The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-23 00:00:00

Huddersffeld was at present supplied fom the Calder
Valley coal-field, which embraced the Flockton and
the Silkestone coat field, and if the West Riding Junction
Railway' which was now before Parliament, were carried into
effect, there would be a better communication between these
coal-fields and Huddersfield by that railway, than by the
Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction, so that the supposition
of the revenue from coal was, at present, mere assumption,
and nothing else. The estimates for the execution of the
work were also erroneous. The Company stated that
the tunnelling would cost 35/. per yard ; and they could es-
timate what their expenses will be, because they have had
estimates from the contractors for the Manchester and Shef-
field line, on Which line the labour had been obtained at the
very lowest rate, and where the cost had been SO!. a yard.
The CHAIRMAN interrupted the Learned Counsel by inti-
mating that this was not evidence, and that if he wished to
prove his point, he should have called individuals who could
prove what he asserted.
Mr. TEMPLE said that this was proved by the statements
from the engineers of the line, who had stated that it was a
very rocky soil. There were to be four viaducts, one of them
1,600 yards long, and yet for these very considerable works there
was only guess work far the estimate of the expense. On these
two grounds, that of the inefficiency of the estimate
for the tunnels, and that for the viaducts, he thought
that there was a suspicion on the whole of the
estimates, and this was sufficient to induce the Committee
to refrain from giving their sanction to the Bill.
One of the objects was to bring this railway into communica-
tion with the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway, and,
for this purpose, they were forming two tunnels of a very
expensive nature, which line had been reported against by
the Board of Trade, and he thought that this line ought to
he postponed until that line was sanctioned by Parliament.
Between these two lines there was alSo a considerable
difference of level. On these grounds, insufficiency of proof,
incorrectness of estimates, and, lastly, that this line was
largely dependent for success on its connexion with the
Manchester and Leeds Railway, he submitted that the
Company had not made out a sufficient case for the favour-
able report of the Committee.
The Committee, after stating that they did not wish to
hear Mr. 'Whatley in reply, declared the preamble to be
proved.
In going through the clauses of the Bill, the expenses
were calculated at 531,2561., and the capital proposed was
532,0001. The remaining clauses were gone through without
opposition, and the Bill passed through Committee, who de-
cided that the Chairman should report it to the House.
A suggestion having been made by Sir W. CLAY that a
reference should be made to the report of the Board of Trade,
the room was cleared for the consideration of the form in
which the report should be made. On being re• admitted,
the CHAIRMAN stated that he should communicate with the
Chairman of the Board of Trade before making his report.
Committee (No. 3.)
The Committee assembled yesterday shortly after twelve
o'clock, and proceeded to inquire into the merits of the
MANCHESTER AND HUDDERSFIELD LINE.
Mr. BAINES said that the Bill proposed the construction
of a line of railway from the Sheffield and Manchester
line at Ashton to Cooper-bridge. It was proposed to com-
mence at Staley-bridge, near Ashton, to go on to Cooper-bridge,
then to form a junction with the Manchester and Leeds line.
The whole length of the proposed line would be
21i miles, with a short branch of 1 miles to
Delf. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to detail the
route of the proposed line very minutely, and the nature of
the manufactures and trades carried on in each town through
which the line would pass, and the great convenience it would
afford for the rapid transit of goods.
Witnesses were then called to sustain the statement of the

Learned Counsel.
Mr. Scutcliff, wool merchant, deposed that the popu-
lation of Huddersfield was over 10,000, that of Halifax
over 13,000; the proposed line would be a great advantage
to the manufactures of all the towns ; he conceived that the
proposed line would be very superior to the Leeds and Man-
chester and Leeds proposed line.
Mr. HARDY, counsel on behalf of the Caldon Canal Com-
pany, cross-examined the witness, but nothing material was
elicited.
Two other witnesses, also extensive manufacturers, gave
evidence to the effect of the great inconvenience they expe-
rienced from the want of a more facile mode of conveying
coals to their mills than they had at present.
Mr. Cope, accountant, gave evidence as to the amount of
passenger-intercourse between Huddersfield and Manchester,
which, he said, he had taken care to ascertain, by having
stationed men at different places to note down the number
of persons passing and repassing each day for a week.
Mr. Joseph Webster deposed that he had ascertained the
amount of consumption in the different prices of various arti-
cles in the Huddersfield district ; namely, the Marsden Valley
locality, which had a population of near 19,000; by the
articles consumed, he meant flour, meal, and also provender
for cattle, animal food, &c.

Mr. BAINS said he now, on behalf of the opposing parties,
proposed to go into the engineering evidence, as he had
been allowed to do in other cases, reserving to himself the
right to take hereafter the examination of his witnesses.
as to traffic. But he was in the hands of the Committee, and
would abide by their decision as to what course he should
take.

Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS objected to any such course being
taken.

The Committee decided that the present class of evidence
should be disposed of before any other would be entered on.
Mr. Whitworth, agent to omnibus owners, deposed that
thirteen omnibuses plied every day from Huddersfield to
Cooper-bridge, and some extra ones on Sundays ;
had heard of people complaining of inconvenience
in going from Cooper. bridge to Halifax, such as
delays and changes, &c., on the turnpike-road. The Man-
chester and Leeds plan, if carried into operation, would have
the effect of cutting up the only footway now existing on
the line, and the other plan would not do so. A public
fountain that supplied the whole town of Huddersfield
with water would also either be removed by the line under
discussion, or the public access to it would be greatly impeded.
There were two coaches now running between Leeds and Man-
chester and Huddersfield and Manchester every day except
Sunday.
Mr. John Downe, corn-miller, deposed that a great saving
would be effected in the cost and time of the transit of corn,
if a railway were made between Ashton and Cooper-bridge ;
the present canal did not afford the facilities that a railroad
would.

BARNESLEY JUNCTION RAILWAY.
Mr. WHATELEY appeared for the promoters of the Bill, and
stated that it was intended to connect the North Midland
Railway with the Manchester and Ashton -under-
Lyne Railway and the town of Barnsley. The
object of this railway was to open up the Silkestone coal-
field to the town of Barnsley, which, with the villages ad-
jacent, contained upwards of 40,000 inhabitants. The greater
part of the goods manufactured at Barnsley went
to Manchester. At present the distance between
these two towns was 63 miles, while by this railway the dis
tance would only be 36 miles. The coal is now sent by the
circuitous route of canal and the river Dun. He would
produce persons who had been acquainted with this
coal-field all their lives. This coal-field, together with timber
and other products, carried in the Baltic trade, would con-
stitute the traffic on this line, and this he was
prepared to prove by witnesses. There was another
article, stone, from the celebrated Green Waur quarry,
and if this line were formed it would double the supply
of this material at Stockport, Staleybridge, and all
the neighbouring towns. The length of the line was
nine miles and a half, and in compliance with the
suggestions of the Board of Trade the projectors had
decided upon making the line a double line. There was but
one petition against it, that of the Barnsley Canal Company ;
but he could not see why there should not be both means of
transit. Until the last three months the charge of conveying
mineral to this canal by tramway had been excessive, as much,
he believed, as 6d. per ton, and by this railway the expense
would be materially reduced.
Mr. Newman proved that .the shares subscribed for
amounted to 286,710/., and the deposit was 28,6711. The
number of shareholders locally interested in the line was
thirty-two, and the amount they subscribed was 21,662/. of
the whole amount, and that the whole number of share-
holders was one hundred and sixty-two ; that there were
fifty owners of property on the line, of whom forty-four assent ;
that the length of the land of those who dissented was 48
chains, 20 links, and of all the occupiers only four dissented.
Mr. Taylor, a linen manufacturer, at Barnsley, who
had been in business nearly 40 years, said his returns were
about 100,0001. a year, and the wages paid were 8001. a week,
or about 41,600/. a year. The greater part of his yarns came
from Leek, and two-thirds of the goods he made went to
Manchester and Liverpool, and the remainder to London.
He was now obliged to keep a warehouse at Manchester,
and he was now obliged to send his goods by a
circuitous route by Normanton by the North Midland and
Leeds and Manchester, though occasionally he sent the
goods by Wakefield ; the distance was 63 miles, and the delay
occasioned the goods frequently to be too late for shipping at
Liverpool. The cost of carriage was about 20s. a ton. The
total cost of carriage to him to Manchester was 440/. ; to
Liverpool, 2001. ; and to London, 1981. ; and the construction
of this railway would, he conceived, largely increase the bu-
siness of Barnsley, and save him a great expense.
On cross-examination by Mr. TALBOT, Mr. Taylor stated,
that the time occupied in carrying goods from Barnsley to Man-
chester was between one evening and the next morning.
The delay arose between Normanton and Manchester ; that
there was a good road between Barnsley and Wakefield, and it
was by that route that the goods were sent when too late for the
train at Normanton. To go from Barnsley to Manchester,
the time now occupied was four or five hours, while, when
this railway was made, the time would be under two hours.
In reply to Mr. Ausrus, Mr. Taylor stated that the dis-
tance now was 61% miles, and three miles of road, while,
by the new line, it would be less than 36 miles.
Mr. Henry Parkin stated the whole of the wages paid in
Barnsley was about 3,5001. a week, or about 182,000/. a year ;
one carrier takes 20 tons of goods a week, another 10 tons, and
Pickford's about 70 tons a week, of which one-half went to
Manchester, making the whole amount of goods conveyed
from Barnsley to Manchester about seventy tons, and
the manufactures of Barnsley were now largely increasing.
In reply to Mr. TALBOT, Mr. Parkin stated that there was
a delay at Normanten sometimes for half an hour at a time ;
that a considerable quantity of the yarn used in the trade
was brought chiefly from Hull and Leeds.
In answer to the CHAIRMAN, he stated that the flax from
Hull came by railway ; that the distance to Penistone was 8
miles, and that there was to be a station there on the Man-
chester and Sheffield Railway, which would shorten the time
and distance to Manchester.
Mr. W. Ridsdale, a carrier at Barnsley, stated that he
conveyed about 70 tons, and others about the same quantity.
He confirmed the evidence of Mr. Parkin as to the quantity
conveyed to Manchester, and stated his opinion that the
manufactures of the town would increase if the town pos-
sessed the same facilities as other towns in railway con-
veyance. In reply to Mr. Austin, he stated that in conse-
quence of the delay occasioned by the bad roads to Leeds the
goods often missed the morning markets, and that the roads
on both sides of Barnsley were very bad.
Mr. Henry Rolling, a miller at Oxspring, near Penistone,
stated that his mills were about 200 yards from the Sheffield
and Manchester Railway ; that he purchased his corn at
Doncaster, Barnsley, and Wakefield, and that the cost of
carriage by canal was 4s. 6d. a ton ; that the whole ex-
pense of the carriage was 1 Is. 6d. a ton, and the quantity
carted daily was ten tons, but that if this railway was made,
his corn would come all the way from Wakefield by railway
and effect a considerable saving ; that the tolls from
Barnsley amounted to 9d. a horse ; that there were three or
four horses to each waggon, and the journey occupied the
whole day. His whole grind was about 3,800 tons a year,
and this railway would save him great expense.
Mr. H. Jackson, a linen manufacturer at Barnsley, who
pays wages to the extent of 250/. to 3001. a week, or 15,0001.
a year. He stated that he sent three-fourths of his goods to
Manchester, and the rest to London, and testified that the
railway would be a great convenience.
Tho Rev. William Thorpe, in reply to Mr. ST. Jo x,
stated his knowledge of the geology of the district, that it
was bounded on the east by the magnesian limestone, and on
the west by millstone grit, and that the Mid-
land Railway ran to the east of the most productive part
of the Silkestone coal-field, and the Manchester and Sheffield
ran to the west of it, but no railway passed over it at present.
The Barnsley Junction Railway would pass over the whole
of the beds of this coal-field, except two, and that there were
six or eight pits poy in work near to the line ; that
line passed by the richest part of the coal-field, and tat the
beds were easily got at.
J. reply to Mr. TALBOT, Mr. Thorpe stated that the Me