The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-02 00:00:00

presented, there having been an evident attempt to under-rate the
traffic from Portsmouth. By the coach travelling there had been
formerly ten coaches a day, making twenty journeys, thus giving
an aggregate of 7,300 journeys in the course of the year, which,
at the usual average of nine passengers each journey, made at
least 65,700, at 10s. each journey, gave a total of 37,8501 a
year; doubling this, after the usual railway communication,
made 65,7001. Adding to this 20,000/. more for incidental pas-
sengers, and 10,0001. for parcels, gave upwards of 90,000/. a year,
exclusive of a great portion of the intermediate traffic. By the
Guildford line there would be twenty_four public roads crossed at
a level, while there would only be eight crossed at a level by the at_
mospheric line. He had only further to observe that he might,
perhaps, have to trespass on the Committee to some length with the
traffic, because that had been so much dwelt upon by the opposite
party. With these observations Mr. Talbot closed his address,
and called

Mr. Grover, a provision-merchant at Portsea, who testified to
the general convenience of the termini both at London-bridge and
at Portsmouth, espeeially the latter, where the road where the
railway terminated was the highway entrance to Portsca, and
amply broad enough for the purpose.
Mr. Redwarn, a fishmonger and importer of fortign fruit, stated
that he had a considerable quantity of goods frcm London, for
which he had to pay ss. a ton fur cartage, and the terminus at
London-bridge would be of the utmost convenience, as when ves-
sels arrived too late in the tide, they could be got down the same
evening, whiie they would of necessity be too late either
fur Vauxhall or Hungerford. lie now paid 3001. a-year for car-
riage from London, aod would, if this railway were made, have
all his London goods by rail, instead of, as now, having a large
quantity coastwise.

To the inquiries of the Chairman, the witness stated that he paid
ss. a ton for carriage to Vauxhall, 20s. thence to Gosport, and ss.
more thence to Portsea. He was not aware that the terminus at
London-bridge had no communication with the water.

Mr. Jame;W. White, a linendraper, stated that he had fre.
quently been obliged to have goods by van, instead of by rail, in
consequence of the delay; arising partly from the distance of the
the terminus at Vauxhall from the City, and from
the early hour at which it was necessary for the
goods to be there. The van was, however, now taken off
the road, and great inconveni,nee was now felt. as the wholesale
houses in the city were generally very busy just at the time when
the goods ought to be sent off, and thus a day was lost. It was his
opinion that the feeling in favour of the atmospheric line was very
strong.

Mr. Marshall, clerk of the Commissioners of the town of
Portsea, testified to the narrowness of the road through the gate
over the Unicorn-bridge, it being a single line line of road and
was the only means of access to the town of Portsea.
To the cross.examination of Mr. M. SMITH, the witness stated,
that passengers might by another route get into the Lion-gate-road
which was the main approach to Portsea. The terminus of the
two railways were about a quarter of a mile from each other.
Mr. James Paul, a brewer, and ale and porter merchant at
Portsea, stated that he should make a considerable saving if the
proposed line were formed. He had had 53 tons down early in
May, the cost of which for freight, wharfage, and insurance was
49/. 18s., while, according to the reduced rate of the South.
Western Railway, it would have been 261. 12s. for all the ex-
penses. By the atmospheric line the charge would be only about
two.thirds of the latter sum. All his ale, and most of his

Porter went by water, and as much as five or six weeks' delay
frequently occurred. If the terminus were at London-bridge he
should save Is. a barrel in carriage, and he thought that if this
terminus were used he believed that all the goods would go by rail,
and the trade to Gosport would almost enterely cease. The ter-
minus at Portsmouth was also much more convenient than that of
the Guilford Extension line. He testified also as to the feeling
of the town, and to the signatures of the petition.
The Gommittee here adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.