The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-26 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN CANAL.

Report of the Select Committee of the House of
Commons appointed to consider and report what
steps it is advisable to take with respect to the
present state of the Caledonian Canal, and to
whom were referred the Annual Reports of the
Commissioners, and the Report of Mr. Walker,
4th July, 1838, and who were instructed to con-
sider the state of the Crinan Canal ; have consi-
dered the matter referred to them, and have

agreed to the following Report :
Before proceeding to report to the House the re-
sult of their inquiries into the present state of the
Caledonian Canal, your Committee will lay before
the House a brief outline of its former history. .

The Caledonian Canal was originally undertaken
in the year 1803. The peculiar natural features of
the great Caledonian valley, occupied for much the
greater portion of its length by a regular chain of
inland lakes, and extensive arms of the sea, had
long suggested the idea of carrying a Canal through
it ; but the distressed state, at that period, of the
labouring population in the Highlands, which it
was intended to relieve by employment on the pro-
posed construction, was the immediate cause which
led to the undertaking of that work. After repeated
discussions before Parliament, and after several sur-
veys had been made, a plan prepared by Mr. Tel-
ford was fixed upon ; and an Act was obtained,
and Commissioners were appointed for carrying
the undertaking into effect. The plan of Mr. Tel
proposed a uniform depth of water in the
canal of 20 feet, with locks measuring 170 feet
long and 40 feet wide, so as to afford the
means of navigation to a 32-gun frigate, and to
vessels of the largest class employed ;n the Euro-
pean foreign trade, at a cost of 350,0001. Before
the actual commencement of the works, on a more
careful investigation, the estimate was increased to
474,5001. This sum, however, fell far short of
the actual expenditure. The great rise, during the
progress of the works, in the value of timber espe-
cially, as well as of every kind of material employed
in the construction of the canal, and in the cost of
labour itself (consequent on the unprecedented in-
crease in the price of provisions), together with
the want of experience in the formation of esti-
mates for works of so gigantic a nature, afford
some explanation of the extreme excess of the ex-
penditure over the estimate. For a further expla-
nation of the cause of this excess, your Committee
beg to refer to the full and distinct information
afforded upon that head by Mr. May, the resident
engineer of the canal, in a Report to the Secretary
of the Commissioners (vide Appendix), dated Ist
November, 1837. Many unforseen difficulties
occurred to prevent the canal being opened until
several years after the period originally contem-
plated. 'Year after year, during the whole progress
of the work, the inaccuracy of the original estimate
becoming more evident, a strong feeling was at
length manifested against further advances of public
money, or renewing the annual application to Par-
liament for further grants ; and under these circum-
stances the Cornmisssioners were led, in the year
1822, to open the canal, when only partially com-
pleted. In that unfinished state, fit only for very
limited use, the canal has ever since continued.
This premature opening of the canal has occasioned
numerous accidents to the works, and entire failures
of certain portions of them, the repairing of which
has been the source of continual expense, and
has frequently caused the navigation to be inter-
rupted. To these interruptions, as will be shown
in the sequel, much of the want of success which
has attended the undertaking is to be attributed.
The total cost of the canal up to the period of its
being opened, amounted to the sum of 905,258/.,
and the outlay, to the latest period to which the
accounts have been made up, is 1,023,628/.195. 6d.
The sum is composed of the following items :
Payments for Land and Damages
Payments for Management and Law 43,500
Payments for Timber and Iron-work
Payments for Quarries and Masonry
Payments for Lobour
Shipping, Houses, Roads, and incidental
expenses, including interest of money
borrowed (about) 33,128

£1,023,628

In addition to the sum already expended,
there remain due by the Commissioners
of the Canal, as nearly as the same can
be estimated, the sum of £39,146 4 0
The attention of your Committee was first directed
to the insecure state of the works of the canal, as
pointed out by Mr. Walker, in order to ascertain
the nature and extent of the remedies absolutely
necessary. From the evidence given by Mr. Wal-
ker and Mr. Mav, your Committee were satisfied
that the report of. the former gentleman by no means
overstates the danger to be apprehended from the
present state of the canal, as regards not only the
works themselves, but the safety of life and pro-
perty in the neighbourhood of the Gairlochie lock.
At this lock, the waters of Loch Lochie, which
contains a surface of six thousand acres, and are

dammed up many feet above their natural level, are
supported by only one pair of gates ; on the break-
ing of such -barrier, the outpouring l (waters
on the adjoining country would occa r such a
dreadful loss of life and property, th a tno time ought
to be lost in guarding against such an accident.
At many of the other locks the masonry is in the
most defective state ; and since Mr. Walker
visited the canal, very extensive failures in some
of the lock-walls have occurred. From the imper-
fect original construction of many portions of the
canal itself, the leakage through the banks is so
great as to render it impossible to maintain uni-
formly such a depth of water as would render it at
all times navigable for vessels of very moderate size.
The whole works appear to be in a dilapidated
and insecure state, and their condition is daily be-
coming more alarming.
Following the course laid down by the Lords of
the Treasury for Mr. Walker's guidance in the
letter before referred to, the Committee obtained
from that gentleman explanations of the improve-
ments he had recommended in his Report, distin-
guishing those which were indispensable to the
preservation of the works from those which might
be considered expedient as improvements. The
former were estimated by Mr. Walker at the sum
of 26,0001.; but this sum would neither provide
for the completion of the canal, so as to
afford at all times a depth of seventeen feet of
water, nor for the supply of steam-tugs
upon the Highland Lakes ; both indispen-
sable, in the opinion of your Committee, to the fu-
ture prosperity of the canal, and indeed to its re-
maining open. From the evidence of Mr. May, as
well as from the testimony of several other witnesses,
a strong objection now exists to the use of the canal,
from the uncertainty there is at any particular time
whether its channel contains a sufficient depth of
water. This uncertainty particularly applies to a
part of Loch Oich. But were this inconvenience
remedied, the greatest impediment to the navigation
of the canal would still continue, unless steam-tugs

were introduced upon the lakes. These lakes, sur-
rounded by mountains, which rise abruptly to a great
height from their margin, and having shores too
rugged and steep to admit of constructing a towing-
path, form in the valley a natural funnel, through
which the wind blows invariably, either up or
down. To beat against a head-wind upon these
lakes is impossible ; vessels, therefore, are fre-
quently obliged to remain for days, and even weeks,
waiting for a favourable wind. The uncertainty
of such a passage has led naturally to the com-
parative neglect of the canal as a means of naviga-
tion from one side of the kingdom to the other.
Supported, therefore, by the opinion of every wit-
ness examined on the subject, your Committee
consider that the cost of establishing steam-tugs on
these lakes must be included in the estimate of ne-
cessary expenditure, and this addition would amount
to 13,0001. Your Committee endeavoured to as-
certain from Mr. Walker whether the outlay pro-
posed by him in his report to the Treasury would
admit of reduction ; but after the fullest considera-
tion, your Committee came to the conclusion that
it was not expedient to make any further improve-
ments, unless of such a nature as to place the works
in a permanently
efficienti
bsltea,t ecoomf rpelpetaeir,
aasnda remlrdee
of communication between the eastern and western
coasts. The amount requisite for this purpose has
been stated by Mr. Walker at 150,0001. But
considering that since his report was made, further
accidents have occurred, and that there is reason
to fear that the dilapidations are still increasing, and
adverting to the debts still due by the Commis-
sioners, a less sum than 200,0001. cannot safely be
I calculated on. _ _ _

Looking to the magnitude of this outlay, and to
the small amount of traffic there has hitherto been
on the canal, the question has not unnaturally

arisen, whether the canal ought longer to be kept
open. As to the practicability of totally abandon-
ing the works, considerable doubts have been ex-
pressed, and neither Mr. Walker nor Mr. May
could give any estimate of the expense of such a
procedure. It is obvious that a very large outlay
would be requisite to fence the banks and locks,
and to pretect the adjoining districts from the effect
of any overflowing ; while, as regards Loch Lochie,
raised artificially above its natural level, Mr. May
expresses considerable doubt whether it could be
restored to its original state. Were the canal
abandoned, it would, in the opinion of that gentle-
men, be necessary to retain almost as large an es-
tablishment as at present, to protect the works,
and this without the possibility of any return here-
after to assist in defraying the expense. Add to
this, that claims for compensation would probably
be raised by parties who have expended capital in
the adjoining districts on the faith of the canal
being maintained. All these would occasion an
outlay so great, and at the same time so difficult of
accurate estimate, that your Committee have
formed a decided opinion that the proposition of
abandoning the canal cannot be entertained.
It remains to be considered whether there are
sufficient grounds to justify your Committee in re-
commending the House to sanction so large an
expenditure as will be necessary to render the canal
available for navigation to the extent originally
proposed.
With a view to obtain information as to the pro-
bable extent to which the canal would be used, if
placed in such a state as is proposed in Mr.
Walker's Report, your Committee directed that a
circular letter should be addressed by their Chairman
to several of the large sea-ports which might be
supposed to be most interested in the maintenance
of the canal. A copy of this letter and of the an-
swers will be found in the Appendix. Witnesses
from Glasgow, Dundee, Belfast, and London were
also examined on this subject. How far the pro-
jected improvements in. the canal would lead to
an increase of trade, the opinions your Corn-
mittee obtained are various, and must necessarily
be hypothetical ; but their general tendency leads
yonr Committee to believe that a very great in.
crease of traffic would take place were it rendered
a matter of certainty that a passage could be ef-
fected within five days, and were the tedious and
dangerous navigation of the Pentland Frith thus su-
perseded. On looking to the return of the number
of vessels which have passed through the canal since
it was originally opened, a table of which will be
found in the appendix, a gradual increase may be
observed of late years, notwithstanding the difficul-
ties and frequent obstructions in the passage ; and
your Committee see no reason to doubt that, with
the advantages proposed to be afforded by the plans
of Mr. Walker, such a further increase would take
place as to justify the expenditure now recommended.
Had it been referred to your Committee to consider
and report whether an expenditure of upwards of
1,000,0001. sterling should be incurred in forming
a canal from the Moray Frith to Loch Eil, your
Committee cannot contemplate any circumstances
which would have justified them in making such a
recommendation ; it forms, however, no part of
the duty of your Committee to inquire into the
expediency of the original undertaking ; and the
real point now to be decided is this : if a perfect ship
canal, connecting the Eastern and Western Oceans,
could be formed for a sum not exceeding 200,0001.
could Parliament be justified in granting that
amount for such an object ? Considering the great
expense,without any prospect of a return, to which the
abandonment of the canal would lead, and that this
expense must be deducted from the foregoing sum
of 200,0001., in order to estimate fairly what the
net cost would be of placing the canal in a com-
plete and finished state, your Committee have no
hesitation in deciding this question in the affirma-
tive ; and they have accordingly agreed to the
following resolutions, on which this report has been
framed :

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Com-
mittee-
1. That the insecure condition of the works on.
the Caledonial Canal. as detailed in the report oi"
Mr. Walker, has been fully established by the evi-
dence laid before the Committee.
2. That the state of the canal calls for the im-
mediate attention of Parliament, not only with re •
ference to the preservation of the works, but also
as regards the security of life and property in por-
tions of the district through which the canal passes.
3. That this Committee cannot recommend the
abandoning or shutting up the canal, on account of
the large but unknown sum which must be expended
to accomplish these objects, independent of the
claims for compensation which may be expected to
be preferred by those interested in its maintenance.
4. That the Committee is of opinion that the un-
finished state of some portions of the works of th e
canal, and the imperfect execution of other parts—
the want of a sufficient depth of water—and the
absence of steam-tugs on the great Highland lochs,
have prevented the development of those benefits
to commerce which might reasonably have been
expected to result from its construction.
5. That this Committee is of opinion that con-
siderable benefit would arise to the commerce and
trade of several of the large and important northern
sea-ports, were the works of the canal placed in an
efficient state of repair, its depth increased, and the
assistance of steam-tugs afforded, as recommended
in the report of Mr. Walker.
6. That this Committee, therefore; recommend,
that a sum not exceeding 200,0001. should be
placed at the disposal of the Government to be ex-
pended in the repair and improvement of the canal,
under the authority of an Act of Parliament, which
should be procured for this purpose.
7. That the Chairman be requested to draw up
and submit to the Committee a report in conformity
with the foregoing resolutions.