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

COMMITTEE ON UNOPPOSED BILLS.

The Committee on unopposed Billsmet this day at three o'clock,
Lord Shaftesbury in the chair.

The following Bills were taken up and declared to have passed
through Committee :—The Brighton, Lewes, and Hastings Rail-
way, and the Eastern Counties Railway (Ely to Whittlesea De-
viation).

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP A.
SOUTH-EASTERN (DOVER) LINE.

This morning the Committee resumed the consideration of the
above line at the usual hour. The first witness called was—

Mr. Thomas L. Gooch, engineer, and assistant to Mr. Stephenson
as engineer to the South-Eastern line, who gave evidence against the
North Kent and in favour of the South-Eastern line, both of
which he had examined. The latter would give greater accommo-
dation to the mass of metropolitan travellers to and from the town
of Woolwich. He was quite satisfied of the insufficiency of
Mr. Vignolles' estimates, which were too small by more than
700,0001., no less than 1,960,0001. being required, instead of
1,200,0001.
Mr. Sergeant SHEA then cross-examined the witness as to the
number of level crossings on the South-Eastern line. These, it ap-
peared, were much more numerous than on the North Kent. There
was great danger of accidents where a railway crossed a highway on
a level; but careful watching would tend greatly to remove the
danger. OR the Manchester and Leeds line there was a level
crossing which was watched night and day by a man and his wife,
who were paid about fifty pounds per annum. At this place, he
believed, one accident, with loss of life, had occurred, but he had
not heard of any others. Such accidents hal happened on other
railways, but they were very few.

Being cross examined by Mr. MELLOR, the witness stated that
he helie:•ed there was no 1..wel crossing over a public road.
Being re.examirntAl by Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. Gooch said that
there was no level crossing on the Souih-Eastern line so dangerous
as that on the North Kent line at Faversham, as none crossed such
cr )wded 'horoughfares 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 WeaNrunam, the
witness said that he did not think there was at present any danger
to be apprehended from level crossings.
Mr. COCISRUISS 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 Com.
pang 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 13 feet ; over this there must be
1% ft. of brickwork, and over this 41/a 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 deviatioia 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 Wrong! am.
Mr. Sergeant Wa..alloitam 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
earthwlrk 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 Wraagham, and that he had a right to be heard before
the Committee gave their decision.
The CH 1111N1 kx said that the Committee were satisfied, and de-
cided against Mr. Cockburn's objection.

Mr. COCKBURN insisted on his right to be keard in answer to
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee were at liberty to de-
cide the question at whatever time they pleased.
Mr. COCKBURN submitted t• 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. CocKnuaN replied that he wished it to be understood that he
thought so.
Colonel Dancey, Royal Artillery, was then called and ex-
amined by Mr. MERREIVETUER as to the danger to be apprehended
from the crossing of Messrs. Hall's powder district by the pro-
posed North Kent line.
Mr. Chinon, land valuer, was then examined by Mr. MsaaE-
WETIIER 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., an the proposed
North Kent line.
Mr. Rodger:, architect and surveyor, spoke to the accuracy of
the estimates of the South. Eastern

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 rec,ived a letter from the incumbent to the same effect as the
resolution at the meeting.
_Being cross.examinal by 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.
Tne 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. INIEHREWETHEA 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 F.
BIZIIVEZ-LTGETAIVI AND GLOUCESTER RAIL-
WAY wortcEsTr.rs ERANCU AND CHEL-
T=Tri.,'lrri EXTENSION).
This Committee met to.day at twelve o'clock; present the Right
Hon. J. Shaw, Chairman, Mr. V. Stewart. Mr. Drummond, Mr.
Lockhart, and Mr. Branston.
Mr. WIIArCI,EY appeared for the Bill, and asked for permission
to proceed with the case in its behalf. An engagement
had been entered into by the Birmingham and Glou-
cester Company to the Cheltenham and Worcester people, that
as soon as they were called on they would construct these branches.
They had now been requested to fulfil that pledge, and he, there.
fore, prayed that the consideration of the Bill be proceeded with.
The application was opposed by Mr. Calves on behalf of the
Great Western Company, on the grounds that {:roper notice had
not been given of the intention to proceed, and also that a decision
had been given in favour of the Great Western Branch on the
broad gauge, which would interfere with any decision that the
Committee could at present come to.
After some desultory conversation, it was suggested by the Chair.
man that the further consideration of the Biil had better be post.
poned till such time as an opinion on the main question (referring
to the debate on the Oxford and Rugby—broad gauge—Bill) had
been given in another quarter.

This suggestion was acceded to, and an adjournment took place,
by mutual consent, of the Committee till this day (lhursday; week,
at one o'clock.

GROUP GG.
GLASGOW JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The Committee reassembled this morning and proceeded to con-
sider the clauses on so much of the Bill as still remains after the
decisions of yesterday.
Before entering ora their consideration, however,
Mr. Sergeant WRINGIIAM took an objection to an allegation in
the preamble, namely, that the consent of the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow Railway had been to the formation of the branch line to the
harbour.

A Glasgow paper was put in to show that a meeting of directors
and and shareholders in that Company had taken place, and that
sanction of a majority of those present had then been received.
This fact was corroborated by a letter received by 31r. Miller from
the secretary of the said Company.
The Committee passed the preamble in consequence,
and many
of the clauses were agreed to without opposition.
Clauses 22, .3, 26, and 27, which referred to the laying of rails
upon the quay, were objected to by Mr. Sergeant TaLrouno, but
they were also passed with some verbal amendments.
Clauses were added to Protect the Garnktrk and Coatbridgelßail-
way, and the lii I was then ordered to be reported to the House.
The Committee then went on to consider the
Etrita2l-1%141Z 311.11,1CCH or TIIE GLASG•OI.I7,
XX.LICIZA32ATO:.:IE, AND AYR LINE.
Mr. TALBOT opened the case for the promoters. The Learned
Counsel described Bari head 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 paces of great population
and con-iderable goods traffic. The Learned Coui;sel concluded a
very able address by calling upon the Committee to deal with the
preambl: of the Bill in accordance with the evidence which he.
would adduce.
Tile Committee, at the conclusion of toe opening address, ad-
journed till twelve o'clock to-morrow.