The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-10 00:00:00

GROUP R.

NEWRY AND ENNISKILLEN ILAXLWAY.
The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock, Mr. Gib-
son Craig, chairman, when the examination of evidence on behalf
of the Newry and Enniskillen line was resumed.

Lord Lurgan deposed as to the trade between Armagh and
Newry. The trade was very considerable, and likely to increase,
were this railway formed. The feeling was generally in favour of
this line.

Sir John Rennie, civil engineer, gave evidence as to the survey
ing of the line, which he executed in October last at the desire of
the Company. The line was 71 miles 55 chains long. The
distance from Newry and Armagh was 234- miles. Three
miles of this portion of the line had a gradient of I
in 81. The severest of the remaining gradients were lin 102,
lin 150, and I in 140, respectively. The other gradients were
of a very slight character. The gradient of 1 in 81 was near to
the Armagh station, and would not at all interfere with the swift
progress of the trains. If at any time there was a heavy train
passing, from the proximity of the station an extra engine could
easily be got. There were much less gradients worked by locomo-
tives. One on the Gloucester and Birmingham of two miles in
length was 1 in 37, and the inclined plane at the Euston station
of the London and Birmingham was 1 in 63. The deepest
cutting was 75 feet. There was only one tunnel on the whole line,
of 310 yards in length. There were no engineering difficulties ;
and the most expensive part of the line was between Newry and
Armagh, which he estimated at 15,5001. per mile. The whole
capital was 900,0001., which he considered amply sufficient for all
purposes. The line at the Newry terminus was only four feet
above the quay. The Belfast Junction was crossed about three
miles from Newry.

Mr. Bitown put in the traffic tables, from which it was estimated
that the annual receipts of the line would be 102,4891., which,
after deducting 33 per cent. for the working of the line, and inte-
rest on borrowed capital, would leave 61 per cent. on the capital of
the shareholders. This was taking the traffic at the very lowest
estimate. The portion of the line between Newry and Armagh
would yield at least S per cent.
This closed the evidence on behalf of the line.
At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. ALEXANDIR, on the part
of the Newry and Enniskillen Company, stated that, before going
further there was a difficulty to be overcome respecting the clauses
of their Bill regarding the formation of the joint railway from
Clones to Enniskillen. They objected to the clauses as drawn up
for insertion in the Dundalk and Enniskillen Bill, providing that
each Company should construct one-half of the line, and considered
it would be much better formed by a joint committee acting for both
companies.

➢lr. MURPHY, on behalf of the Dundalk and Enniskillen Corn-
pany, replied that the understanding between the two engineers
when the agreement was drawn up, was, that each company should
join 12 separate miles of the 24 miles from Clones to Enniskillen.
A joint committee he considered would lead to interminable diffi-
culties.

After a lengthened conversation,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the Committee were of opinion that
the 24 miles between Clones and Enniskillen would be best formed
by a combined committee, and they further considered that
the clauses to be proposed, in conformity with this arrange
ment, should be submitted to the Board of Trade previous to their
being brought before the Committee at their next meeting.
The Committee then adjourned till Wednesday, at the usual hour.

GROUP RR.
The Committee upon this group met this morning at one
o'clock, present Mr. E. Ellice, Chairman, Lord Norreys, Mr. \Var.
berton, Mr. Kemble, and Mr. Rice Clayton.
CHESTER AND BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY
EXTENSION TO THE NEW DOCKS AT
nIRICENZIEAD.
Mr. Prith, the Parliamentary agent, stated the case for the
promoters. The Bill was unopposed, and was intended to give
the Chester and Birkenhead Company additional powers, and to
enable them to extend their line to the New Docks at Birken.
head.
A witness was put into the box, who deposed as to the public
advantages that would attend the extension to the new docks.
The Committee at once decided that the preamble had been
proved.
The clauses were gone through, and passed, and the Bill ordered
to be reported.
Mr. L. LOWNDES, Q.C., opened the case for the promoters. The
line was intended to run from the Manchester and Liverpool Rail.
way to the Sheffield and Manchester Railway. The line would be
made on arches, and no buildings of any consequence would be
affected. The line would connect the rivers Mersey and Irwell
and the Bridgewater navigation. The railway was pro.
moted by the Manchester and Birmingham and Sheffield and Man.
chester Railway Companies and Lord F. Egerton.
The Committee, Mier short evidence as to traffic had been sub.
mitted, decided that the preamble had been proved.
The clauses were then passed, with the exception of that relating
to the tot's, which was postponed.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

GROUP SS.
THE EREWASH VALLEY Lnam.

The Select Committee re-assembled at the usual hour this morn-
ing, and proceeded with the general evidence in favour of the case
for the promoters of the Erewash Valley line.

Mr. John Wilson, a timber merchant, of A lfreton, whose exami-
nation in chief was taken on Friday, was this morning re-called
and cross-examined by Mr. MACAULAY, who appeared on behalf of
the Erewasb Canal Company, with the view of showing that the
water communication of the district was amply sufficient to accom-
modate the existing traffic, while the canal rates of charges were
much lower than those of the proposed railway.
Mr. Thomas Riley, agent to the Combination Coalowners of
Derbyshire, and a resident of Ilkeston, had taken an account of the
goods and stone passing over the Nottingham, Crawford, and Ere_
wash Canals for six days, between the 18th and 23g November last,
and had at the same time calculated the general traffic of the various
districts through which the proposed railway would pass. He
corroborated the testimony given last week, and put in a number of
papers showing the result of his calculations.

Mr. Pickering was recalled, and cross-examined upon these cal.
culations, but nothing of importance was elicited, The evislence
of the last witness he said was founded upon correct data, strictly
accurate, and ought, he thought, to be relied on.

Mr. William Haslup, a coalowner residing in the neighbour.
hood of Ilkeston, proved that he sold upwards of 10,775 tons of
coals, which he sent at present by canal, but he should prefer send-
ing them by railway if there was one.

Mr. Thomas Potter, a farmer of the same place, was in the
habit of forwarding to Nottingham, alrby, and other places, large
quantities of farm produce, and it was a great inconvenience to
him that Ilkeston was not accommodated with a railway. At pre.
sent he sent his produce by canal and other conveyances, and was
compelled to pay high.rates for carriage.
Mr. Hobston, a miller at Ilkeston, was similarly circumstanced
to the last witness, and was considerably put about in competing
with his his neighbours, from the want ef a railway communication
with the market towns of the district.

Mr. Abraham Booth, agent to the Butterley Company, proved
that great inconveniences continually resulted to the manufacturers,
traders, and others, of Ilkeston, from a scarcity of water in the
Nottingham, Crawford, and Erewash Canals. On this account he
thought it highly desirable that the district should be accommo-
dated with a railway.

Mr. George Cape, civil engineer, was well acquainted with the
route of the proposed railway, and considered its gradients were
good. It was well planned to form a junction with the
Midland Railway, and join that line on a leveL The
line would afford ample accommodation to; the mineral interest
of the district, which was frequently put to great inconvenience
from a scarcity of water in the canals; but, independently of
this circumstance, the water communications were insufficient to
supply the wants of the minerals. The railway would prove
a saving as well of time as expense in the transit of coal ; and if
Parliament refused to sanction it, the coalowners of the district
would be seriously injured. The Duke of Rutland had coal Milled
on the route, and at his Grace's request he had surveyed them
with a view of ascertaining whether the line would any way injure
them. The survey had convinced him that the line would benefit,
instead of injure, his Grace's property.
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.