17 
Manchester Railway. Mr. Thorp's objection that, on the 
Barnsley line, some of the seams of coal and some of the rock 
formations were only slightly developed, stood for nothing, 
for no one line could be selected where every stratum was 
developed to its greatest extent. Of course other sections 
would be commenced, and which would with advantage be 
carried through those parts of the coal field where some coals 
attained their greatest thickness ; but as before observed, this 
section was merely to assist in instituting a comparison between 
the two coal fields, and as such could not be made with 
advantage to the Society, unless the line proposed at the Leeds 
Meeting was adopted. 
The Rev. W. Thorp's objection to Mr. Hartop's line, 
was chiefly that it would escape the volcanic rocks and the 
mountain limestone of Derbyshire. He had already pointed 
out the importance of these strata. With regard to Mr, 
Hartop's observations respecting the disturbances in the valley 
of the Don, he did not think the section would be much 
affected by them, but on the other hand, the line on the south 
side of the Don would throw some light on those disturb- 
ances, and particularly to the West of Sheffield. He regret- 
ted he had not mentioned the subject fully before, but he 
might say, he never approved of the line mentioned by Mr. 
Embleton, as the latter gentleman seemed to suppose he had 
done. 
The Chairman would take the liberty to ask whether, in 
the several sections pointed out, there was any advantage in 
one over another, wdth respect to the facility with which 
the geological characteristics of the line might be ascertained? 
Mr. Hartop begged to observe that at the former meeting 
at Leeds, he had entertained somewhat of an objection to any 
straight line being taken. Supposing the western end came 
up to the millstone grit, which was an exceedingly well defin- 
ed portion of the strata, and the Lancashire Society were to 
c 
