The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-15 00:00:00

SCOTTISH MIDLAND RAILWAY.

On the re-assembling of the Committee this morning, at eleven
o'clock, -
Mr. ANDREWS proceeded to address them on behalf of the op.
posing landowner. The Learned Counsel quoted several extracts
from the report of the Board of Trade, from which it appeared that
the coast line was not an inferior line to that before the Corn.
rnittee, but that the stoppages on it were objectionable. The
question of the proposed Line, looking simply at its merits, divided
Itself into two parts. First, into the through traffic, and then into
the question of the local traffic. The subject of the traffic going
north and south was a mere question of saving, in point of time, of
about five minutes as compared with the coast-line; and looking
at the greater amount of public accommodation which the latter line
would afford, it was most unquestionably the preferable of the two.
With respect to the local traffic, he contended that the amount
had been overrated to the extent of 20,0001.; that the periods of
the year which had been selected for the computation of the tables
were most unfair, and that the small requirements of the district
which the line traversed did not justify the damage and
nuisance which it would occasion to the owners of
the eight miles of land who were opposing the Bill.
He contended also that the passenger traffic, which had been put
down as being derived from Cargill, .Arbroath, and other places,
could not, in point of fact, be properly included. These were
matters which their Lordships ought to consider well before they
came to any decision on the subjeet. With regard to the goods
traffic frora Forfar to Dundee there had not been one particle
of evidence to show that it would go by the railway, and
the probability was that it would continue to be conveyed along
the road by which it had always been sent. The same observa-
tions would apply to the traffic in stone, wood, and other similar
articles. The items in the coal and lime tables had been greatly
exaggerated : credit had been taken for 26,000 tons out of 40,000
tons from mere guess and prospective notions. There would be
as great a competition in the sale of coals from the Dundee market
in Glamis and other points of the proposed line as there
would be In the coal coming from Forfar, which place
had been set forth as the point of concentration, where all
competition would end. The grand dept for their cattle traffic
was at Brechin. That point could be settled in a few words. A
railway already existed for the conveyance of the cattle from Brechin
to the south. The same observation applied to all the traffic except
the intermediate cattle traffic, but then it was absurd to suppose that
h ese cattle would be driven four or five miles for the purpnse of merely
travelling a few miles by railway. He contended that it was the
du y of the promoters to lay before the Committee that clear and
_cogent evidence that its authenticity could not be doubted. The
cause. however, was that their tables had been constructed on in.-
correct data, and consequently could not be relied on.
Mr. Stocks, who was examined for the opposition, spoke gene-
rally as to the traffic to Perth, which he said he should prefer
sending in carts as at present, rather than by the proposed railway,
owing to the distance. They carried potatoes to Perth, and
brought back coals. The price of the Glengarry coal, at Perth,
was 14s. per ton, and English coal, of an inferior quality, might
be obtained at 12s. per ton. He never saw any cattle coming east.
ward from the Forfar market. Cargill was almost entirely an
agricultural village, and certainly not one-third of the population
were engaged in cotton spinning. He thought the tables were
generally very incorrect and extravagant. He had conversed with
all the farmers between Kinclaven and Perth, and the majority of
them were adverse to the proposed line. He was not aware of any
petitions being presented in favour of it. For his own part, he
thought it would never answer.
Mr. Isaac M'Cray, coach contractor at Aberdeen, was next ex.
amined. He said he was nearly the largest contractor in Scotland,
and usually kept from 200 to 250 horses. He considered that the
main line of communication between Dundee, Perth, Arbroath, and
Mootrose would be by means of the coast lines, and not through
Strathmore. The coach traffic in the tables had been generally
overstated. The proposed line was not, in his opinion, necessary
for the convenience of the district, as the points of distance were
very short, and were easily travelled by coaches.

. .
The witness was subject to a short cross.examination by Mr. Hors
without materially altering his statements, and

The Committee adjourned till to-morrow at eleven.

WEAR VALLEY RAILWAY.

The Committee to whom this line was referred met today, at
eleven o'clock, in No. 6, Abingdon.strcet. Present, Lord Bexley,
Chairman, the Bishop of Ely, Lord Charlemont, Lord Lyttleton,
and the Earl of Delawarr.

Mr. Sergeant Bellassis, with whom was Mr. Talbot, appeared
for the promoters, and Messrs. Austin and Slade for the land-
owners who opposed the Bill.
Mr. Sergeant BELLssis opened the case. He proceeded at great
length to detail the object of the Bill, which was to connect the
Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway, with Frostaley, and also a
branch terminating at or near Bishopley Crag in Stanhope, in
Weardale, in the county of Durham. After detailing the ad-
vantages which would result to the public by the construction of
the line, he alluded to the engineering works, which he said were
all easy, and presented no difficulties whatever. He concluded a
very minute statement of the case (all of which we have already
reported very fully when it was under consideration before the
Committee of the House of Commons) by assuring their Lord.
ships that the projectors of the line had no wish to take the pro-
perty of any of the landowners on the line without giving them
ample compensation for it.
The usual evidence about traffic, and the cost of the line was
then about to be submitted, when, after a short consultation be.
tween opposing counsel and the landowners,
Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS announced to the Committee, that an
arrangement had been come to with the landowners, which
would probably save the Committee further trouble. The nature
of the arrangement was, that he would give an assurance on the
part of the promoters, that if the landowners permitted the
passing of the Bill,.they tthe promoters) would not impede any
scheme which might be brought forward at a future time, and which
running east and west, would afford a communication with the sea.
This he was prepared to do.

Their Lordships then adjourned till half.past four o'clock, to
afford time for drawing up a legal agreement to that effect.
The agreement was then ratified.

A clause was also added, requiring the assent of the patron, in-
cumbent, and bishop, in case of a new site and bui!ding being re.
quired in consequence of this Act. The clauses were then read
ever, which, with some verbal amendments, were agreed to, and
the Committee broke up.

SELECT COIVIVIITTEE ON UNOPPOSED
PRIVATE BILLS.
The Earl of Shaftesbury sat this afternoon as Chairman of the
Select Committee on unopposed private Bills.

THE Pnr STON AND WYRE RAILWAY WELL
passed through Committee.

THE LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN
RAILWAY BILL

was adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS•
GROUP X.
DIRECT NORTHERN LINE-PARRINGDON-

STREET EXTSNSZON•
IMPORTANT DECISION.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Donaldson, an architect, examined by Mr. WensTen—De-
posed to the accuracy of an engraving and a survey of the site and
approach to the Tottenham and Farringdon-street Extension Rail-
way London terminus, and described the various localities as indi-
cated on the plans; but the evidence would be wholly unintelligible
apart from the representations it explains.
Mr. Fuller, examined by Mr. %Venom', deposed to having
surveyed the laud with Mr. Donaldson's valuation, and proved its
accuracy in every respect.