The Sun.
London, England, 1834-06-18 00:00:00

SOUTHAMPTON a COMMERCIAL PORT.

The following are extracts from the evidence
adduced before the Lords' Committee on the London
and Southampton Railway Bill :
Capt. GEORGE ELLIOTT, R.N., examined.
How long have you been in the navy ?—Forty years.
Are you acquainted _with Southampton harbour ?
Not very intimately ; but I am generally acquainted
with it.
Are you sufficiently acquainted with it to be able to
speak of it as a commercial port ?—Perfectly. It has
a very extensive and a very secure anchorage. It
would contain as many vessels as any mercantile port
would require. I consider it to be extremely acces-
sible in most winds.
Do you think it would be any advantage to the nevi,'
to have a commercial port near Portsmouth?—(4'
might be an advantage to the navy to have a com.
mercial port near Portsmouth ; it could not be any
advantage to the shipping frequenting Portsmouth.
Would it be any advantage for he purpose of pro-
curing seamen in the time of war ?—Certainly, if
there was a large supply of seamen.
Is there any objection on the part of Government
to having Portsmouth a commercial port ?—I am not
authorised to speak here in the name of the Admiralty,
but it is within my knowledge that there always has
been a decided objection to establishing a commercial
port at Portsmouth.

If it is desirable to have a port in that part of the
channel, of course it must be convenient to have a
port like Southampton for the purpose of a commer-
cial port ?—I consider that Southampton is the only
eligible situation for a commercial port between Ply-
mouth and the Thames.

n e
aI
rn e ther e a casec h
saayscooiyi
oaotdfti
unalh?do
art—fsaebvhernayeoawusl ;
Southampton
r with France,
that if the proposed facility of communication were
made between Southampton and London, it would be
of any great advantage that ships should unload there
instead of going round the Downs ?—Of course it
must be considered a great advantage in time .of war
with a view to avoiding the most dangerous part of
the channel. I should consider, -generally speaking,
that the danger between the Isle -of Wight and the
Thames would be equal to the danger of the longest
voyage up to the Isle of Wight.
In consequence of the improvement of steam navi-
gation, do you apprehend that in the case of a War
owwttmsieft
ooemoueuluasisrinpellmtedddio,nal,dbyn .tohmiie wouldetnoasatgntrsook,een,epl,ga,l be more danger than formerly
narrow parts of the channel ?—Unquestionably.
proper times of tide
aitl
ithi
dpeta
oorddr
taeieti.scoai
rates
atsdmhbooal
London
they have a difficulty in getting back again ; but a
Do you conceive that the making a railway from
commercial port ?—With the railroad that is in con-
are to be charged for goods going, I should think it '
reason for thinking so is, that I consider the expense
coming round by the Thames, even in time of peace,
on many articles.
Are you aware of ships of the line ever having been
built in the river Itchen ?—I have never seen ships
built there, but I have official returns that such ships
have been built there.
Do you know of what size 1-1 have official returns
Ivpsexhbahot:renfooiieri 1 dpdlinonl
daeisgmsnderwmisgrvvt
iosaleinittutknahahltittendeen:
godg,
motrei
dangermt Southamptonhl
comeh
:000eedaufri i
recriredgsoi
win:
tsat coasts
unongs
vdeeeor,
under
out
sail
of five ships of the line having been built up the Itchen,
and two more are said to have been built at Southamp-
ton, but that of course means in the Itchen river, and
eleven frigates and nineteen smaller vessels.
Are you aware whether it has ever been in content
plation to make commercial docks at Portsmouth 2-1
have always understood that there was a great desiro
to
never
vo.me
fracks
course
commercialrestci
etnhei
ty. cou l
d hav docks,e nobut
objection G o v er ntmo es
un
ct h
docks
would
;
being made at Southampton?—Of course not.
le
mouth
uetbelievedh
b hya
the
hb teoh
harbour
ru nayany
ti?
—I t
yc
co
nanfnt
cei nu utme
ms
say
et or
et bhi
aeal t
vconsideraconsiderbly
et
they
tan
es
y: tt : :
have been annoyed by it. The commercial part of the I,'''4
harbour is allotted to the commerce ; and being merely t
the commerce for the town of Portsmouth, I cannot
say that it has been annoyed by it.
Is not the commerce considerable ?—I consider it
only the commerce of the immediate neighbourhood.
Captain CORNELIUS CARTER, R.N., examined.
Supposing a cheap and rapid communication were
effected by a railway between London and South-
ampton, would not that increase the commercial traffic
considerably ?—I conceive so. Hitherto we have had
the supplies for the navy chiefly from the eastern
ports. I conceive that if a railway were established
between London and Southampton, we might bring
stores of all description across the country, and fit the
navy out much better than we have done before.
You have heard the evidence of Captain Elliott as
to the danger that might result from the introduction
of steam vessels in time of war, with respect to pr_l-
vateering ; do you agree in that evidence ?—CertainlY
tte hhv eae
than
dceaovnueglrdeirtfi
twns e
to
aai i; a
expedition
pe
iogamdtiuitoicn outnoh o isii ,
o ththataftt
hie
d po respectonwo istnsv
,h thinkt.gi rte
you
or
il
safety that we did before the invention of steam.
Would it be necessary to have protection to the coo;
voys 7—Certainly, and even when they are at ancho 1
Downs with great effeet ?
in
‘tvheenDidowthnes
enemythey
was thsoe
deeply convinced of this, that I felt it y:
the First Lord
com-
municate my ideas upon that subject to
of the Admiralty.
moWstovuigldilaannteon
boats into the Downsffie for the 'L,'
must
he ablebe
cpt roe:. ttueaesi use fir elfi:mr ea-nbddouattlys t 0
hours
a verythe could
are
would do the mischief ; I do not believe
se, ins e_
destroy our ships, but they would itrenderveul e, in'
d be so
cure an anchorage, that the insurance s
tk?t_oiatl INpwtreoiemtuvleedanst
prevent
iaeetl
l: ablemti times
oetssos i
bsfiinwtd t ireh e r
ber there are ?-1 eau
Can you tell about what num
as the anchorage
not, but there are as many almost
that
_oh
ti.gcAtlhi
reeetrhtetaaohitnueilnrtyet
—Certainly.
would
asennydnitehrechemonmtmveesrsceelst oi n anotherthe p ol
Ipart
clears the
will hold. Every westerly wind
e four,
tamed a length of time in the Downs ?—Thre ,
..,
_.
five, or six weeks, and sometimes even three montfls
An n to
Are not two winds necessary to go from Lon----
giver,
Portsmouth ?—The tide carries them down the
aT
fairh
Ha ma
,we.
csi
n,
yd 0. fills
u thatkno w n
instances anchorage
of vesselsve
ssels vvb-aeiitnisn:
df oe :
but the westerly wind detains them in the Dc)vciis,'
and at that time the enemy's fire-ships would be very
dangerous.
i 1$

* * * 0 -,
Mr. C. FOWLER, Architect, examined.
Are you aware whether there is a market for home'y
killed meat at the west end of London ?_.—There ig ,
not ; the most westerl market for that is Newgate-
market ; Newgate and Leadenhall are the only two
markets to which it is usual to send that kind of meat.
' adapted for the pur-
.

Is Hungerford-market well adaptea ia• _
pose ?—lt is particularly- so ; it would be ;great «on-
caet to of
tf
eidei
conveyance,
eoheynxt
ae,
exposer
ot_ci;i
raosun
to
t,
venience to butchers, andidtxndbliiieffispotimsanececnguekltaltaaetinosp.urchase the meat.
Within your judgment, would the use of accelerated
and cheap conveyance be the means of bringing a larger
quantity of countrykheeidell:
present comes.--I cohnesidmeertrtohperoelisw, oauldgrbeeata :reiattear 1
facility, which would be the means of increasing the''ssurnuppmlyeroftimcoeunittrcya-nkniloltedbemberaotuginhtLionnadnoyn,gfroeratignuanth.
e to
it
nhi t
the chance
heat,roohsnvsoai
d. accountrndecesed,
beingopi
sfar
thentcsooot
on of
f meatt
ntht
Undoubtedly, I c'considnuerisa
and injury to health ?—.. nce
great nuisance.

.-
ANSEA
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
Swnternplated
AND LIVERPOOL BY STEAM.—This lon:gtreffect, and
desirable object is about to be carried .0
. A capital of
we think with every prospect of s"eceo-f
6,4001. is to be raised in 123 shares;
f 100 have already
50/. each, and
we are happy to state thatesmen;
been taken by the gentlemePnv:
merchants,
individuals a
&c., of Swansea, and a few ilfluL
s tra i
Liverpool.— Cambrian. ON BE-
NICATI a g
PROPOSED STEAM CONINIV
We understan
TWEEN BOSTON AND LoNDON.
cattle from 13°s:'
Company is now forming to convey a 51-
means of steam-vessels, on jirig
ton to London, y
milar plan to hi
abt
,aclopted at Wisbech, the lea"! a
features of ivhie we shall lay before our readers In
1'
future number.—Boston ikruld. knoVila
'CITE MAIL.—It may not be generally OAu
that, under the new arrangement, the Loud° -ast
Louth mail should reach Boston at a
-fl,e ,it
nine, in time for breakfast, for which twentY,
°rot
nutes are allowed, and the stoppage at Petere
should not exceed ten minutes.—Did• quarter. yivi_