RAILWAY BILLS.
Yesterday the referees reassembled in committee-room No. 11—Mr. Dodson, Chairman of Ways and Means, presiding.
The case of the Havant, Hambledon, and Droxford Railway was called on, Mr. Johnson appearing as counsel for the promoters, who apply to be empowered to make railways of seven miles, from a junction with the Brighton Railway, near the Havant Station, to Hambledon, and another of four miles from the latter place to the Petersfield and Bishops-Waltham Railway at Droxford; to raise £150,000 in shares and £50,000 by loans; with running powers over neighbouring railways. Reversing the order of proceeding in all previous Sessions the Chairman called on the opponents of the Bill, who, together with the promoters, are restricted to the employment of one counsel, to state the grounds of their objection. Mr. Clarke was about to address the committee on behalf of the London and South Western against the bill, but the committee decided that they had no locus standi. The other opponents of the Bill were the Petersfield and Bishops-Waltham Railway, represented by Mr. Merewether, Q.C., on the ground of insufficient engineering, the junction proposed to be effected being at a gradient of 1 in 80 for a mile and a half, and by Mr. Cripps, for the Hon. Mr. Dutton, Lady Napier, Mr. Thistlethwaite and others, on the ground of residential damage. Mr. Collister, C.E., was examined at considerable length against, and Mr. Ashdown, C.E., in favour of the engineering features of the undertaking, and the case, which occupied three hours and a half, closed, and the referees adjourned.