The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-14 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILL

Mr. J. PARKER moved that the Sheffield and Lincolnshire
Junction Railway Bill be removed from Group X, and be re-
ferred to the Committee of Classification. The Bill had been
before the Comrnittece on Group X for seven or eight weeks,
and the expense to the parties had already been 2,000/.
They had not yet been heard; and, in consequence of the
length to which the proceedings in relation to the London and
York line had run, there was very little probability of their
being heard this session. The railway had been placed in
Group X by a mistake of the Committee of Classification.
The Committee had imagined that it was a competing line
with the London and York, when, in fact, the two lines did not
come into competition.
Sir R. INGLIS, as Chairman of the Committee of
Classi-
fication, did not appear to defend this Act. Admitting the
classification to have been wrong, still this Railway
Company had acquiesced n it for seven weeks—
had gone before the Committee, and now at the eleventh
hour, when perhaps they found that the cross-examination of
the witnesses was rather against the scheme, they wished to
be removed Irons the group, and to have all the work done over
again. They should, if they had fe!t they were placed in a.
wrong group, have applied before the Committee was struck.
They now came too late, and he hoped the House would re-
fuse the application.
Mr. GRANVILLE VERNON was a shareholder in the
railway, and as such supported the application. The object of
it was not so mush to protect themselves against the expense,
as to enable them to be heard during the present session,
which would be impossible if they continued in Group X, as
the London and York line hadnot yet concluded their case. He
denied that it was a competing line with the London and
York.

Dlr. WILSON PATTEN, as a member of the Committee
of Classification, would state that the Committee had en-
d:avoured to lessen the number of Bills referred to Group
X, and 111. d particularly considered the case of this railway,
but they had found that it was so completely a competing line
with the London and York, that it was impossible not to refer
them to the same Committee. With regard to the expenses,
they were equal to both parties; and if they went
into another Committee the other railway must follow
them for the purpose of cross-examination. After a
full consideration of the evidence; the Committee of
Classification had been reluctantly obliged to place this railway
in Group X, and he hoped the House would uphold the deci-
sion of the Committee of Classification.

Mr. BROTHERTON said the application could not have
been made earlier, inasmuch as it was impossible for the parties
interested to have foreseen that the London and York line
would have occupied so much time.
Mr. ESTCOURT opposed the application. The classi-
fication had been made on the 19th of March, the Committee
had commenced its sittings on the 28th of April, and now, on
the 14th of June, this application was made. It came too late,
and he hoped the House would uphold the decision of the
Committee of Classification.

Sir G. GREY feared that, unless the Bill were removed
from Group X, there would be no chance of the case of its
promoters being heard this session.
Mr. B. DENISON said that in fifty miles the lines ran
within eight miles of each other. Then their termini too
were identical, and therefcre there could be no doubt but that
they were competing lines, and that it was necessary that they
should be referred to the same Committee. There was a re-
medy for the evil of delay. The Committee might
a.k the House to remove it out of the group,
but they had not attempted to do
.so. No
such application had been made by the Committee, and
notwithstanding anything that might be said to the con-
trary, he could not but be of opinion that the cross-
examination of the witnesses had occasioned this
application. If that cross-examination had been favour-
able to the line, he doubted much whether this application
would have been made. He called upon the House to refuse
this application, which had been made at the eleventh hour.
Lord WORSLEY supported the motion. The question was
one which had created great excitement in the county which
he represented. When the London and York and the Cam-
bridge and Lincoln lines were first entered upon, it was not
expected they would have taken so long, or that they would
have been considered competing lines. It was his opinion they
were only partially so, and if the branch were not formed
there would be an end to the question of competition. The
non-formation of the branch would not affect the main line ;
and with that arrangement the Cambridge and Lincoln could
easily be considered in another group, without any inconveni-
ence.
Mr. DARBY rose merely to state a fact. In the Committee
the whole examination was conducted upon the grounds of the
two lines being competing lines.
After a few words from Mr. Parker, Mr. Wilson Patten,
and Mr. Guest, the motion was withdrawn.
LEEDS AND THIRSK RAILWAY.
On the third reading of this Bill being moved
Sir G. COCKBURN moved the insertion of a clause, au-
thorising the sale by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
of certain glebe lands ; and that the standing order requiring
such clause to be referred to the Standing Orders Committee be
suspended.
This clause, in addition to two others already assented to
and proposed to the House by Mr. Lawson, were agreed to,
and the Bill was read a third time.

YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND (HARROGATE
BRANCH) RAILWAY.
This Bill was moved to be read a third time.—Agreed to.
DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA RAILWAY.
The third reading of this Bill was agreed to.
LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.
This Bill was read a third time.

ST. HELEN'S RAILWAY AND CANAL..
The report of the Committee on this Bill was brought up
and received.

MANCHESTER, BURY, AND ROSSENDALE

RAILWAY. -
The report on this Bill was brought up and received.
DUNDALK AND ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY.
Mr. G. CRAIG brought up the report of the Committeeon
this Bill, which was received.
MANCHESTER, SOUTH JUNCTION, AND
ALTRINCHAM RAILWAY.

The report of the Committee on this Bill was brought up
and received.

SCOTCH UNIVERSITIES.
Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the presbytery of
Dunbar against the Bill for the abolition of tests in the Uni•
versities of Scotland.

PROTESTANT DISSENTERS.
Mr. HINDLEY presented petitions from the congregational
unions' of England and Wales,: praying that the Government
provision to Disseniers, and that paid to the Episcopalians in
Ireland, called the Regium Doman, should be discontinued.
IRISH GRAND JURY ACT.
Lord CLEMENTS presented petitions from Langford and
other places in Ireland, praying for certain amendments in the
grand jury law.
MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN—SIR HENRY