The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-28 00:00:00

the danger of level crossing. On the London and Manchester Rail-
way, on a distance of 33 miles, there were no less than thirteen
crossings on a level; and yet, though one of the most frequented
lines in the kingdom, not a single accident had occurred since its
opening.

Mr. Braithwaite, under cross-examination by Mr. Kamm/sox,
stated that 40 per cent., as mentioned in their Bill, would be amply
sufficient for the working of the line, including the expense of
keeping Watchmen on the occupation and level crossings. The pur-
chase of land had been taken at 5801. per cent., including 50 per
cent. for severance and 50 per cent. for contingencies, The land
on the Eastern Counties Railway cost upwards of one million ster-
•ing, or as much as the entire purchase was on the London and
Birmingham line.
Mr. Page, lessee of the tolls at the Paper-mills-gate, near Cam-
bridge, deposed to the traffic passing the gates annually to Bury,
deducing thence the probable amount falling on the line.
Mr. John Decke, the post-master, bookseller, auctioneer, ap.
praiser, land-agent, proprietor of s• age-coaches, and an ex-mayor
of Bury (!), bore testimony, in turn, to the importance of the pro.
ieeted line to each and every branch of his varied business.
Mr. Muskett, the steward of the Duke of Norfolk's property in
the county from which his title is derived, expressed his opinion
of the importance of the line between Cambriege and Bury, as
affording a link in the communication with Ipswich and the exten.
sive manufacturing districts contiguous. A produce of 45,000
quarters of barley finds its way into Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire,
and Bedfordshire annually ; and a merchant had informed him that
he alone would send 20,000 quarters of this amount on the line
to Cambridge, if constructed.

Mr. Kitchener, a solicitor of Newmarket, stated the feeling of
that town to be decidedly in favour of the line. The parishes from
Mi.ken Hal in the north, to Lidgate in the south, which the rail_
Way would accommodate, are 67 in number, with a population of
22,520 exclusive, and 76,531 inclusive, of the termini—the
population of Cambridge being 24,453, and of Bury 12,558.
Mr. RawLuvsow affirmed that the line actually went through no
More than a population of 10,900, and in that statement the Board
of Trade concurred.

Mr. Pare, the traffic taker, stated the capital subscribed for was
named at 330,0001.: the gross revenue anticipated on the line was
29,602/. Is. 4d., deduct 11,840/. 16s. 4d., for working the line, and
a net annual return of 17,751/. 55., giving a dividend of 5 1-3 on the
stibscribed captital. The amounts had been obtained by anticipating
4,429./. ss. 4d. passengers by stage coaches, 2,524/. from travellers
by cost and private carriages, 4,6401. from grain, coal, and general
anerchandize, 1,3751. from live stock, and other smaller items,
leaving a total of passenger traffic returns of 11,1531. 10s. Bd., or
doubled, for increased accommodation, 22,307/. I s. 4d., and the goods
traffic making up the total of 29,602/. as the gross receipts on the
line.

Under cross-examination by Mr. ORDEN, Mr. Pare explained
the mode he had adopted for finding the details of traffic and
Passenger transit on the line, the system being the same as that
repeatedly described by the witness of placing parties at different
portions of the line to observe the number of persons travelling
over the route, and then doubled or halved according to a scale
applied to the circumstances of the district.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till noon on Monday.

GROUP L.
This being the day the decision was to be given upon the
several lines comprised in the Portsmouth group, a large number
of the promoters of the several lines was present at one o'clock,
the hour appointed for the sitting of the Committee, when shortly
after the room was cleared, and, after a deliberation of about two
hours,

The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee had desh est
him to state that they had decided that so much of the Bill for the
curia:mow), CHICHESTER, AND PORTS..