The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-27 00:00:00

1 to station ,for a week, Ran at different points upon
the canal, to take the tonnage of the vessels that passed,
sad to obtain from the Captain or the men information
as to the destination of the cargo. But, to ascertain
the traffic to Manchester was a matter of very great
difficulty, because of the water communications through
Manchester, there was a delivery at the lower end of
the town, a delivery at the upper end of the town at
Piccadilly, and goods passing through the town. He,
however, took the traffic at the Castle Field lock, at
the lower end of the town ; at the Minshull-street lock,
in the centre ; and at the Islington lock, out of the
town towards Yorkshire ; and from the result obtained,
he considered that 210,000 tons were passing annually
through Manchester from Liverpool towards Yorkshire.
The estimate brought forward by the Liverpool and
Manchester Company was, that, instead of 89,000
tons, there were only 17,000 tons passing along
the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and that
45,000 was the total tonnage between Liver-
pool and places east of Manchester. Every en-
deavour was made to discover the cause of this dis-
crepancy, and deputations from the two Companies met
for the purpose of conferring on the subject ; but after
a lengthened sitting, it was found impossible to convince
the Liverpool Directors that there was any error in
their estimates, and the Leeds Directors could see no
good ground for supposing that there was any error in
theirs ; and that discrepancy remained to the present
time. In January, 1840, the Liverpool Company drew
up a minute referring to this subject, which might be
considered as their manifesto, stating the grounds why
they demurred to proceed with the junction line,
which were principally the discrepancy in the estimates,
and the projected Southern Junction. The conclusion
from this necessarily was, that the Liverpool Company
not only were not desirous to move forward, but
were anxious to find arguments for delay, and for post-
poning the formation of the junction indefinitely. This
Company had always viewed it in that light, and
though not much attention had been paid to the sug-
gestions of a second junction, it did, in some degree,
occupy the attention of the engineers and Directors of
that Company ; and they had come to the conclusion
that it would be more expensive than the Northern
Junction, and that the Manchester and Birmingham
Company would have no interest to induce them to
join in making such a junction. If the Liverpool
Company demurred to spend 250,0001., the estimated
expense of the Hunt's Bank junction, to secure the
traffic of the Leeds Company, which there was no
doubt, from the district their line traversed, must be
three or four times the extent of that which they
would derive from the Birmingham Company—it never
could be the interest of the Birmingham Company to
spend an equal sum, for the interest they would have
in the junction. And they had come to the conclusion
that it was not a line that would ever be made, unless

the Liverpool Company would undertake to make the
greater part of it, which there was no reason to ex-
pect. Plans, however, had been deposited previous
to this, in order to go to Parliament, for this line
Two or three months after the publication of the do-
cument referred to, a deputation from the Liverpool
Company waited on the Leeds Board, suggesting that
they should get an act to make their extension to that
station of the Birmingham Railway ; but this scheme
appeared so impracticable that they were told it would
be impossible for the Leeds Company to make such
extension, unless.the Liverpool Company were prepared,
not only to bear a considerablo part of the expense, but
also to bear harmless the Leeds Company in the ex-
pense already incurred in the Hunt's Bank extension.
And his impression was that the deputation of the Li-
verpool Company left them with the impression that
thejunction line they proposed could never be effected.
Since, then, however, a communication had been made,
from parties professionally employed in the Duke of
Bridgewater's interest, to the effect that it was exceed-
ingly desirable that the southern junction should be per-
severed in, and these parties were exceedingly anxious
to have it carried out. Knowing that the Duke of
Bridgewater's interest was so important at the Liver-
pool and Manchester Board, they were- bound most
carefully to consider this subject ; and by showing the
impracticability and improbability of its being carried
out, they should much simplify the course of the Liver-
pool Company, as well as their own. The length of the
southern junction would be 5,000 yards of new work,
while that of the Hunt's Bank junction was but 4,035.
It would be, in fact, two miles and eight-tenthswholly upon
arches. It would cross the river Irwell, Water-street,
Deansgate, Oxford-road, Garratt-road, London-road,
Ancoats-street, and Oldham-road ; seven of the princi-
pal streets in the town. It would cross the river Med-
lea four times, and at one point the river itself would
have to be diverted ; and as that river was thickly
studded with works of all kinds, it might easily be sup-
posed that a line skirting that river would cut through
a great deal of valuable property. It would cross the
canal five times between the Birmingham station and
the Liverpool line, and he could not say exactly what
number of times between the Birmingham station and
their own. Then there were difficulties about the
station, which would have to be in Ducie-street ; the
existence of the canal, of coal yards, and of several large
factories on the other side, rendered it impossible to ob-
tain adequate station-room there. So far as his recol-
lection went, the Liverpool engineers estimated the cost
at 700,0001, while the northern junction would be but
400,500/. ; of this 700,0001., the amount entailed on the
Leeds Company, would cause to them a difference of'
50,000/. in engineering; and, including the value of the
land, the cost would be nearly doubled. The Hunt's Bank
extension line passed over ground that was scarcely half
built on, while the other would take in a great number
of most important buildings. The further they looked
into this question, the more did they see the impossibi-
lity of carrying out such a line ; and the Liverpool
Board could not entertain any expectation of its being
completed in any reasonable period. The only other
objection of any consequence was as to the traffic. It
might be exceedingly difficult, by any statement of
figures, to make it clear that the junction would be a
remunerative one ; but, looking at the general cir-
cumstances of the case, nothing could be more
clearly demonstrated. Mr. Stanway had taken the
traffic estimate on the same principle as he prepared
the estimate for their line. Their Parliamentary es-
timate was 113,000/. per annum ; and during the last
six months they had received at the rate of 96,0001. per
annum. And it was• notorious, however much they
might be deceived by estimates of expense, traffic esti-
mates in general were exceedingly correct, time being
allowed for the development of the traffic. On that
ground they had a right to presume that Mr. Stan-
way's estimate would be borne out. But there was
another way of putting the matter. The inhabitants of
Manchester and the Istria around amounted to 800,000
or 900,000. ' The Liverpool Company had a traffic of
4,000 tons per week, and the water communications of
probably 10,000 toys ; making a traffic between Liver-
pool and this district of 14,000 tons weekly. Conti-
nuous to this line, in Yorkshire, was a population ex-
ceeding a million ; these must consume as much as the
same number of people in Lancashire, and must draw
their supplies either from Liverpool or London. Now
the estimate of the Liverpool Company would go to
show that not one-tenth of the amount of produce and
other articles which necessarily came from Liverpool
to supply this part of Lancashire, did come to supply
the million of people in Yorkshire. This led to the
conclusion that there must be some error in the estimate
en which the Liverpool Company relied. Now, were
the inhabitants of Yorkshire supplied from Liver-
pool or London ? If from Liverpool, the amount
must be vastly greater than their estimate showed ;
if from London, it proved the importance of the
Liverpool Company increasing the facility of com-
munication between their town and that largely con-
suming district.—(Hear, hear.) Another coosidera-
tin was, that traffic was limited in a most extraordi-
nary degree by any interruption of the continuity of
railways. Their traffic was now nearly double its
amount when the line was but partially open. What
Was the communication between Yorkshire and Liver-
poets but a partially epened railway ? There was a
blank here at Manchester ; and what inconvenience
could be greater than the tumbling out of carriages of
one railway into an omnibus, and having to drive
through the streets of a crowded town, at ten or
twelve miles an hour, for the purpose of catching the
other train ? That inconvenience was increasing
daily, as the number of their passengers increased.
Then the expense of carting goods through the town,
and re•leading them, and the delay which this caused,
must materially diminish the amount of goods thus
conveyed. Taking these two subjects into considera-
tion, they believed a very large increase of traffic
would take place if a junction line were formed ; and
it should be remembered that a very small increase
would remun:'rate them for the outlay. An increase of
o the Liverpool Company
100 tons a cirri wo;:ld secure t
ATC ner cent. on their outlay ;
an interest of more tan - ;
and Capt. Laws was"Prepro:a to state that more than
4 remuneration would
double the necessary amount -in this junction.
accrue to them, if they would to,
between
Looking at the question as one simply .
' loktihnge
northern junction and no innetiott et all, ant, -.mot
at it as a question of cost on the pm ef the Lived, • .
and Matidflester Company, he had nd iregitatid9
saying; that if that Company would put the (41YeStitm
tod gtottod; the Directors of the Leeds Compaq )
would iniffit iti th& Proprietors, at a special meet-
ing, a proposition ft3f gilarinteei4 the Liverpool
Company, in the event of their cotiipliiodg flTe junction
from any loss that might arise, and forgiving this gtiaterv-
tee on condition of receiving but one-half the advan-
tage that would accrue from the junction.—( Applause.)
And we know enough of the sentiments of some large
Proprietors in this Company to say that they would
cheerfully support the Directors in such a proposition.—
(Applause.) It had always been the wish of the Direc-
tors of the Liverpool Company to secure this junction ;
but in order to ensure its advantages it would be neces-
sary that the most cordial and thorough understanding
should exist between the two Companies, and that the
mode of working the traffic should be most harmonious,
and on that ground he bad wished to avoid, in giving this
historical detail, anything which might seem to re-
flect on the Liverpool Company. They now came to the
- great question, what course this Company ought to