The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-01 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.

Their Lordships resumed the consideration of this line to-day.
Earl Radnor in the chair.

Mr. Hope Johnston, M.P., examined by Mr. FonaYTH, for the
promoters of the Bill, deposed at great length to the merits of the
undertaking, and in cross-examination by Mr. ANDREWS, Q. C, who
represented the Dumfries line, spoke to the great advantages Which
the extension of the line between Dumfries and POrtpatrick Weuld
confer on the latter town.

The CHAIRMAN observed that he thought it wholly unnecessary
to enter into any particulars in reference to the communication
with Portpatrick, as a project for connecting that town with Dum-
fries, was common to both schemes, and therefore whichever was
approved by the Committee would complete the extension if re-
quired.

Mr. ANDREWS, Q.C., urged that the communication with Port-
patrick was an integral and most important portion of their propo-
sition ; and, although it had been negatived in its progress before
the Commons Committee, it now appeared in precisely the same
position as if they possessed a Bill.

aansidrntilial:
wsihtuoaie-
i,ne there was no
tyhceo could
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i nl
lion, Thefo
rC
ifn a
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Committee
dissented. r
e
might possibly be left unaccommodated.
jecTtedhe
After a desultory conversation between counsel and the Com-
cgoumarmanutneietythat the other line would ever
mittee, it was decided that no evidence should be received relat-
ing to the communication between Dumfries and Portpatrick.
Mr. Pare, the traffic taker, handed in the traffic tables, and
entered into details of the income expected from the assumed
quantity of goods employing the line for transit,
Evidence confirmatory of the accuracy of the traSc tables and
other formal proof was then given.
Mr. James Baird, an extensive iron-muter, whose works would
be intercepted by the Caledonian Railway, bore testimony to the
importance of that line to the blasts and furnaces, forty-six of
which it would Immediately pass.
The Committee, at four o'clock, adjourned till twelve to-morrow.

HOUSE OF COM3IONS.
GROUP A,
On the meeting of the Committee this morning at the usual
hour, the Chairman said that Mr.
Nl`Geachy was still unable to
attend, and that the business must therefore proceed in his absence.
Mr. Coca BtlelN then addressed the Committee on the part of the
promoters of the
SOUTH-EASTENtn Li/cm,
and said as he could not speak against the two lines, the
North Kent and the London at the
and Croydon,
same time, he would first point
out the superiority of the
South-Eastern to the former, whi
he considered the most
formidable antagonist, and then to the latter. Mr. Cockburn then
described the course of the two lines from London to Chatham, and
dwelt at some length on the distance of the Woolwich station from
the town, and the consequent want of accommodation to the in-
habitants. Mr. Cockburn at
referred to the manner
in which the proposed line would pass Woolwich, the
evidence concerning which has
been published from time to
time in the columns of The Sun. The Learned Counsel then
read over the whole of the correspondence on this subject, which
had been put in in evidence by Mr. Sergeant
Wrangham on the
part of the North Kent Company, and particularly the letters of
Mr. Hignet, which professed to contain the consent of the Board
of Ordnance to the proposed deviation beyond the ordinary limits.
These papers had been prepared h
-Y Mr. Hignet without the acqui.
escenco of the Master-General of the Board, and there-
fore were of no value. It was
evident that the clauses had
been prepared by Mr. Hignet at the direction of some person con-
nected w th the North Kent line, but on Mr. Stevens (the solicitor
to the North Kent line) examining them, he saw that they were
not sufficient, as it was necessary to have the direct and writtcii
consent of the Board, and not merely
an implied consent in the
clauses. Mr. Hignet, therefore, wrote to Mr. Stevens a letter, in
which he said that he was directed to communicate to Mr. Stevens
the consent of the Board to any
necessary deviation. The authen.
ticity of this paper having been impugned by the South-Eastern
Company, Mr. Sergeant Wrangham had called as a witness
Mr. Bingham, the Secretary
to the Board, eliciting from
him evidence with regard to other
papers entirely uncon-
nected with the subject, but on this witness being examined as to
the letter in question he said that it had not received the appro.
bation of the Board. After dwelling on this subject, Mr. Cock-
burn referred to the evidence with regard to Messrs. Hall's mills.
This part of the evidence has also been given at length in The
Sun. Mr. Cockburn urged the importance of the evidence
on the subject of the estimate: of the two lines at some
length, and pointed out the fact, that no doubt had been thrown,
either in the examination or cross-examination of wit.
nesses, on the estimates of the South-Eastern line, though
evidence bad been brought forwerd by theta to prove the WWI.

ciency of Mr. Vignolles' estimates. He compared the South-
Eastern and London and Croydon lines, and pointed out in detail
what he considered the advantages of the former.
Mr. AUSTIN said that it was now his duty to address the Corn.
mittee on the part of the London and Croydon (Atmospheric)
line, but that, as it was already half-past three o'clock -
Here Mr. GOLDSMITH rose, and was about to say that he trusted
the Committee would -

When Mr. AUSTIN requested that his friend would uot begin to
trust so soon, as he might find his confidence misplaced.—(A
laugh.) He had to call the attention of the Committee to a set
of figures, very dry, Ltd very important, to which he would pre.
fer to direct their morning and not their afternoon attention. If
the Committee wished it, he would have no objection to their meet-
ing at hall-past eleven o'clock to-morrow.
The CHAIRMAN assented, and the Committee adjourned till half.
past eleven to-morrow.

GROUP K.
CAMBRIDGE AND BURY LINE.

The Committee resumed this day at noon, Viscount Sandon in
the chair.

Mr. Pare, the fraffic taker, corrected several items In his tables
as put in on Friday last, every particular in one, and almost
every particular in the other schedules were altered ; and in answer
to a searching examination by Mr. Ric►rdo, the witness admitted
his inaccuracy, and the conflicting statements of witnesses as prior
and subsequent to examination.

Mr. GIRDEN complained of the inconvenience to the opponents
of the Bill from the traffic tables being continually altered without
obtaining any previous Intimation of the change.
Mr. Duncan, solicitor, the law clerk of the Eastern Counties
Railway, in examination by Mr. TALBOT, Q C., deposed to the
prospective opening of the Cambridge and Ely line on the 9th inst.
The income of the Eastern Counties Company is 5,0001. a week,
or a produce of 260,000/. annually • deducting 104,0001.,
being 40 per cent., for working expenses, the sum of
156,0001. remained to pay engagements with other
lines. As lessees of the Northern and Eastern Railway
they paid 47,000/. a year for its use to Bishops Stortford, leaving
09,0001. as a guarantee of the rental of the present projected line
between Cambridge and Bury. The order of priority of claim, in
the event of the line being granted, and its lease effected, would be
Ely and Peterborough No. 1 Stock, and Cambridge and Bury No. 2
stock, and those claims must be all satisfied before the Share.
holders received any returns or dividend whatever The construc-
tion of the line was estimated to cost 330,000/., which would be
raised by a subscription of Si. per cent. on the subscribed capital of
660,000/. of the Eastern Counties Railway.