The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-08 00:00:00

AILWAY COMMITTEES.
(YESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
THE CORNWALL RAILWAY.

The Committee appointed to consider this Bill sat, for the first
time, at eleven o'clock, Lord Ellenboraugh in the chair.
A great number of petitions for and against the Bill were read.

Mr. AUSTIN said that he understood that the Bill was opposed by
certain parties connected with a rival scheme, entitled "The Central
Cornwall Railway Company," but it was well-known that the
original shareholders in that Company had resolved to effect an
arrangement with this one, and certain persons were appointed to
arrange preliminaries. It was ultimately arranged that, in consi.
deration of 1,700 shares in this Company, the Central one was to
withdraw all opposition, and to dissolve itself as a Company. The
opposition, therefore, was not and could not be from the late Com-
pany.
Mr. AUSTiN objected to the reception of the petition from what
was called the Cornwall Central Railway, and to the Committee at
all entertaining their objections. They had no locus standi—there
had been no such project before Parliament—nor was there then
any such project—therefore, there could be no existing interest.
Such a project might have been once in contemplation, but it never
went before a Committee of the House of Commons.
" "

It was contended by Counsel on the other side that the petition
should be entertained. Such a project still existed; and though it
had not been sanctioned by Parliament, it had been before the
Board of Trade. There it had been rejected ; and the Committee
would recollect, that before Parliament met, and which was when
that rejection took place, it was generally believed that the
decision of the Committee of the Board of Trade was final
and conclusive, :Ind this was the reason why the project had not
been pushed forward with vigour.
The projected line extends from Plymouth to Falmouth, passing
through Li.keard, Lostwithiel, St. Awstell, and near Truro, on to
the terminus at Falmouth. The line is sixty-five miles long.
Many of the gradients arein the abstract very bad, but, considering
the hilly nature of the country, are as good as could be selected.
A long discussion ensued, as to whether or no the petition should
be received.

Mr. Smith, a solicitor residing at Truro, was examined. He
handed in The Morning Sun newspaper of the 19th February of
the present year, in which there was an advertisement, convening
a meeting of the Cornwall and Devon Central Railway for the 25th
of the same month. The witness went on to to say, that the pro.
moters of the present Bill suggested a proposal for an arrangement
with the Central Cornwall and Devon Railway, by which all
opposition to the Bill before the Committee would be abandoned
by the Central Cornwall and Devon, in case the former took 1,700
or 1,800 shares in the latter. This arrangement witness under.
stood had been agreed upon.
Mr. Harvey, Secretary to the Cornwall and Devon Central Rail.
way Company, said the advertisement spoken of appeared in the
Times and Chronicle, as well as in The Morning Sun. The pur-
port of the meeting was to receive the report of the Committee in
which the engineer's statement was embodied. Felt satisfied the
meeting had not been convened for the purpose of entering into
any arrangement with the promoters of the present project. The
project of which he was secretary was going on very well until the
report of the Beard of Trade came out at the end of last December,
when their proceedings were paralysed by it. The witness
went into a detail of the proceedings at the meeting alluded to, at
which there was considerable difference of opinion, and a good deal
of angry squabbling. One body of the shareholders was in favour
of an arrangement with the promoters of the Cornwall Railway
Bill, whilst another witness stated that a most influential and im.
portant part was averse to it.

It was held by the promoters of the Bill before the Committee
that after the meeting of the 25th of February, the Cornwall and
Devon Central Railway Company had dissolved, whilst by the op-
ponents the reverse was contended for. An immense number of
shares had been taken in the Central Cornwall and Devon Rail-
way, for which not one shilling had been paid in. The majority of
the Provisional Committee paid nothing in. The South-Western
Railway Company took 10,000 shares, but paid nothing. Only
7,000 shareholders had paid in. There were between 30,000 and
40,000 shares allotted to the public, exclusive of 5,000 shares to
Mr. Turner, M.P., and 10,000 to the S'Alth-Western Company.
Mr. Tilley, a solicitor, was next examined on the part of the op-
position—The Cornwall and Devon Central Railway Company was
provisionally registered.
Mr. A usrix denied this assertion.

Witness went on to say, that in every principal town in the
county meetings were held on the subject of the central line,
at which an unanimous feeling prevailed in its favour.
The promoters of the present scheme had never held
a meeting in the county, because they were afraid
to face it. The meetings in favour of the scheme was at-
tended by the principal men in Cornwall. At the meeting of the
25th of February, a resolution was carried to enter into the ar-
rangement spoken of with respect to the promoters of the Cornwall
Railway; but witness, Mr. Passingham, the engineer, and others,
protested against it, as being a sacrifice of the interests of the
county.

Mr. Austin and Nit*. Cockburn, at the conclusion of this wit-
ness's testimony, engaged in a most dry and wearisome argument,
as to whether the Central Cornwall and Devon Railway had any
locus standi before the Committee.

Mr. COCKBURN then read the petition of the Cornwall and
Devon Central Railway, alleging several gross misrepresentations
on the part of the promoters of the Bill before the Committee, and
praying for a hearing before their Lordships' Committee.
The Committee aajourned at five o'clock.