The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-03 00:00:00

GROUP F.

The Committee met again this day at twelve o'clock, in Room
No. 11, the Right Hon. F. Shaw, chairman. The proceedings
commenced with the case of

THE LONDON, WORCESTER, AND SOUTH

adildreehniaeda Committeeitihsteenedwit
STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.
Mr.M Cockburn. ck AUSTINb
n. h
greatin reply
attentionto tt
oh
thee sp speechspeech
i
of his Learned F-iend, and without casting the least imputation
on that addrAs, he would say that it was one entirely at variance
with the facts of the case. This was not to be wondered at, for he
(Mr. :)ockburn) had very great difficulties to contend with. He
forgot that the issue of the case would take place on the
merits of the case. He was advised by the worthy Secretary
of the Great Western line,. Mr. Saunders, a gentleman who was
well qualified to give every assistance in the case of railway
matters. With respect to the gauge, he (Mr. Austin) would ex.
plain that. His Learned Friend had not the courage to tell the
Committee that competition would be of advantage to the entire
districts through which the line of railway should run. He told
the Committee that competition could be used with very great
advantages, provided another line were made, but not so good a
line of railway as the other. The Legislature was bound to pre-
vent the unnecessary waste of capital, in constructing more lines
of railways or canals than were necessary to the
traffic of the country which they were to accommodate.
In opening the case at first he proved from documents that unne-
cessary rivalry was injurious to capital, without conferring any real
benefit on the community. Look at the Great Western from Wor-
cester to Morton, and there it would be found that no competition
would take place. Again, looking at Wolverhampton, it would
not be nearer to London by its circuitous route than the present
means of conveyance by the London and Birmingham Railway.
If the merits, or rather the demerits, of the question of competition
were not yesterday (nit before the Committee, he (Mr. Austin)
would do so to-day. He told them that the carriage from Droit-
wich to Cheltenham was 65., and from Droitwich to Gloucester 35.,
the latter being a longer distance ; and this was what he called an
argument for competition. He would refer to the general
bearings of competition. His Learned Friend called a Mr.
Huish to speak to some misconduct on the part of the
London and Birmingham Company. What was the fact in
respect to what had fallen from Mr. Walker, who had gone
some little Out of his way in eulogising the conduct of the
London and Birmingham Company, for their punctuality in de-
livery and their willingness to accommodate the public? Now, what
said Mr. Huish in support of the complaint against the London
and Birmingham Company ?—why, that that Company had refused
to regulate their tolls in conformity with the wishes of the Grand
Junction Company. Now, why should this be the grounds of a com-
plaint against his clients ? and this was brought as an argument in
favour o [competition.

(LEFT BITTING.)

GROUP FF.
THE EDINBURGH AND NORTHERN
RAILWAY.

The Select Committee •n this group re-assembled this morning
at twelve o'clock, when the general evidence in favour of the Edin-
burgh and Northern Railway was proceeded with.
Mr. Machray, an extensive coach proprietor, residing in Aber-
deen, said an arrangement had lately been come to between the
mail contractors and the Post office for carrying the mails to Perth
by way:of Fife and Burntisland instead of by way of Queensferry.
He had a share in the Defiance coach, running from Edinburgh to
Perth. The road taken by that coach had lately been changed
from Queensferry to Burntisland, and the result of this change
had proved highly successful—indeed, it had had the effect of In-
creasing the traffic by 1,6381.
On cross-examination, the witness said that the route of the De-
fiance coach had been changed from Queensferry to Burntisland,
not because it was the best road to Perth, but because it was the
best paying road to Dundee. The Defiance did not now run to
Dundee. .

Captain Berkeley, the celebrated pedestrian, and an extensive
farmer at Alladyce, proved that the greater quantity of cattle
was sent from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by steamboat, by way of
Oranton pier, and thence by land. The journey at present occu.
pied three days. Considerable inconvenience was occasioned by
embarking the cattle at Aberdeen ; but if there was a railway, of
course all these difficulties would be removed, and the journey
would be reduced to seven or eight hours. Like the last witness,
he was one of the proprietors of the Defiance coach, which was first
started in 1829. In March last the route of the coach was changed
from Queensferry to Burntisland, and since the change the coach
had paid better than ever it did before. The coach was ferried
across Burntisland without any difficulty.
On cross-examination, he admitted that the direct through route
from Edinburgh to Perth was by way of Queensferry, but it was
much more favourable for a coach or a railway to run by way of
Burntisland, because the traffic by that route was considerably
greater than by way of Queensferry.
Mr. Melville, a landed proprietor in Fifeshire, said the majority
of the inhabitants of that county, which is one of the most impu.
lons in Scotland, were decidedly in favour of this raiway, and for
his own part he thought it would afford more advantage to the
north of. Scotland than any other contemplated or suggested line.