
as then remain undecided on, and as they may then be considered
to compete with."
This important decision was followed by an intimation that the
Committee would receive the subsequent evidence, not as a com-
parative consideration of the merits of the lines, but with a view
to give a positive recommendation of one or other scheme to
Parliament.
Mr. Gibbs, an engineer; Mr. Seeger, a distiller; and Mr. Green,
a surveyor, were then severally called, and gave rebutting evi-
dence against tha Farringdon-street Extension, and the Com-
mittee adjourned.