The Sun.
London, England, 1825-04-04 00:00:00

AT tt MEETING of the NOBLEMEN,
GENTLEMEN, CLERGY, and FREEtIOLDERS
of the COUNTY of NORTHUMBERLAND, held here this
day, to receive the REPO :1:2 of the COMMITTEE ap-
poir,ted at a General County Meeting on the 21st day of plug
last, " to enquire whether a better communication between
Newcaste and Carlisle was practicable, and Whether it would
be most advisable to carry it into effect by a Hail-7oad or a
Canal, and to report their opinion to a General Meeting of the
County ;"
ANTHONY OREGSON, Esq., High Sheriff, in the Chair;
Sir ./0111,1 Enw. SwixßrrnxF, Bart. the Chairoiladof the
Committee, presented the following Report :
". Referring to the Resolutions of tile county meeting from
which we derive our authority, we now state our proceedings:
in the performance of the. duty confided to a::„ and the con-
chisions at which we have arrived.

" de tie it expedient in the first _instance to request of
slEr._Chaninan (who seemed,' from his local knowledge and pre.
viatts attention to the siNeat when a canal was contemplated
nom:: yoars ago, to be the person best fitted' to form an opinion)
:that' he would, as f'ar as the materials in his possession permitted,
Isgive the fullest consideration to the subject, and report to. us
I his sentiments. That report was made in the month of October
last, and was under our directions printed and distributed
amongst those who took an interest in the measure. Not, how-
ever, thinking fit entirely to rely on the opinion of a single en-
gineer in a matter of such importance, we had recourse to the
assistance of Mr. Josias Jessop, an engineer of eminence oh-
connected with this county, and uncommitted by any former
expressed opinion. Mr. Jessup, at our instance, eXamined the
'line, and on the 7th instant we received . his report, which was
also immediately printed and drstributed, and we annex copies
. of both these reports.
" in determining on the practicability of one mode of commu-
nication or the other, it seems necessary in the first instance to
form an estimate of the expence of each, and then to consider
whether either one or the other will produce a return equivalent
to the amount of expenditure; for without a well-grounded
prospect of such return (however beneficial to the public the
Measure might be), it would be vain to expect its execution at
the expellee of individual subscribers.
" On the authority of Mr. Chapman's and Mr...Tessop'A re-
ports, we cannot calculate the cost of a ship canal from the
basin of the canal at Carlisle to the River Tyne at Redheusit,
of the same dimensions as that already executed between the
Solway Firth and Carlisle, viz. of the width of 13 feet 6 inches,
and of the depth of 9 feet, at a sum less titan between nine bun--
dred thousand pounds and one million sterling.
" Front the present fluctuating state of the iron trade, it is
difilOtato calculate with accuracy the expence of a rail-rnad ;
we conceive ourselves, however, justified m estimating the ex-
pence of a rail-road from the basin of the canal at Carlisle to
Newcastle at a sum not exceeding 300,000/.
" The expellee of maintaining a rail-road will be less than
that.of' sustaining a canal, whilst the conveyance upon it, will
he cheaper as well as more expeditious. The vast number of
locks which would be required on a canal with a rise and fall
of 810 feet, must in a more titan ordinary degree protrect the
navigation and augment the expenee of carriage ; a rail-road
likewise affords great facilities of communicating with the sur-
rounding oonntry by branches at all elevations, a circumstance
which we cannot but consider of the utmost importance in a
case like the present, in which the transit of the mineral anti
other productions of the intervening country is not loss an c. 1..
ject than that of merchandise between the two extrenwaSof the

. .
" To counterbalance these circumstances in faviants of
road, we have not been able to discover any advantage peculiar
to a canal, except that to btederived from avoiding a change of
conveyance a: each end, which can only happen in cases where
the vessels navigating the ocean are of so small burthen ;et to
admit of their passing through the canal, and are also furnished
with striking masts.
" We cannot be so sanguine as to entertain the slightest ex-
pectaticri that the passage on the line between Newcastle and
Carlisle car., by any possible increase, become such as to yield
a sufficient income to justify the expenditure necessary to form
a ship canal. On the other hand, from the best information we
haVe been able to obtain, we are of opinion that the quantity of
carriage on a rail-road will be sufficient to produce an ample re_
turn for the more limited capital required for that undertaking.
We do not go more into detail on this branch of •the subject ;
we are satisfied with stating in general terms our opinion, con-
ceiving that a minute detail of estimates is not in the present
stage of the business necessary.
a' I t will be 'obvious, from what we have already said, that we
consider the improvement of the communicatiari between New-
castle and Carlisle by means of a ship canal impracticable, be-
cause, in cur opinion; there can be safficient tr.ifiuc upon it to
produce an adequate return for the embrrnoas capital which
must. be expended.
" The expence of a boat canal, it is true, would be much
more moderate; but it is admitted on all hands that there can
be no question between the comparative eligibility of a boat
canal and rail-road, the former having mere of the advantages of
the latter, and also wanting all that is peculiarly desirable in a
ship canal. viz. the unity of conveyance. • •
We deem it due to those landowners who have been sup--
posed to be adverse to a canal, to state that 'in pronouncing a
canal to be impracticable we have not been influenced by any
presumed opposition on their part, feeling convinced -that
they would not have presented any obstacle to the measure
had it been attainable, and likely to produce a great public
benefit.
" Our opinion .of a rail-road is very different; we think
that it is not only practicable, but that the undtrtaking will
be advantageous to those who may embark in it, and we
consider it an object of great importance both to the landed
and commercial interests of this part- of the kingdom ; ire
execution Will open a country rich in mineral productions, and
tend materially to promote agriculture, manufactures, and
commerce.

"JOHN E. SWINBUIINE,
4, Chairman of the Committee.
" Newcastle, 2Gth March, 1825."
And on the motion'of A. J. Cressw ell Baker, Esq., seconded
by Edward Collingwood, Esq.,
It was unanimously resolved,
Ist. That the Report of the Committee now presented by
Sir John Edw. Swinburne, Bart. their Chairman, be published
by advertisement in the Newcastle, Carlisle, and Durham
Papers. and in some of the London Papers.
2d. That this Meeting, concurring in the view taken of the
subject by the Committee, consider the formation of a rail-road
between Newcastle and Carlisle an object of great importance,
both to the landed and commercial interests in this part of the
kingdom, and worthy. of the countenance and encouragement
of the county.
NTHONY GREGSON, Sheriff:
The High Sheriff having left the Chair, and the same being
taken by A. J. Cresswell Baker, Esq.,
It was moved by Sir Cuthbert Heron, Bart. and seconded
by Lieut.-Colonel Coulson,
That the thanks of this Meeting be given to the High Sheriff'
of the county of Northumberland for convening the meeting,
Etna for his conduct in the Chair.

(Signed)

At a MEETING of the GENTLEMEN disposed to em-
bark in the Undertaking, of a RAIL-ROA D held immediately
after the business of the County Meeting closed,
ADDISON JOHN CRESWELL BAKER Esq•
in the Chair,

...
The following resolutions were unanimously adopted:—
That a Company be formed for the purpose of carrying into
effect the measure of establishing a communication between
Newcastle and Carlisle by a railroad, which has this day re-
ceived the sanction of a general meeting of the nobility, gentle-
men;. clergy, and freeholders of the county of North-timberland,
and that such Company be called*` The Newcastle upon Tyne
and Carlisle Rail-road Company.
o
thecapital be 300.0001., and he divided
into 3,000 oar
and that 500 shares be reserved
iesof of the company
each,
for the landowners on, or in the neighbourhood of, the line of
the proposed rail-road.
That the-prospectus now read, be adopted as the prospec-
tus pr the-c
ompany, and be advertised in the Newcastle, Car-
lisle, and Durham newspapers, and in some of the London
newspapers.
That hooks of Subscription be opened at the banks of Sir M.
W. Ridley, Bert. and Co., Messrs. Ralph John Lumbton and