FARMERS' REGISTER— RAIL ROADS. 



667 



Mr. Hardman Earle, a Liverpool merchant, 

 was one of the most determined opponent? of" tlie 

 Liverpool and Manclitvler Rail Road. His flxmily 

 ha 1, at l!ic cost of above £12,0J0 built a hoase, 

 and laid out pleasure-grounds, through vvliich the 

 line of railway passes; and their opposition was 

 founded parlly on the apprehended injury and in- 

 conveniences arising from this circumstance. Mr. 

 Earle, therefore, was very properly summoned as 

 a whness before this committee, and the lollowing 

 is a part of his testimony. 



'Have you experienced any inconvenience since the 

 railway was constructed? — No inconvenience whatever 

 has been experienced. 



'Are the grounds infested by the people in conse- 

 quence of the passage of the locomotive engine — 

 No. 



'Is there anything oifensive in it? — Nothing what- 

 ever. 



'Is there any smoke? — None whatever. 



'Is there any noise? — No; it is rather an object of in- 

 terest to persons residing there. 



'Are you able to say whether the inhabitants of other 

 houses are annoyed? — I am enabled to say they do not 

 consider tliem a nuisance. 



'At the commencement of the undertaking were 

 you a determined opponent to the measure? — Yes; my 

 mother was a petitioner against the bill, and I appear- 

 ed as evidence against it. 



'From all that you have since seen you would no 

 longer oppose the construction of rail roads? — Certain- 

 ly not; from what I have seen my opinion is entirely 

 changed.' 



In fact the fuel burned is coke, which produces 

 no smoke. The smoothness of the road, and its 

 freedom from those asperities ■which exist on the 

 best constructed turnpike roads, are such that the 

 wheels move with comparatively little noise. But, 

 in addition to this, the speed being almost three 

 times that of common coaches, and more than 

 seven times that of wagons, the noise is almost 

 momentary. A train of wagons or coaches shoots 

 pass with the speed of the wind, and the noise is 

 scarcely perceived before it ceases; it cannot be 

 heard on a still day at a greater distance than one 

 hundred yards. 



Another ground of objection, urged by land- 

 lords, is the apprehended depreciation of the value 

 of the adjacent land. The facility of communi- 

 cation with the metropolis and populous towns is 

 so obvious an advantage, that we cannot help ex- 

 pressing our astonishment that such an apprehen- 

 sion should for a moment be entertained. As 

 those who could entertain an objection so unfound- 

 ed are little likely to be accessible to the reasoning 

 by which it might be refuted, we shall here con- 

 fine ourselves to facts, and show that in every 

 case, without a single exception, which has come 

 under inquiry, the value of land adjacent to a suc- 

 cessful line of railway has been considerably in- 

 creased. 



Mr. Pease, J\I. P., a director of the Stockton 

 and Darlington railway, stated in his evidence, 

 that he had been for ten years a director of that 

 compan}-, during seven years of which the rail 

 road had been in practical operation; that he had 

 closely observed its effects on landed property 

 through which it passed, or which was adjacent to 

 it, and that he had been privy to all the negotia- 

 tions which had taken place between the rail road 

 company and the proprietors from whom tliej' had 

 made purclia-'cs. 



'Do you know whetherthe advertisements of letting 

 farms or selling estates, contain any thing relating to 

 the rail road? — It is invariably stated, eiiiier that the 

 rail road passes through the estate or near to it; they 

 consider it as an enliaucement of the value of the pro- 

 party. 



'Are you a land holder yourself in the neighborhood 

 of the rail road? — I have one small estate, which it in- 

 tersects into two equal parts nearly. It passes through 

 the enclosure in winch the homestead stands. 



'Have you been benefited by the rail road passing 

 through it? — I have; the cuttings are available as 

 drains; the rent of the property is increased one-fifth. 

 I let the farm, subject to its being given up on the rail 

 road being made, and I have siiice I'eceived one-fifth 

 additional rent. 



'Do you know any instance of the reduction of rent, 

 in consequence of a rail road passing through a farm? — 

 I have made inquiries, but have not been able to meet 

 with such an instance.' 



The Stockton and Darlington railway was ori- 

 ginally intended to be a single line; but after its 

 formation the company found, from the extent of 

 traffic upon it, that a double line would be necessa- 

 ry. Having originally purchased no more land 

 than was necessary for the single line, they were 

 obliged to treat with the same jn'oprietors for an 

 additional tract to widen the road, so as to receive 

 the second line of railway. Nothing can more 

 conclusively decide the question of the effect of 

 the railway on the value of land than this circum- 

 stance. Here was a portion of land, purchased 

 before any railway had been constructed; and an 

 equal quantity, in precisely the same place, was 

 subsequently purchased li'om the same parties by 

 the same company, after the formation of the sin- 

 gle line of railway. Mr. Pease was examined as 

 to the terms on which the second portion of land 

 was purchased. 



'Have you paid on those (second) treaties, an in- 

 creased value upon the land beyond what you paid be- 

 fore the line was established? — Invariably. 



'Can you say to what amount? — I should say that we 

 have never objected to pay an advanced price of 50 

 per cent. 



'Was this in consequence of tlie increase of value 

 arising from the rail road? — We were quite aware of 

 the increased value to the owner, and made no objec- 

 tion to the advance.' 



Mr. Thomas Lee, a surveyor and agent to seve- 

 ral landed gentlemen in the neighborhood of the 

 Liverpool and Manchester Rail Road, was ex- 

 amined as to the effect of the rail road upon the 

 value of land in that neighborhood. 



'Can you tell the comnuttee whether in an agricul- 

 tural point of view, property has been improved or de- 

 teriorated by the rail road passing through it? — It has 

 been improved. 



'Have the farmers been benefited by it? — They 

 have. 



'Have Colonel Lee and Mr. Trafford obtained high- 

 er rents in consequence of it? — They have. 



'Have j'ou taken land yourself at an increased rent? 

 — At double the original rent.' 



Mr. Hardman Earle, before mentioned,, was ex- 

 amined to the same point. 



'Do you know any instance in which the value of 

 land has been affected by the railway? — I think the Chat 

 Moss was an instance of that kind. They bring ma- 

 mu-e from Manchester to Chat Moss; and wherever a 

 station is formed, the value of the land is improved. 

 You see advertisements recommending a site, because 

 the rail road runs near or through it. 



