The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-21 00:00:00

GROUP K.

WITHER A.IXTAL or THE LAS rEEN UNION

EXTENSION PROJECTS.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. ANDREWS, Q.C., after these important changes had been
effected, continued his address, urging that all the traffic which had
been assumed by his opponents as going on the direct line
would necessarily in preference adopt the non.circuitous
route through Wyndham. At the same time other and
far more important trade would fall upon the latter, and be
scattered over the vast consuming districts through which it would
pass. If the promoters of the other line regarded time and dis-
tance so valuab!e as between Norwich and Dereham, how much
more importance should it attach to a speedy conveyance to the
metropolis, and as respects such accommodation, the so.called
direct line travelled over 128 miles between Norwich and
London, while the line through Wyndham, between the same
towns, required a distance of no more than 111 miles, thus effectmg
a saving of 17 miles, and a consequent decrease of time. The
Learned Counsel concluded by calling on the Committee
to declare the preamble of the Bill he represented satisfac-
torily proved, to give the inhabitants of the district the
lino they themselves preferred, and not to keep districts
imperatively needing railway accommodation divested of such ad-
vantages during the prolonged period which the opposing project
would require.

The room was then cleared, and on the readmission 01
strangers,

The Committee announced their decision that the preamble of
the Bill through Wyndham to Dereham was proved, but that the
Attleborough and Diss, and the Diss, Beccles, and Yarmouth pro-
jects being withdrawn, the communication south of Norwich and
Brandon to London should be left entirely for the discussion of
another session. They therefore negatived the Bill for the Direct
Norwich line throughout.
_ .

This important decision was received with the most intense ex
citement, and appeared to take all parties by surprise.

At four o'clock the Committee adjourned till 12 on Monday.

GROUP L.
PORTSMOUTH ATMOSPHERIC LINE.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
In answer to Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. Locke stated that it was
his opinion that the circumstance of the atmospheric trains being
intended to pass at high velocities between the stations would
greatly increase the danger. The express trains on the London
and Birmingham line passed each other at Rugby, and twice on the
Southampton line at the Guildford Junction and at Bishopstoke,
at the latter place, however, the train stopped. At these crossing
places the danger was the same, but on the atmospheric line it was
multiplied according to the number of crossing places. His objec-
tion, however, only held as to the rate of speed, and he thought that
twenty miles an hour would not be too much. He knew nothing of
the crossing places on the Great Western line or on the Blackwell
line. He thought that the atmospheric principle had attained its
maximum of nearly forty miles an hour, for he found that was the
highest speed attained in Mr. Stephenson's experiments at Dalkey,
at the place where the impediments were the least and the momen-
tum was the greatest. It was immaterial to him whether the op.
position to the speed arose from the friction in the tube or from
the leakage, for there was the effect, and that was a sufficient cm.
mercial obstacle.

To Mr. MlLNits, Mr. Locke replied that, on the whole, he
thought the prolongation of the tube was likely to diminish the
velocity.

To Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. Locke said that he had never stated

this to any Committee, for he merely looked at the matter as a
commercial question—so much power lost, so much coat used, so
much expense incurred. The increased length increased the
eakage; but by increasing the power of the engine—by increasing
he diameter of the piston and the air-pump—more than propor-
ionably, the effect of the increased leakage might be overcome.

GROUP X.
CAMBRIDGE AND LINCOLN LINE.

At the sitting of the Committee this day, the intermediate traffic
evidence was resumed.

Mr. Pollock, accountant and commission agent at Lincoln, de-
posed that 20,000 tons of coals per annum were received and con-
sumed in that town. The consumption of other articles of domestic
necessity was equally great. The transit of those articles by the
proposed line would be greatly facilitated, and the expense consi-
derably lessened.

Mr. Bartholomew, land agent near Lincoln, was the next wit-
ness; his testimony was corroborative of that already given by
other land agents.

General .lAnson was then examined by Mr. HILDYARD, to show
the superiority of the Cambridge and Lincoln to the London and
York line. It passed through the centre of the country, and
through a far more populous district; it would, therefore, afford
greater facilities for the accommodation of the traffic of the district.
After a short cross.exarnination by Mr. KINGLIKE,
The Committee announced that they would sit from half.past
eleven o'clock to.morrow till three, and then adjourned.

GROUP Z.