THE DIRECT LONDON AND PORTSMOUTH RAILWAY.
The committee met at 11 o'clock, the Earl of Hardwicke in the chair.
Mr. Serjeant Wrangham applied to the committee to reconsider their decision of yesterday, by which the Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth company were precluded from being heard in favour of the competing line.
After some discussion.
The committee decided that they did not think it necessary to reconsider their judgement.
Mr. Alexander since the adjournment of the committee yesterday, Mr Webb, of Godalming, and the several other landowners had withdrawn their opposition.
The Earl of Lovelace, Sir Wm. Jolliffe, M.P. for Petersfield, Mr. Denison, M.P. for West Surrey, Wm. Holland, Esq. (Mayor of Godalming), and several other witnesses, were called to prove the advantages of the proposed line.
Mr. Alexander said he had a great number of other witnesses in attendance, who could speak to similar facts.
The chairman intimated that the committee were of opinion that sufficient evidence had been given on that point.
Mr. Alexander said that, under those circumstances, he would at once put in the traffic tables and then proceed with the engineering evidence.
The traffic tables, which were then put in, showed a net income of 100,645l. 10s. 10d., being 6¾ per cent. on the estimated capital, after deducting 40 per cent. for the working expenses.
Mr. Joseph Cubitt, the engineer of the line, stated that the line was intended to commence at Epsom, and to proceed by Leatherhead, through the vale of Middleham, to Dorking and Godalming; and thence, by means of several tunnels, to Portsmouth. The total length of the line would be 68 miles to furlongs, making the distance from London Bridge 78¾ miles. The estimate for constructing a double locomotive line was 1,309,000l. for a single atmospheric line 1,408,000l. The steepest gradient would be 1 in 80, and the smallest curve a radius of half a mile.
Mr. John Hawkshaw, engineer to the Leeds and Manchester Company, said that taking into consideration the steep gradients, 40 per cent. was quite sufficient to allow for the working of the proposed line.
Mr. William Cubitt, the chief engineer to the promoters of the bill, was then called and examined, after which the committee adjourned until tomorrow.