The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-17 00:00:00

HIGHLAND ROADS.

---o--

Among the papers presented to Parliament before
it rose is oeie that reads like a chapter of Scottish
history. It 18 t,'.2e final report of the Commissioners
of Highland
Roads and Bridges, and reviews a period
of more than a cen turj
, Years before " the 1745"
the 66vernment had fowl it necessary to construct
military roads in the Highlal:
d
ds for the movement
of the forces; but the rebellion
having shown the
danger arising from fastnesses inaces'ssible to troops,
a more extensive system of communication Was
undertaken, and at length no less than 860 miles of
military roads were completed, chiefly by military
labour. From the object being the military occu-
pation of a mountainous country, many were found
of little use for general communication, and in more
settled times were abandoned; but 600 miles con-
tinued to be maintained for many years at the'
public expense for the traffic of the districts through
which they passed. At the commencement of the
present century the Highlands were at peace; but
in civilisation and industry these remote mountain
districts were at least 50 years behind the Low-
lands of Scotland and all parts of England. A
general scheme of roadmaking was not to be ex-
pected from the unaided efforts of local proprietors.
They were as yet unaccustomed to association for
public objects; their moors and waste lands yielded
a scanty income; and many were jealous of the in-
vasion of their fastnesses by the outer. world. In
1803 Parliament determined to encourage local
enterprise, by contributing half the expense of
forming new lines of road; and to superintend the
work this commission was appointed, under the
presidency of Mr. Speaker Abbot. Comprising Mini-
seers of the Crown, and eminent members of both
Houses connected with the Highlands, the Board
secured the confidence of Parliament and the good-
will of local proprietors; and in less than 20 years
875 miles of Parliamentary roads, planned by Mr.
Telford, were completed at an expense of £454,180,
of which £152,390 were granted by Parliament.
In 1814, Parliament reviewed the position of
the military roads, relinquished the maintenance
of more than half of them as unsuitable for traffic,
and transferred the remaining 255 to the charge of
the commissioners, to be maintained by tolls and
assessments, aided by a small Parliamentary grant.
From this period 1,194 miles of road were under the
superintendence of the Board ; and in 1819 the
grant was fixed at £5,000 a year, charged upon the
Consolidated Fund, to meet assessments and tolls
amounting to about £7,500 a year. The manage-
ment was economical, and various counties under-
took a large extension of independent roads com-
municating with the principal trunk lines of the
Parliamentary roads. But in 1854 the grant,
which in 1833 had been renewed for 31 years, was
transferred with many similar charges from the
Consolidated Fund to the annual estimates. In
this position it was soon objected to as a public
grant for a local object; and last year it was
suddenly extinguished by an adverse vote in Com-
mittee of Supply. The Board, therefore, have bad
nothing left but to deliver over the 1,195 miles of
road to the several local authorities, and the har-
bours to the proprietors of the adjacent lands, to
submit to the Treasury the claims of the inspectors,
and to present to Parliament, under the hand of
their secretary, Mr. T. Erskine May, this account
of their work and its results. Reviewing the whole,
they represent that they have watched the improve-
ment of the country with the deepest interest. They
" found it barren and uncultivated, inhabited by
heritors without capital or enterprise, and by a poor
and ill-employed peasantry, and destitute of trade,
shipping, and manufactures. They leave it with
wealthy proprietors, a profitable agriculture, a
thriving population, and active industry ; furnish-
ing now its fair proportion of taxes to the national
exchequer, helping by its improved agriculture to
meet the ever-increasing wants of the populous
south, and contributing largely to the general pros-
perity of the country."

COUNTRY MARKETS.

.....

GRANTHAM-SATURDAY.

New white wheat, 49s to 54s ; red, 45s to 49s per 3Gst. ;
malting barley, —s to —s per qr ; grinding, 29s to 325;
oats, 24s to 26s ; beans, 38s to 40s ; peas, 378 to 395.

NORWICH-SATIIRDAT.

There was a fair supply of wheat at market to-day, and
consisted principally of the new crop.
White wheat. 46s to 49s j Red wheat 43s to 48s
Malting barley ...38s to 408 I Chevalier barley 36s to 379
Distilling do 33s to 35s I Oats.. 24s to 28s
Flour, 328 6d to 33s Od per sack from the miller.