The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-20 00:00:00

DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA RAILWAY.

This is an unopposed line, and is a branch proposed to be con-
structed from the main trunk of the Dublin and Drogheda Rail.
way to the port of Howth, near Dublin.
Mr. AUSTIN appeared for the prcmoters of the Bill, and briefly
stated di e case.

(The Solicitor of the Company was under examination when our
report left.)

Group F.

LONDON, WORCESTER, AND SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE

RAILWAYS.

The Committee on these lines met at the usual hour this morn-
ing, when the cross-examination of Mr. Stephenson, C.E., was
resumed by Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., who represented the Great
Western Company. That witness deposed that the district through
which the lines would pass were of great mineral wealth, com-
prising vast coal fields and Large quantities of iron-stone; twelve
furnaces were in the immediate vicinity of the line, at present
yielding considerable amount of metal for local and distant con-
sumption. South of the country, called the Blue District, the
coal and iron mines were of even greater importance, affording
reciprocal benefits to each other, but he could not say in what pro-
portion they would be mutually assisted. To get to Stour-bridge,
the London and Birmingham line would make a detour of twelve
miles, and a branch of 41 miles in length would be also necessary
to complete the communication to that place. The coal fields in
the district chiefly belonged to Lord Ward; but in surveying and
laying out the line he had not been influenced by any con'idera.
lions connected with that nobleman. He had held frequent con-
ferences with Lord Ward and Mr. Smith, his agent, on the sub-
ject of the projected railway, but denied being actuated by either
one or the other, his motive had been to select the most easy and
advantageous route, and that course he had pursued independent
of all private considerations. There were three collieries at or
near the points of the Dudley Junction, besides the Buffery and
other large iron-works. The tunnel at that point, as at present
projected, would be 2,600 yards in length, and thence the line
running along the Dudley Canal would connect these numerous
iron.works with the extensive coal.flelds located on its course.
Their line would join the Avon at the crossing of the
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway; and in its course
between Worcester and Oxford, the London and Birmingham
was certainly inferior to the Great Western. The distance on the
former would be' 63, and on the latter only 59 miles. Between
Evesham and Oxford, passing Morton-in-the-Marsh as the centre,
and describing a circle with a radius of ten miles, a population of
45,625 would be embraced.
(I.Ers"

Group N.
WEST CORNWALL RAILWAY.

The examination of Captain Moorsom, the engineer to the rail-
way, was resumed by Mr. Rowe, who appeared on behalf of Mr.
Thomas, a petitioner against the Bill. He was about to be exa-
mined with respect to that portion of the Hayle Railway between
ltedruth and Trevascus, seven miles in length, which is proposed
to be made an integral part of the line. • He stated—when
Mr. AUSTIN renewed the offer he made on the day when the
Committee adjourned for the holidays—to construct the line off the
petitioner's property, and 0 leave his name out of the schedule.
Had the Committee no power to stop the opposition of Mr. Thomas
after such a proposition ? By the mode he was adopting the pro-
moters of the Bill were put to great expense.

The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Macaulay) thought that if Mr. Thomas in-
tended to persevere, they had no power to prevent him.
After some conversation, in which Mr. Rows stated that it was
the intention of the petitioner to persevere in his opposition to the
Bill, and that he proposed to show that the) could not lay down
the broad gauge on the public roads across which the railway ran.
without an Act of Parliament,
Captain Moorsorn was again called, and was under examination
when our report left.