Line of Railway Amendment Bill
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187 7. SESSION IV. TASMANIA. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. MAIN LINE .OF RAILWAY AMENDMENT BILL, (No. 20) : REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE, WITH EVIDENCE AND PAPERS. Brought up by Mr. Chapman, and ordered by the Council to be printed, November 15, 1877. THE Committee appointed to consider whether it is desirable to amend " The Main Line Railway .Act," and if so in what respect, with power to send for persons and papers, have the honor to report that they have taken the evidence of-Mr. Grant, Manager and Engineer-in-Chief to the Main Line Railway; Mr. Fincham, the Government Engineer-in-Chief; Mr. Lord, Manager of the Launceston and Western Railway; Mr. Johnston, Accountant to the Launceston and Wei:;tern Railway; Mr. Batchelor, Locomotive Superintendent to the Launceston and Western ·Railway; and· Mr. Leonard Dowling, Inspecting Surveyor to the Launceston and Western Railway ; Mr. Barclay, Manager of the Commercial Bank.; and Mr. ~olly, the Assistant Colonial Secretary. They also summoned Mr. Midelton, Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent to the Main Line Railway. The evidence and papers are annexed. The Committee are of opinion that an Inspection Act, and the certificate of an Inspector appointed under such Act, are necessary preliminaries to the sanction of Bye-laws;· and also, that the evidence discloses a state of things which demands the immediate attention of the Executive Government during this present Session of Parliament, with a view to anf additional measures which it may be found expedient to propose for the sanction and approval o( Parliament. THOS. D. CHAPMAN, Chairman. Committee Room, November 15tli, 1877. ·· 4 MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS. THUR:-DAY, 1 NOVEMBER, 1877. Committee met at 11 •30. Present-Messrs. Chapman, Grnbb; Dodery, Mr. Chapman wa~ elected Chairman. OrderPd, That Mr. C. H. Grant be snn~monl'cl, November 2ml, at 12 o'clock; and to produce copies of any correspondence he hns bad between hirnsPlf and GovPrmncnt, or tlJat the Solicitors of the Company have ·had with the Government. tlm·ing the presrnt year, wi1h rf'ference to the introduction. of" A Bill to furthrr amend the Mnin Line Railwny Act;" also to produc;e to the C1•mmi1tee tlw printed Beport ;ind Evidence taken IJefore a Committee of the Hous1J of Com in ons in Englund in rpfpr1•nce to 1he Main Line Haihrny Company; also to produce copies of all corrr.~pondcnce that may have pa~scd betwePn himsrlf and Government, or between the Solicitors of the Company and the Goverument, in rPforence to any application for pecuniury assistance to work llnd maii,tain and keep open the Main Line Railway for traffic. • The Chairman lair.I the following Papers on the Table:- 33 Viet. No. 1. Main Line Railway Bill. · · 34 Viet. No. 13. Main Line Huilway Amendment Bill, No. I. 36 Vi,:t. No. 19 .. Mui11 Li11e Hail way .Amendment Bill, No. 2. 37 V_it:t. No. 20. Lau11ces1on a11il Western.Railwa.l' Act. 21 Viet. No. l I. .Lands Cla11sPs Act. Drafr' 39 ,Viet. No .. 6. Ir.spection iind Supcrvi,ion of Bailways Bill. Draft 40 Viet. No. 30. Inspection ot' Main Line ll.ailway. Also B)•e-Law, of the Launci'slon and WestPrn Railway; Paper 3·?, Session ·187.6.; H.'A. Pap.er 2~, 187.2 ;. H,A. -Paper 84; 1875; -Board-of Trade Regulations in regard to Railwu_ys. FRIDAY, 2 NOVEMBER, 1877. ()ommittee Ip.et .at 11 ·50 • .P.resent-MP$S~s .. -c"hapman, Dod_e~y. Grul;>b, Gellibrand,. oncl Inne~. · Mr. C; H. Gra11t' 11xaminecJ. The Committe'e 'adjournecl at l P.]II,•Until 11 ·30 A :r.r, ·on Saturday next. I' .. ··'t .t .{;; :·:· MONDAY, 5 NOVEMBE~, 1877. Committee met at 12. Present-Messrs. Chapman, Gellibrand, Innes. Mr. C. H. Grant examined. The Committee adjourned at l ·25 r.nr. until 11·30 A.11r. on Tuesday next. 'l'UESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER, 1877. Committee met. at 12. ... Present-Messrs. Chnpm~n, Dodrry, Innes, Moore, Gellibrand, Grnbb, Aikenhead. Mr. C. H. Grant examined. Mr. C. H. Grant attendee! anrl handed in Minutes of Evidence taken bt•fore a Select Committee of the House of Commons in Eugland, dutt•d 22nd June, 1877. Mr. C. H. Grant al;o handed in n protest. Mr. C. H. Grant also hnnded in to ,the Committee certain Returns-Traffic Returns (A), Expenses (D), Expenditnrc on Capital and Construction Acc,,unt (C) .. The Committee decided to receive th" evidence. The Committee adjourned at I P.M, until 2 r.;u:. The Com111ittt•e met at 2·15. Pres,mt-MPssrs. Chapman, Dodery, Ailwnhead, Grnbb, Innes, Moore. Mr. C. 1-1, Grant exnwinetl. Mr. J. Fincham summoned for w·cunesday, 7th November, at 10 o'c'o~k. The Committee adjourned at3·45 P.sr. until ·wednesday, 7th NoYembor, at 10 A ~c. WEDNESDAY; 7 NOVEMBER, ,187.7. The Committee met at 10·15 A,M. Present-Messrs. Grubb, M·oore, Dodery, Aikenhead, Innes, and Gellibrand._ J. Fincliam, Engineer-in-Chief, examined. The Chairman ordered that Mr. Lord and Mr. Johnston be -summoned: to :attend the,Qo.mrnitt~e .!'t; ~Q 4,111. Thursday, November 8th. Committee adjourned at 12·45 until 2·30 P.M. Al!T:E.',\.~O.(,J?j' S~T'lj'I~W: Present-Messrs. Chapman, Gellibrand, Aikenhead, Dodery, Grubb, ·Innes~ Mr, B. '!'ravers Solly examined. The Committee adjourned at 3·35 P.M. until Thursday, November 8th, at 10 A.H. THURSDAY, 8 NOVEMBER, 1877. The Committee met at .10·20 A,M. Present-l\Iessrs. Clrnpman, Gellibrand, Innes, Aikenheacl, Moore, Dodery, Grubb, Richard ,v. Lord, Manager of Launceston and Western Railway, examined. -The Committee adjourned at 1 P,M, until 2·15 P.M. AFTERNOON SITTING, Committee met at 2·30 P,M, Present-Messrs. Chapman, Innes, Gellibrnnd, Dodery, Ai_kenhead, Grubb, Moore. Robert Mackenzie Johnston,• Accountant to the Launceston aud Western Railway, examined. The Chairman orrl~red that Mr. Batchelor (Launceston and Western Raihvay) be summoned for •ruesdayt, November 13th, at 11 A.M. The Committee adjourned at 3·30 P,M, until Tues:Iay, November 13th. TUESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 1877. The Committee met at 11 ·15 A,M. Present-Messrs. Chapman, Moore, Dodery, Aikenltead, Grubb, Innes. Mr. Batch,·lor examined. The Committee adjourned at l P.:r.t. until 2 P.M. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Committee met at 2·15 P.:llt, Present-Messrs. Chapman, Dodery, Aikenhead, Innes. Mr. Batchelor's examination continued. The Chairman ordered that Mr. C. .J. Barclay, Commercial flank, be summoned Wednesday, 14th, at 2·30 P,l!il, and Mr. Midelton, Superintendent of Locomotive of the Tasmanian Main Line Railway, at 11 A,M. on Wednes• day, 14th. The Committee adjourned at 3·45 P,M, until Wednesday at 11 A,M. WEDNESDAY, 14 NOVEMBER, 1877. Present-Messr,. Chapmnn, Dorlery, Gellibrand, Innes, Aikenhead, Grubb, Moore. The Committee met at 11 ·15 A.M. The Chaiz-man ordered that Mr. Dowling be summoned for 11 A.M. to-morrow (Thursday). The Committee adjourned at I P.M. until 2 P.M. AFTERNOON SITTING, The Committee met at '2:25 P.M, Present-Messrs. Chapman, Do<lery, Grubb, Innes, Aikenhead, Gellibrand. The Chairmnn proposP.d, and it was ciarrierl unanim'.111s!y,-" That this Committee is of opinion that a Blll to provide for an Inspection of Railways ~hould be iwme tiateiy introtJucecl by the Government for the eonsideratio'i' of Parliament." The Committee "1djourned at 4 P,M, until 11 A,111. Thursday. THURSDAY, 15 ·NOVEMBEH, .1877. The Committee met at 11 ·15 A.M. Present-Messrs. Chapman, Gellibrand, Aikenhead, Dodery, Grubb, Moore, Innes. Mr. Leonard Dowling examined. The Committee adjourned at I P,M.-until 2·30 P.:r.r. AFTERNOON SITTING. 'fhe Committee met at 2•25 P.M. Present-Messrs. Chapman, Dodery, Gellibrend, Innes, Aikenhead, Grubb. The Committee adjourned at 3·55'P,M. 7 EVIDENCE. FRIDAY, 2 NOVEMBER; J 877. C. H. GRANT, E.~q., examined. By the Ghairn1an.-l. Your name is Charles Henry Grant, Manager and Engineer-in-Chief to the Tasmanian Main Line Railway? Yes. 2. Have you a copy of the Bye-laws you propose submitting to the Governor in Council for approval in event of this Bill passing the Legislature, and if so can you p1·oduce them to the Committee? No; because they would be discretionary to -the Executive Government; but I meutioned to the Hon. Mr. Giblin, when in a former Administration, that the _Company would Le fully satisfied with the same, Bye-laws as granted to the Launceston and Western Railway. _ 3. Have you made any application to the prei'ent Go_vernment for the introduction of the pi;esent Bill during the present Session of Parliament? · Not personally, but through the Company's Solicitors in verbal communications to the Attorney-General. 4. You have not communicated personally to any Member of the present Government regarding this matter? No; I have considered this unnecessm·y, because this is the thir_d Session of Parliament a similar Bjll has been before them. , 5. Can you produce tlie papers you 1Yere asked for in your summons relating to this Bill, viz., copies of any correspondence you have had, or that the Solicitors of the Company have had, with the Government dui·ing the present year with reference to the introduction of "A Bill to further amend·the Main Line Railway Act?"_ I }iave had no correspondence, and the Solicitors inform me they have had none; and I am therefore unable to produce any. 6. Can you produce the printed report and evidence taken before a Committee of the House 9f- Commons, in England, in reference to the Main Line Railway Company? I am unable to produce them now, since both my copies are unavailable.