The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-21 00:00:00

ittv, 4:*
44.

RAILWAY COMMIT' EES
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
THE LEEDS AND WEST RIDING
RAILWAYS.

The Committee on this Bill, the Duke of Cleveland in the chair,
met this day at eleven o'clock, and proceeded with the case for
the promoters.

Mr. William Firth, cloth manufacturer, of Leeds, was examined
by Mr. TALBOT. The witness gave evidence as to the great ad-
vantages of the proposed branches to the manufacturers and traders
of the West Riding districts, who at present were subjected to
much inconvenience and expense in the mode of transit now
available.

Mr. Bar Nus, on behalf of the opposing landowners, cross.
examined the witness; but the Learned Counsel failed to elicit
anything prejudical to the case for the promoters of the Bill.
Mr. Daunton Luckton, Mayor of Leeds, was the next witness
called—He was of opinion that the proposed lines of railway would
add much to the general trade of Leeds, from the great facility
which would be afforded in the transit of goods and general mer-
chandise.

Mr. Baines was about to cross-examine the witness, with a view
to show that a better line of railway could be constructed by a Bill
likely to be brought into Parliament next year, but he was inter.
rupted by _ _

Mr. TALBOT, who denied that the opponents had any right to go
into evidence in favour of a competing line not before the Com-
mittee as a Bill or pi oject. _ . _

Mr. Sergeant j'ALFOURD, In reply, contended that the land-
owners were entitled to show that a line of greater merit, which
would not interfere so much with their property, could be con-
structed.

The room was then cleared to enable the Committee to consider
the question raised.

After a deliberation of an hour the parties were called in and
informed by the Chairman that the Committee, having considered
the polka, they had decided not to allow the opponents to go
into evidence in favour of a line of railway not before them.
The opponents should, therefore, confine themselves
to evidence on the general case at issue between themselves as land-
owners, and the promoters as parties whose works were likely to
injure their property.
The examination was then continued, and the Committee
adjourned at two o'clock till Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP X.

CAMBRIDGE AND LINCOLN RAILWAY.
The Committee sat at the usual hour, and the traffic evidence
was resumed.

Mr. Josiah Parkes was called to depose to the coach traffic upon
the present lines of road in the district of St. Ives.
Mr. Parks, civil engineer, having been asked a few questions of
an engineering character, was then asked as to the traffic in live
stock in a certain district, but,

Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM objected to the witness giving such
evidence, inasmuch as he was an engineer, and, therefore, any in.
formation be did possess upon the live stock traffic must of neces-
sity not be facts of his own knowledge, but have come
through some other channel, and from parties who should
themselves have been called to give such evidence. If this
course were permitted to be persevered in, there was in fact no part
of this case which this witness might not be called upon to prove ;
and it was a waste of time and of money to be attempting to give
evidence in this way.
Mr. HtLDY►RD said he could, if the Committee required it, pro-
duce the drovers to give their evidence ; but he thought it would
be a saving of time to give it in this way.
The Committee then retired, and on their return

The CHAIRMAN said the Committee were of opinion that if the
Counsel who produced the witness conceived this evidence im.
portant to their case they could go on with it.
Mr. WEBSTER then proceeded with his examination of the wit.
ness, upon the vast and complicated traffic tables before him.
He said the observed traffic to Smithfield would not, in
fact, give the actual traffic at all in cattle ; he, there-
fore, employed persons to ascertain the amount of that
traffic from other sources, such as the returns of Mr. Herbert and
Mr. Thompson, professed traffic takers. It often happened that
there were weeks during which no cattle came from some counties
to Smithfield, and, therefore, the observed traffic could not be relied
on, for it would be entirely fallacious. The tables contained no account
of live stock brought short distances, but those only
which came the whole distance from Lincolnshire, Nottingham,
Cambridgeshire, and the other counties, to Smithfield. The table
did not include calves, lambs, or swine, as no accurate information
could be had in respect to the number of those animals that came
from those counties.

This witness was asked a:few questions in cross examination, but
his testimony in no way differed from the examination in chief,
and when it had concluded the Committee adjourned to Monday.

RAIL WAY RETURNS.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC.—The following are the Total Receipts of Rail-
ways for the past week—that is to say, up to the date to which the
respective returns are made, together with the receipts of the same
week in the previous year :