The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-02 00:00:00

Tlll4 Y LON'I3

of the whole of them would be interfered with by the
proposed railway. The quantity of coal carried by the Somerset-
shire Canal in 1843, was 128,000 tons, and in 1644 it was
124,000 ons, but he was unable to say what was the cumulative
amount of toll received, but it did not amount to 10,0001. in either

year.
On his cross• examination by Mr. SLYHEAD, Mr. Carpenter
confirmed his previous evidence as to dividends paid on the
capital. The distance of Trowbridge from the line of water con-
veyance was about, or within, two miles, which had to be carried by
horse and cart, the whole weight conveyed by such means being
about four tons, and the cost was about Is. a ton for carriage and
turnpikes. There were no means of water conveyance
to the south, though there might be towards the west,
by the Kennet and Avon Canal into the river Avon.
There had been no stoppage that he recollected by drought, though
there had been by frost, although he had not known any scarcity 0:
coal occasioned by the stoppage of the canal.
To the Chairman :Mr. Carpenter stated that there were no
intermediate stations for depots of coal, but there was
ample opportunity for forming a depot at Bradford. The
largest quantity of coal ever carried by the canal
was 162,000 tons, in 1841, the excess above the following year
being occasioned by the demands of the Great Western Railway.
If the demand for coal from Dorsetshire and the adjoining district
were to be largely increased, the canal could carry double the quantity
carried in the year of which he had spoken. He thought that
Is. a ton would be an excessive charge for lifting coals from the barges
on the canal to the railway carriages. The way of getting to Yee's il
would be by the canals to Trowbridge, thence by railway to Frome,
and if the railway were formed, the coals would be carried direct
from Radstock by rail. It appeared by Mr. Entwistle's inquiries,
that the extra expenses of keeping the conveyance would be made
out thus-1 s. 9d. from Radstock to Bradford, 9d. for transhipment,
plus the charge direct from Radstock to Frome, which was only
half the distance. The freight and the quayage and lockage had to
be added to this, the freight being about 9d. a ton.
To the inquiries of Mr. YoRKE, the witness stated that the
price of coals at Bradford would reach to 18s. a ton, though he
could not assert that it would not exceed that price, During the
last year the canal had never been stopped by drought.
To an inquiry by Mr. ENTWISLR—The carriage of coal by rail
from Radstock to Trowbridge would be Is. to Is. 4d. a ton. This
closed the case of the Somersetshire Canal Company.
Mr. WHATELEY was about to open the cases of Dr. Brabant and
Mr. Hughes, but during the conversation which ensued between
him and Mr. Slyhead, who appeared for the promoters of the
railway,
Mr. MERREWETRER announced that the opposition of the Melk-
sham-road Commissioners had been withdrawn, and that the Corn.
nsissioners felt bound to state their sense of the very handsome
naanner in which the Railway Company had obviated their oppo-
sition.
The opposition of Dr. Brabant and Mr. Hughes was ie.so
withdrawn.
Mr. Fuller was a witness nn behalf of Mr. Ainstey, of De.
vizea, whose kitchen-garden would be destroyed by the railway.
He considered the ln.use would be entirely spoiled by the
railway. He had marked out another line less difficult of
construction by which the house would be altogether avoided. By
the adoption of this line another station might be made, in which
the disadvantage of the elevation of the town of Devizes, and above
the Bear Field, where the terminus was at present proposed to be,
would be lessened, and the alteration was quite within the power
of deviation, and the ascent would not be so steep as in several
places on the road between Devizes and Chippenharn. This
would be a convenience of 13U or 140 yards in distance to the town,
and save a great destruction of property, and all the embankment.
The room having been cleared, on the re.admission of strangers—
The CHAIRMAN declared the preamble proved, but the Com-
mittee hoped that the Company would give Mr. Ainstey ample corn •
pensation for the invasion of his property and comfort, and they
thought that it would be only wise to do so as several noblemen and
gentlemen of great influence had succeeded in introducing clauses
which protected their properties in subsequent stages of Bills.
This was readily promised by the company, and the Committee
proceeded to the consideration of the clauses of the Bill, which
were all passed, but the solicitor of the line having stated that
there were other clauses which were not yet quite ready for the
consideration of the Committee, the report was deferred until
Monday.

Sub-Committee No. 2.
This Committee r e.assembled at Twelve o'clock, in room No. 7 ;
present Sir John i a rde Buller, Chairman, the O'Connor Don,
Mr. Deedes,W. e , and Mr. Legh.

The firstz ti,•• d on was
THE GOOLE AND DONCASTER RAILWAY.
This ne of railway is to be from Doncaster to the Port of
Goole, in connexion with the Swinton and Lincoln lire at Don-
caster, connecting the tc's•n of Sheffield, as well as the Midland
districts traversed by the Midland Railways and the Sheffield and
Manchester Railwa)s, and the Silkstone and Worshorough coal-

field.:, with the above.named port. Length of line IS miles

estimated cost 280,000/ Engineers, George Leather and Son.
Mr. ELLICOM OE appeared for the promoters of the line
Petitions were presented front the following gentlemen against
the promoters : .

The Proprietors of the Navigation of the River Doti—Agen,

Mr Sheppard.
From Mr. Robert Baster, landed proprietor Agent, Mr. Pukes.
From Messrs. Knight and Jones, landed proprietors—Agent, Mr.
Lang. _ _ _ .

There was also a petition from a Mr. John Fordon, but no agent
appearing on his behalf, the petition falls to the ground.
The formal notices having been proved,
Mr. SiIEPPAIII) on behalf of the proprietors of the River Don,
submitted the first allegation in the petition.
The allegation was, that the notices which appeared in the
Gazette and newspapers were insufficient for the objects of the
present Bill, inasmuch as the original notices were for application
to Parliament for a line of railway of 32 miles in length, whereas
they had since abandoned nearly one half the works, and their
Bill now asked but fur power to make a I:ne of 18 miles.
Mr. ELLiCoMBE maintained that the notices were good, Inasmuch
as they had not taken any new districts by the present Bill, and the
notices in the Gazette had provided for the owners and occupiers
of the prn. erty to be affecte.l.
Mr. SIIEPPARI, contended that the notices were informal. He
would refer the Committee to the precedent in the case of the Direct
Northern Railway, which was thrown out of the Standing Orders'
Committee, principally through their having abandoned the greater
part of their line. There was another case in point, that of the
Wells and Dereham, which was also thrown out ; and the promoters
of that line had only abandoned a very small portion of their works.
Ihe room was then cleared, and, after some deliberation, the
parties were called in, and informed by the CH•IRMAN that the
standing orders in that instance had not been complied with.
The next allegation was, that tt c promoters proposed in their
Bill to let on lease part of their works to the Midland Railway
Company, whereas the notices issued did not mention that fact;
and that this was asking for powers not only for themselves but for
the Midland Company to add to their existing works.

The room was cleared, and upon return,
The CIi&IRHAN said, that in this instance the standing orders

had .'it been complied with.
A few trifling allegations were then sustained, on the ground
of insufficiency of notice to certain owners and occupiers of pro.
perty on the proposed line.
This closed the petition for the proprietors of the River Don
navigation.
Mr. COATES submitted the several allegations in the petition of
Mr. Baxter. The only one worthy of notice was that against the
subscription contract. The allegation complained that some of
the partici signing the contract were not sufficiently bound to
carry out the powers of their Bill.
The Committee overruled t he objection.
Several minor allegations were sustained, but a large proportion
were disallowed.
Mr. Lang appeared on the petition of Messrs. Knight and Jones.
The petition contained numerous allegations against the books of
reference and plans and sections, several of which were sustained,
but the greater number overruled.
The CHAIRMAN said that in the case of the Goole and Doncaster
Railway the standing orders had not been complied with in many
instances.
The Committee rose at four o'clock.
It is understood that the Great Western Railway (Ireland)—
Dublin to Mullingar and Athlone, will be the first case taken by
the Sub-Committee to-morrow. There are 3,000 allegations in the
petition against the scheme, and the inquiry is expected to last
some days.

Group 0.
GRAND JUNCTION POTTERIES LINE.

The Committee having met at the usual hour,
The CH AIRM AN, in reference to the point which had been urged
yesterday by Mr. Macaulay, of being allowed to give evidence on
the part of certain landowners in the Pottery districts, with respect
to the schemes of railway for those districts, said that he had con-
sulted members of great experience upon the subject, and their
opinion was, that Counsel on behalf of the landowners might be
allowed to give general evidence in reference to those schemes.
Mr. Copeland, M.P. for Stoke-upon-Trent, examined—l was one
of the promoters of a railway scheme for the Potteries, with a
view of having a communication towards London and Liverpool.
I attended the meeting of the 18th of October. There were per-
sons attending on behalf of several railway companies. After
hearing the various lines di:cussed, and the opinions of
my constituents, I advocated the line from Rugby by
Rugely and Stone to Crewe. I think the line to
Bassford inconsistent with the hne I have just mentioned. The
general opinion was in favour of the Birkenhead. The line to
Eossford would not be listened to for a moment. I always op.
posed the line from Bassford to Stoke. I presented a memorial
to Earl Dalhousie against the line proposed by the Grand June.
lion Company. The preamble of the Bill for the line which
I preferred was passed by a Committee of the House
of Commons, after being sixty.fonr days before them.
It was not followed up on account of the lateness of the session and

the great expense which it would occasion. The line which
ads ocated was a line from Manchester to London through the
Potteries. The Churnet Valk), line were defeated on the Stand.
ing Grders. They still intend to come to Parliament for their line.
Cross examined by Mr. Cocautiax—We intend to propose, as
part of the Churnet Valley scheme, a line from Macclesfield by Leek
and Toxeter, to join the Derby Junction line at Willington.
The line between stoke and Leek is also to stand. There is also a
line proposed from Leek to Congleton. There is to be a double
line frown Leek to Stoke and from Congleton to Stoke. We pro_
pose to carry the line from Stoke to Rugely, and to run on to the
Trent Valley line. Ido not know if the line from Stoke to Staf-
ford is altogether abandoned. I was a director of the Trent
Valley line. I did not cease to be a director of that line
with a view to the promotion of the present scheme. I ceased
to be a director, because some arrangements were made
with the Birmingham and London Company for leasing the Trent
Valley line, of which I was kept in ignorance, and therefore
thought that my services were no longer necessary. It is part of
our scheme to make a line from Stoke to Crewe by Harecastle.
A tunnel should be cut through Harecastle. I cannot say what
the expense might be. We were always led to believe that the
Grand Junction Company would make a line from Stoke
to Crewe. Mr. Kinnersly is a petitioner against the
present scheme. I heard that he was offered 30,0001.
to buy off his opposition in 1637. That appeared before the Corn.
mittce of which I was a member. Mr. Kinnersly was in favour of
the proposed scheme, but his opinion is changed. He thinks that
our scheme will be of more benefit to the Potteries. The object
of the (hornet Valley line was to give the Potteries accommodation
by a branch from Leek to Stoke. I intend to be a considerable
shareholder in our present project. The shares are not yet allotted.
The entire capital is paid up. The Trent Valley are to take an interest
of 300,0001. The Churnet Valley are to have 1,300,000'., and
130,000/. are reserved for local interests. The direction was to be
composed of seven directors for the Churnet Valley, two for the
Trent Valley, and six to represent the Potteries. I am not aware
that the Churnet Valley is in the hands of the London and Bir.
mingham Company. It is perfectly unknown to me if it be so. I
understood that there were some arrangements made with the
Churnet Valley for leasing the line, in the way of an amalgamation
of interests.
Alderman Copeland was then examined at great length with
regard to statements he made at meetings, wishing for a line to
Crewe to be made by the Grand Junction Railway.
The Committee, after hearing other evidence of a similar descrip.
ion, adjourned till to.morrow.

SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAILWAY.
Group D D.
The Committee re-assembled this morning at twelve, and imme-
diately after proceeded to business.
The examination of witnesses was resumed by
Mr. Sergeant WItANGH•NI calling Mr. Smith, agriculturist and
civil engineer, who stated that he had been employed in his capacity
of engineer in var tout parts of the kingdom, and was well acquainted
with the country through which the railway is proposed to be
carried. The route taken by the Central Railway was the best
stirltet coal fields
te
trunk line that could be found, and in his opinion would realise a
considerable income to its promoters, on account of the large pas-
senger towns of
Glasgow,
supply Perth,
Bannockburn
the country north of Perth with coal ; and the consumption of these
all
Stirling, an
andd other
Dundee.
traffic
The 1i w
would be greatly increased by the soaking of a railway, as it would fa-
cilitate their conveyance. Peat is usually • •
Inant now districts