The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-03 00:00:00

RAILWAY TO SCOTLAND.

The following. is an extract from the Fourth
Report of the Commissioners, now printed by
order of the House of Commons, on the best
line of communication between London, Edin-
burgh, and Glasgow. The preference is given
to the Western line from Lancaster, Carlisle
by Lockerby, Beattock, Lanark, and Hamilton
to Glasgow, with a branch from Thaukerton or
Symington to Edinburgh, as being the general
route which would fulfil the greater number of
requisites in the Railway communication under
consideration.
Having now enumerated all the Lines submitted to us which
have reference to the communication between England and Scot.
land, as well av those which bear on the question of the commu.
Mcation to the North of Ireland, we have to state that they have
been subjected to a careful and minute examination. We have
not only inspected the country through which the several Lines
would pass, but we have deliberately considered the various ele-
ments of superiority possessed by each. fhe chief of these ele.
men:s are the distances and gradients; the probable cost of con.
struction and working ; the numerical and commercial importance
cf the population to be accommodated ; the relative traffic and
other statistical properties ; and it is on a consideration of these
that we have arrived at the conclusion which it is now our duty to
report.

We are led to believe, from all the information we have been
en:.bled to collect, that the amount of traffic which in the present
state of the commercial and other relations of England and Scot.
land may be expected between Edinburgh and Glasgow and the
South is not such as would be likely to afford an adequate return
for the outlay of capital required for the construction of two dis.
ttnct Lines of Railway, the one from Darlington to Edinburgh,
and the other from Lancaster to Glasgow. Were this otherwise,
we should subdivide the question into two branches, and consider
in the first instance which of the several Lines would be the most
suitable for a communication by Lancaster to Glasgow, as well as
to the West of &otland, and to the North of Ireland, and which
would be the best route by Newcastle to Edinburgh.
Under such circumstances, we should have air arded the prefer.
once to the East Coast Line, whether deviated or not, between the
two last named places, and have then weighed the merits of the
various routes to Glasgow; but seeing the extent of capital that
would be required for the construction of two distinct trunk Lines,
the one to Edinburgh and the other to Glasgow, we feel under the
necessity of recommending, at present, the construction of one
Line only ; and, after a careful review of all the circumstances of
this important question, we give the preference to the Line from
Carlisle by Lockerby, Beattock, Lanark, and Hamilton to Glasgow,
with a branch from Thankerton or Symington to Edinburgh, as
being the general route which would fulfil the greater number of
requisites in the Railway communication under consideration.

We give this opinion, however, under the supposition that ante-
cedently to the construction of this Line, the Railway shall have
been formed between Lancaster and Carlisle, or that both Lines
shall be undertaken nearly simultaneously: but should this not be
the case, and parties should be found to construct the Line from
Darlington to Edinburgh, then the western route ought to be
abandoned for the presuit, and in that event we should award the
preference to the East Coast Line over the Hexham Line.

THE I3RANDLING JUNCTION RAILWAy.-
The Bran ling Junction Railway Company are now prosecut-
ing very extensive works near the Mill Dam at South Shields,
in order to admit of their railway terminating near to the Mar-
ket-place, in that town. The terminus is at present in West
Holborn, opposite the Penny Pie Stairs, and nearly half a
mile from the principal seat of business in that town.
It is proposed to extend the line, and form a depot
and terminus on the site now occupied as a depot for
ballast opposite the extensive crown glass works of Messrs.
Cookson and Company ; and for this purpose they
applied to the Town Council of Newcastle, at the meet-
ing on Wednesday week, for leave to erect a quay and
shipping docks at that place ; the application was received
and will shortly be determined. The ballast hill is in course
of being removed to the sea shore, and an extensive tunnel
has been formed from the river, underneath the works of
Messrs. Cookson and Co. and the public road adjoining, so as
to convey the biillast away without interfering with the pro-
posed erections. This will be a great accommodation to the
public, and will materially enhance the value of the Brandling
Junction Railway to the inhabitants of South shields, and
tend to increase the great prosperity of this flourishing under-
taking.—Doncaster Gazette. _ . .

4.)
In our last we stated that Zephaniah Williams
and four convicts had run away Iran Port Arthur, It
appears that Wi.liams. who is an IN rseer of the coal-
mir es found in the bush a boat, and the convicts wha had
concealed it knew that, un!e•s they fun ced him away with
them, they would be isea ye cd so t► ey took him away
with them, and at the first house he came to after leaving
the remainder of the men, he gave himself up, and is now
in g.iol at Richmond. We are glad to twar the conduct
of Wil i.ms, since lis arr.yrl here, has been extremely
exemplary. We ht,ye and tort some of the Canadians
bave et-duped from Green - Poiids, under rdtber
ordinary ctrciimttince=.— Hobart Mon Advertiser, Nov.
24, 1641.