The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-17 00:00:00

GROUP KK

LIVERPOOL AND BURY AND LIVERPOOL
AND MANCHESTER EXTENSION, WITH
THEIR RESPECTIVE BRANCHES.

The Committee met at one o'clock, Sir C. Lemon in the chair,
but business was not commenced for nearly an hour after, is con-
sequence of the absence of Mr. Talbot.

SOUTHPORT AND ORMSXXRE BRANCH.

IMPORTANT DECISION.

Mr. TALBOT said he appeared on behalf of the Liverpool,
Preston, and Ormskirk Railway. He, in accordance with the re.
commendation of the Board of Trade, wished to suggest the post..
ponement of any railway at present to Southport. The project
which his clients had brought forward, had been shipwrecked in the
Standing Orders Committee, but would be brought forward next
session. There could be no doubt but an improved communica-
tion between Liverpool and Preston was required, and that improve.
ment he proposed. The present distance between Liverpool and
Preston, by Parkside, was thirty-eight miles and a half, and the
transit occupied two hours and a half. The present mode of traffic
between Liverpool and Preston was most inconvenient,
and was so spoken of in the report of the Board of Trade. The
insufficiency of the transit was demonstrated by the fact that,
instead of the number of passengers having been increased sixfold
since the opening of the railway between Liverpool and Preston, as
was usually the case between such important towns, there had been
an increase upon the old coach conveyance of only five per cent. He
thought this state of things should not be permitted to continue, but
that they should cut off the angle which Parkside made with Liverpool
and Preston, and supply the hypothenuse which he would
propose in the Liverpool and Ormskirk line. By the new line, a
saving of twelve miles would he effected, and there would be also a
considerable saving in the communication in the route front Pres.
ton to Wigan, and thence to Liverpool by the Liverpool and Bury
Railway, which the Committee had sanctioned. Preston contained
a population of 50,000, and the trade between it and Liverpool,
which was carried on by the river Ribble was, notwithstanding
the exceedingly tedious and expensive communication was very consi.
derabie. In fact, 16,000 tons of small craft were at present engaged
between these towns. The project which he advocated had re.
ceived the support of the great spinners at Preston--men whose
capital was more than 2,000,0001, and who last year obtained from
Liverpool more than 20,000 tons of cotton. Not far from Preston
was a most important town, Blackburn, which was the centre of a
district, a radius of five miles, containing a population of 120,000
souls. The project he advocated would greatly abridge the distanc.
between Liverpool and Blackburn, a most desirable step, as almost
all the provisions and raw materials for manufactures used in Black-
burn were obtained from Liverpool. The course between those places
was, at present, a most circuitous one, a distance of 64 miles, whilst
by the railway his clients would propose it should be only 34.
This would be six miles shorter than any other which had been
submitted to the notice of Parliament. The Blackburn and
Preston Railway was now in course of construction, so that the
communication between all these important towns would be then
complete. By this means the whole of the northern part of Lan-
cashire would be brought into direct communication with Liver-
pool, and a population of 545,000 would be accommodated by the
line which touched upon the immediate vicinity or their dwellings.
The main line was in length 26i miles; the branch to Southport,
7i ; the branch to Blackburn, 2 miles ; and the Skelmersdale and
Ormskirk branch, 3 miles. The estimated amount of construction
was 730,000/. The Learned Counsel went on to argue that his
line would, in fact, confer greater advantages upon Southport
itself than the other. for it would place it in direct communication
with the important towns he had mentioned. Until the people of
Southport heard that the line his clients projected had been thrown
out by the Standing Orders Committee, they were most anxious
for it; and in fact, the only petition which had emanated from
that town up to a very recent period, was in favour of their pro-
ject. The Learned Counsel concluded by requesting the Com-
mittee to accede to the recommendation of the Board of Trade,
and postpone the Southport and Euxton project to next year.
After some deliberation the room was cleared of strangers.
Upon our return to the room,

The CHAIRMAN said we are perfectly ready to hear all the wit-
nessess on the other side, but I think it right to tell you what the
opinion of the Committee is. The Committee is of opinion that the
case for the promoters of the Bill is of such a natnre as to dispose
them to agree in the recommendation of the Board of Trade. They
are, therefore, willing that the project should be postponed to next
year, but we are unwilling the expenses which have been incurred
should be wasted, and we will therefore postpone the further con-
sideration of the matter to a late day in July. Such is the unani-
mous wish of the Committee at the present moment. The Corn.
mittee are of opinion that there should be a line of railway com-
munication with Southport; but the Act which will be passed this
year will enable the Committee to resume their proceedings where
they left them off, so that if any better project be not offered, the
Southport and Euxton one will certainly pass.

Mr. Sergeant KINGSLAKE--.Will the Committee declare the
preamble of the Bill proved ?

The CHAIRMAN—Yes, under the condition that I have men-

tioned, that no better line be proposed in the interim, we will re.
port in favour of the Bill, so as not to shut out any rival project.
The case for the supporters of the present project does not appear
to have been well sustained.

The following note was then, with the consent of the leading
Counsel pro. and con., adopted :

" That the passing of the preamble of this Bill does not give any
advantage over any competing Bill which may be brought forward
in the ensuing session."

The CHAIRMAN added, that a communication between South-
port and Euxton was most desirable, but that, as a better project
than that which had been proposed might be proposed, they post-
poned the further consideration of the preamble to the ensuing
session.

The Committee then adjourned to the Bth of July.
Sergeant KINGLiam said he was afraid such an expression of
opinion would prejudice his case.

- The CHAIRMAN said his case was so bad that it could hardly
be prejudiced. They would not proceed with the clauses of the
Bill this session.

The preamble of this 13111 was not therefore passed.

GROUP X.
CAMBRIDGE AND x INCOLN LINE.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Buckle, spirit dealer at Peterborough, deposed that he got
his wines, spirits, and all the other articles he dealt in from London,
and had not the least doubt but that the Farringdon.street station
would have the preference to either that of King's cross or Bow-
creek, for the conveyance of all sorts of goods to Peterborough.
Mr. W. P. Stanley, ironmonger, of Peterborough, corroborated
the evidence of the dealers in the same article who had preceded
him, as to the saving of time and money to be effected in the transit
of the article, if the proposed line of railway should be made.
At the conclusion of the cross.examination of this witness,
during which no material evidence was elicited,
The Committee adjourned.