The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-20 00:00:00

he believed there was no level crossing over a public road.

Being re-examimed by Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. Gooch said that
there was no level crossing on the South-Eastern line so dangerous
as that on the North Kent line at Faversham, as none crossed such
crowded thoroughfares as that.
Mr. Walter Simms, formerly joint engineer with Mr. Stephenson
on the South-Eastern line, was examined to the same effect.
On his cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant WRANGRAM, the
witness said that he did not think there was at present any danger
to be apprehended from level crossings.
Mr. COCKBURN then said, that as the engineering evidence was
now concluded, he thought this a fit opportunity for making an
_ _

objection, which he thought would oblige the North Kent Corn,

pany to give up their Bill, and to bring it forward again as a pro-
ject. The North Kent line was to cross Woolwich-
common, for which the consent of the Board of
Ordnance must be first obtained. The Board of Ordnance had
given their consent on certain conditions, one of which was that
they should pass the common by a tunnel. Mr. Vignolles had
stated that his tunnel must be 15 feet ; over this there must be

1% ft. of brickwork, and over this 4% ft. of earth ;
so that from the surface of the earth to the level of
the rails there must be 21 feet. According to Mr. Vig-
nolles' own section the distance would be only fourteen feet.
The extreme limits of deviation were five feet, so that the line
could not be constructed within the limits, Mr. Cockburn then
referred to the decision of Committee against the Cambridge and
Lincoln line, where a similar objection had been made by Mr. Ser-
geant Wrangham.
Mr. Sergeant WRiNGIHAM said that the circumstances of this
case were not the same as those of the Cambridge and Lincoln
line, where it was admitted by the engineer of the line that it
was impossible to keep within the limits. But in the present
case the proposed depth being 14 feet, and the limits
of deviation 5 feet, making 19 feet ; and if 6 feet brickwork and
earthwork were necessary, it would still be easy to make a tunnel
of 13 feet deep. But even if a tunnel of 15 feet were required,
the North Kent Company were at liberty to go to any length of
deviation, with the consent of the landowners.—(Mr. Sergeant
Wrangham here referred to the Act of Paliament.) The land-
owners in the present case were the Board of Ordnance, and it
was improbable that they, wishing the tunnel to pass clear of the
surface, would refuse their consent to its passing deeper than had
been intended.

The CHAIRMAN was about to give the decision of the Committee
on this point, when
Mr. COCKBURN said that he had not been heard in answer to Mr.
Sergeant Wrangham, and that he had a right to be heard before
the Committee gave their decision.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee were satisfied, and de-
cided against Mr. Cockburn's objection. _

Mr. COCKBURN insisted on his right to be heard in answer to
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham.

The CHAIRMAN ;aid that the Committee were at liberty to de-
cide the question at whatever time they pleased.

Mr. COCKBURN submitted to the decision, but wished it to be
understood that he considered this a gross violation of the law,
The CHAIRMAN said that the violation must be the fault of the
Committee.

Mr. COCKBURN replied that he wished it to be understood that he
thought so.
Colonel Dancey, Royal Artillery, was then called and ex-
amined by Mr. MERREWETRER as to the danger to be apprehended
from the crossing of Messrs. Hall's powder district by the pro.
posed North Kent line.
Mr. Clutton, land valuer, was then examined by Mr. MBAR&
WETHER as to the value of the land through which the proposed
North Kent line would pass.
Mr. Merton, land valuer, gave similar evidence to that of Mr.
Clutton.

Mr. G. Smith, also a land valuer, corroborated the previous evi-
dence as to the value of the land, houses, &c., on the proposed
North Kent line.

Mr. Rodgers, architect and surveyor, spoke to the accuracy of
:he estimates of the South-Eastern line.

Mr. Bennet, solicitor to the South. Eastern line, spoke to a
meeting of the incumbent, &c., of St. Mary's Church, Lambeth, at
which the pulling down of the church was assented to. Witness
had received a letter from the incumbent to the same effect as the
resolution at the meeting. Being cross.examined by Mr. Wrangham,
the witness said that he was aware that the incumbent's consent
was not sufficient, but that the Bishop's consent had been indi-
rectly given.

The CHAIRMAN then said that he had a proposition to make
which he thought would save time if assented to by the parties.
He proposed that the examination of witnesses concerning

the South-Eastern and North Kent lines should be concluded
before any further evidence against the London and Croydon line
was given. The Committee might then express an opinion in
favour of one of these lines, and the case against the Croydon line
might be carried on by that one.
Mr. MERREWETHER declined giving any opinion during the
absence of Mr. Cockburn and Mr. Alexander.

Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr. Wilmore assented to the
Chairman's proposition.

The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at 12 o'clock.

GROUP GG.
GLASGOW =NOTION RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

Clauses 22, 25, 26, and 27, which referred to the laying of rails
upon the quay, were objected to by Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD, but
they were also passed with some verbal amendments.
Clauses were added to protect the Garnkirk and Coatbridge Rail-
way, and the Bill was then ordered to be reported to the House.

The Committee then went on to consider the
BARRHEAD BRANCH OF THE GLASGOW,

ILIMIKARNOCIE, AND AYE MINE.

Mr. TALBOT opened the case for the promoters. The Learned
Counsel described Barthead as a place of some importance in point
of manufactures, and numbered 5,000 inhabitants. The line
would open up the district by giving a communication with Glas-
gow, Paisley, Greenock, and many other places of great population
and considerable goods traffic. The Learned Counsel concluded a
very able address by calling upon the Committee to deal with the
preamble of the Bill in accordance with the evidence which he
would adduce.

The Committee, at the conclusion of the opening address, ad-
journed till twelve o'clock to-morrow.

GROUP K.

EAST DEREHAIK AND NORWICH DIRECT
RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
- - -

Mr. CALVERT informed the Committee that the promoters for
whom he appeared had entered into an agreement with the Eastern
Union Extension Company to work their joint trains in conjunc-
tion, in the event of Parliament sanctioning their railway.
Mr. Locke, on behalf of the East Dereham and Norwich Direct
line, confirmed the evidence of Mr. Gravit as to 'the cost of con-
struction.

This having closed the case on behalf of the direct line.

Mr. CALVERT addressed the Committee on the evidence adduced
in favour of the Dereham and Norwich direct, and applied him-
self more particularly to the difference of time and cost between
it and the line via Derehsm. The distance travelled by the latter,
exceeding that required on the former, was at least seven miles;
and eight stations, entailing a delay of at least 50 minutes, were either
to be stopped at, or the traffic anticipated at them wholly given
up. His Learned Friend had denied that the fares would be higher
on the line he represented, and had cited the maximum clause
as an effectual precaution against high tolls. But the
Board of Trade required on a line returning 10 per
cent, a diminution of its tolls. The direct line would
unquestionably within a short period return at least that amount,
but the additional cost of working the line seven miles longer
would at once prevent its ever attaining the requisite per centage,
and its ever lowering its toll. The traffic at present passing be-
tween Norwich and Manchester would be diverted into channels
wholly unconnected with the former ; Yarmouth would obtain
a large proportion of it, and the town which the line affected
to benefit would be materially, if not ruinously, injured.
Upwards of 22,0001. of the money subscribed for the circuitous
route was, independent of the purchase of acreage necessary for
its construction, to be spent among the landowners for the interest
of the good-will. Such a waste of capital was wholly uncalled for,
and while unprecedented by any line previous or contemporaneous,
was unsought by the projectors of the Direct Railway. His
Learned Friend appeared to rely considerably upon the advantage
accruing to Wyndham by facilities of communication, while the
town of Norwich had been virtually disregarded. Did that dis.
trict, however, require no accommodation ? Was its progress so
rapid, and its prosperity so palpable as not to need an increase? Let
the population tables of the years 1831 and 1841 attest the accuracy
of such a proposition. The census returns of the former year
gave a population of 60,000, and of the latter, 67,000 inhabi-
tants, a bare increase of 6 per cent. in ten years ; while, in the
preceding period, he found the increase had been more than 21
per cent. Such a circumstance was a remarkable and undeniable proof
of the comparative declining state of a town, which, from its central
position, might, but for want of more ready railway communication,
have been expected of unusual prosperity. Thegradients of the direct
line were far inferior to its rival; the site of the termini presented
similar advantages, and considering the propositions of the two
lines in every particular, he contended there was not one on which
the Committee were not warranted in giving preference to the
direct.

The Learned Counsel having concluded his address, the Commit-
,ee adjourned at half-past four till to.morrow.

GROUP L.
PORTSMOUTH ATMOSPHERIC LINE.

The evidence of Mr. Stephenson (continued from our Afternoon
Edition of yesterday)—This would be just in proportion to the length
of the line, and, as on the Dalkey line, this opposition, combined
with the leakage, bad created the anomaly of which he had spoken,
so it had impeded the velocity. But just in proportion as the train ap-
proached the engine the velocity was increased, and as it advanced
from the engine the velocity was diminished, so that there would
be a loss of power, and on the Dalkey line he believed that they
had attained the maximum, and the consequence would be that as
the pipe was increased in length the velocity would be reduced.
He had made no allowance for momentum, for in the experiments
the effect of it entirely disappeared. From Mr. Hawkesley's for.
mula it appeared the train could not be moved at all after six or