The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-11 00:00:00

GROUP RR.

MANCHESTER. SOUTH JUNCTION ANTS

ALTRINCHAM.

The Select Committee on this group re.assembled at the usual
hour this morning, and agreed to the clauses in the Manchester
South Junction and Altrincham Bill, the preamble to which had
been proved at a former sitting. The Chairman was directed to re.
port the Bill favourably to the House.

The Committee then expressed their wish to proceed with the
PRESTON BROOK AND RUNCORN RAIL
W AY.

Mr. TALBOT appeared for the promoters, and stated the case for
the Bill. The line was to connect the Grand Junction Railway
with the rising port or Runcorn, a place on the river Mersey, of no
small importance both as regarded trade and commerce. Run.
corn, the Learned Counsel said, was the point where
the Great Bridgwater Canal ran into the river Mersey.
It was a thriving seaport, and was accommodated with
docks of a very extensive and convenient character. In
the last year 2,354 vessels entered them, and the hum.
her was annually increasing. The town, moreover, boisted of
several important and extensive manufactories and chemical
works. It was freely resorted to by the inhabitants
of Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington, and other po-
pulous towns for sea-bathing, and the buildings and
inhabitants of the district are rapidly increasing. Lord Francis
Egerton was the sole subscriber to the line; but the Grand June.
Lion Company, whose station at Preston Brook, between Crewe
and Warrington, would be connected with it, were warm sup-
porters of the scheme. The line would be 41 miles in extent,
and as there were no engineering obstacles it could be con-
structed at a moderate expense, and without difficulty. The
only opponent to the measure was Sir Richard Brooke,
who complained that the line would pass through an ornamental
piece of ground on his estate, but they were willing to do anything
that was reasonable to meet the objection of the Hon. Baronet.
Mr. Thistle, agent to Lord Francis Egerton, was called to prove
the extent and Importance of the traffic between Runcorn and Pres-
ton Brook.

The remainder of the day was occupied with general evidence,
which went to show that the branch, though a small one, was likely
to prove an advantage to the public, and remunerate the noble
promoter.
The Committee adjourned till to-morrow.

GROUP SS.
ERMWASII VALLEY N.A.XLWAY.

•
The Select Committee on this Group re-assembled this morning
at the usual hour, and proceeded with the engineering evidence in
favour of the Erewash Valley Railway.
Mr. Woodhouse, the civil engineer who had laid out the rail.
way, proved that there were no engineering difficulties on the line,
the severest gradient being 1 in 215, and the radius of the smallest
curve being 40 chains. There were no tunnels, and the cuttings
presented no immediate obstacles. There would be various branches,
and the length of the whole of them, including the main line, would be
about 18 miles. The cost of the main line, including the cost of land
and all other expenses, would be 140,0001., and of the branches
47,0001. The working expenses would be about 30 per cent, on
the gross annual receipts.

On cross-examination, the witness said he was assisted in lay.
ing out the line by Mr. Jessop, who first marked out the route of
the line. The line was surveyed by Mr. Booth, and others, who
were not professional surveyors ; nor did they to his knowledge
carry on the business of surveyors. He concurred in the course
of the line, because it was the best to serve the coal-owners
generally, and not because it would greatly accommodate some
works in the possession of Mr. Jessop. There were some unopened
coal-fields lying to the eastward of the line, which would not be
accommodated, but the line was marked out only with the view of
serving those mines that were already in lull operation. None of
those pits were now exhausted, and he could form no idea when
they would be. The Watnell branch, he agreed, would be only of
a temporary advantage, because in a few years time the pits which
it was intended to accommodate would be quite exhausted.
Mr. George Bidder, the civil engineer, had examined the pro-
posed line and thought it had been judiciously selected, taking into
account the object in view. The works were of an uncommonly
light character, and the gradients exceedingly favourable for the
traffic. The estimates of the line, which had been prepared under
his own immediate direction, were reasonable, and quite sufficient
to construct the line. A single line, he thought, was amply sufficient
to accommodate the present traffic of the district, but a time might
arise when it would become necessary to lay down another set of
rails. A sufficient quantity of earthwork for a double line had,
therefore, teen taken into account in preparing the estimates. The
line would be available for an electric telegraph.
Mr. Woodhouse was recalled to prove that there yet remained
unworked, within sixty square miles of the route of the railway,
twenty-four million tons of coal and an equal proportion of iron-
stone.

Seveaal inhabitants of Hena, a place of some importance on the
litre, then gave evidence in favour of the Bill, and the Committee
adjourned.

HOUP W.
DONCASTEGDONCASTERIIND GOOLE ItAXLWAY.
The Committee on this line met to-day twelve Pakington in the chair. Present, Lo W
r at d
Seymour, o'
the clocHk,
on. Mr.
r.
Bouvetie, the Hon. Mr. Maxwell, and Mr.Whitmore
The CHAIRMAN stated to Mr. Austin that the Committee were