The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-24 00:00:00

IMPORTANT DECISION.

WAS.ErIELD, PONTEFRACT. AND GOOLE
RAILWAY.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.

Mr. I,Vmxiss replied, and, in an elaborate speech, contended
that no sufficient public grounds had been shown for throwing out
this Bill. The engineering evidence adduced by the promoters
proved in the most forcible manner that a railway was absolutely
necessary to preserve the trade of Goole, and to extend that of
Wakefield, Pontefract, and Knottingly, and no line which had yet
been exhibited to their Lordships promised to supply those deside-
rata in the same degree as thepresent one. The Learned Counsel then
went into detail as to the relative advantages to the minerals in the
districts, and, after analysing the statements: of the opposing wit,
nesses, concluded by hoping that their Lo rdships, after the full,
fair, and patient investigation they had given, would be irresistibly
led to the conclusion that a line of railmy was absolutely re-
quired, and that this was the very line to supply the present
deficiency.

The Committee then retired, and on their re-entering the room
. . _

The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee had-agreed to
the following resolution:—" That the Committee find the pre-
amble of the Bill proved, but consider it necessary, in reference to
the 82d clause, that the execution of the works between the pro.
posed station at Pontefract and the station at Wakefield be suspended
until the company shall apply to Parliament for power to make the
railway contemplated by that clause."

The clauses were then agreed to, and the Committee broke up.

THE GLASCIONIT JUNCTION* RAILWAY.
Mr. ANDREWS then proceeded to cross-examine Mr. Walker,
who said that, with respect to coal and pig-iron, the loaded waggor.s
could be lifted by cranes from off the quay, and lowered into the
holds of the vessels alongside. The weight of a coal-waggon, when
laden, averaged train hi to 6 tons. This 'was the practice pursued
at Newcastle and other coal-exporting places, but was not gene-
rally followed at Glasgow. A balance-weight was sometimes
attached to the cranes. The waggons, when loaded and swung
from the crane, were a descending weight, and when emptied of
their contents in the holds of the vessel, being lighter than the
balance-weight attached to the crane, they would ascend by the
power of gravity. To erect these machine would be attended with
considerable expense, and if the vessels were sufficiently low in the
water, tilting the contents of the waggons into their holds would
probably be a more expeditious mode.

The Noble CHAIRMAN interrupted the cross-examination, and
said he did not think it was necessary that this evidence should be
gone further into.:
Mr. ANnaiews replied that he would not press it further.

The witness continued—Sheds bad becen recently erected on the
south side of the harbour, but, speaking from recollection, they
were four -feet wider than those which had been constructed on
the north side.

Mr. M‘Gregor, of the Board of Trade, was next examined—He
said that the room in the harbour at Glasgow was not more than
sufficient to accommodate the steam-boat trade, the foreign traffic,
and the Custom-house department. In his opinion the construc-
tion of a line of rails on the quays would materially interfere with
the traffic. The Custom.house Commissioners, with the consent
of the Treasury, had power to restrict the exportation of coals, wool,
and other articles not paying duty, to certain places wh;ch they
might see fit to appoint ; so that in point of fact if the Commissioners
found that the minerals brought by the proposed railways on the
quays should interfere with the general traffic, so as to prove detri-
mental to the revenue, they could prevent their exportation from
that place.

The examination of these two witnesses, all the substantial facts
of which have been stated, occupied the Committee the entire day,
Their Lordships adjourned until to-marrow,

OXF01121), WORCESTEn, AND WOMATER-
ILEUVICPTORT
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. TALBOT then proceeded to address the Committee in reply,
and in behalf of the Bill before the Committee. He went at
length into the whole case, addressing himself to all the points
which had been adduced before the Committee against the Bill by
the several petitioners. He dis.mssed the objections on the subject
of transhipment, the difference of gauges, and the question ofeonmeti.
tion between the London and Birmingham and the Birmingham and
Gloucester Railways, which he considered preposterous and absurd,
especially when it was considered that the London and Birmingham
line was seeking a way
direct to Manchester, independent of the
Gra.td Junction, through the projected Trent Valley and other
schemes; and that Mr. Hudson, the great amalgamator
of railways, had guaranteed the shareholders of the Birming-
ham and Gloucester 6 per cent. on their capital.
Having gone through this part of his subject, he went into that of
the estimates which had been impugned, showing that the answers
of Mr. Brunel clearly met that objection, and concluded by speak-
ing to the toll clauses, which he affirmed were no breach of faith,
but had been fairly introduced into the Bill, the tolls of which
were considerably lower than those proposed by the Tring scheme.
On the termination or the Learned Gentleman's address
The Noble CHAIRMAN intimated that the promoters of the Bill
had better be prepared with their clauses in the morning, so that
all might be before them before giving the decision on the
preamble.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock.

IRISH GREAT WESTERN (DUBLIN AND
GALWAY) RAILWAY.
Their Lordships met at eleven o'clock, in the Lord Chancellors'
Court, Earl Bathurst in the chair. The other Noble Lords pre.
sent were Earl Wynford, Lords Calthorpe, Lilford, and Forester.
The line of evidence which had been pursued on the previous
day was not resumed.

Mr. ROWE proceeded to call on a different class of witnesses.
Several subscribers had caused letters to be sent to the different
provincial Postmasters to various addresses. The first was the
case of

Mr. Frederick Bond Hughes, whose name was affixed to the sub.
scription deed for 2,0001.

Mr. Rows called ---
Mr. Brewer, postmaster of Reigate, who deposed that he received
letters fcr a gentleman in London, who designated himself as Frede-
rick Bond Hughes, of Newington:terrace Dover.road. Witness, ac-
cording to this gentleman's directions, took in letters so addressed.
Knew no such person residing at Reigate. The letters were regu-
larly forwarded to Reigate, and from London letters were sent by Mr.
Hughes, which passed through the Reigate post-office, and which
were addressed to several railway companies about the country.
Mr. Reed, a gentleman in the service of the Company, was next
examined—He deposed that he had in his custody a great number
of letters of allotment. Several letters came from Glyn's bank
with their backs torn off, but those which came from the Union
Bank were entire. The signing of the deed took place in the
Company's offices in Cornhill. There were two rooms there, one
1 of which witness occupied a good deal, and the other, an inner room,
the Committee met in. There was a Committee of Directors ap-
pointed to superintend the allotment of shares. Witness went
into the employment of the Company in November, after the
allotment of shares had taken place. Meetings of the Committee
were held once and sometimes twice a Week. Sir William Young
gave up the prominent position he occupied as chairman, and it
was occupied by General Caulfield subsequently. Heard
that the reason that Sir William Young gave up the post
was ill health. Mr. Fitzstephen French was Chairman of
the Parliamentary Committee. No signatures to the deed took
place on Christmas-day. A great number of signatures were
affixed to the deed on the 26th and 2. 7th of December. On those
partyimproper signing
put down a fictitious signature,
days General Caulfield arid Mr. Whitmore looked in perhaps once
or twice, to see what progress had been made. Every precaution
of the deed, and
htlinea dwobna been e
is in instantly
ta aknetni
instance,i expelled
o wherex
d
prevent
fictitious name accounted for the erasure which appeared on
the deed.
Rowe
stated
that a
petition had been presented against the
Bill by a Mr. Barry, and it appeared by a note on the minute-
book that he (Mr. Barry) had been induced to withdraw his opposi-
peilca any
from the room. The expunging of this
opposi-
tion by a sum of 250/., and 5001. 111 case the Bill passed success-
fully through the Standing Orders' Committee. This arrangement
was reported to the Committee by Mr. F. French. The Bill was
happily thrown out by the Standing Orders' Committee.
Mr. George Ward, postmaster at St. Alban's, deposed that he
had received letters from Mr. Edward Grogan at St. Alban's.
That person wrote several letters to him from October to the
present time. He received a letter from Mr. Grogan requesting
witness to send such letters as might reach the St. Alban's post-
office for him to Park-place, Devonshire-street, Mile-end-road.
Mr. Grogan signed for 5001.
Witness proceeded to say that he sent several letters there for
him. Never knew any such person as Mr. Edward Grogan.
I he next case was that of Mr. Anderson Clifford who was a
,
subscriber to the deed for 1,500/.

Mrs. Jane Caroline Evitts, postmistress at Staines, gave evidence
showing that precisely tire same sort of machinery had been used in
this case as in the other.

The next case;;Stbat of William Henry Drummond, gentle.
man, Watford—sum subscribed, 1,000/. ; date Dec. 1844; sum
paid up 501.
Mr. Hearne, postmaster at Watford, gave evidence of a similar
---"li--.
nature.

The next case was that of Mr. Alfred Weeking, who appeared
on the subscribing deed as a gentleman residing at Goole—sum
subscribed for 1,000/. ; sum paid up 50/. ; date Dec. 1844.
The postmaster at Goole furnished the same sort of testimony.
William Shackell, gentleman, Maidenhead, Berks, 3,5001.;
sum paid up 175/., was the next name on the ded.