The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-29 00:00:00

STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

London and Paris are the two greatest capitals
in the world, and England and France, as we aro
in the habit of persuading ourselves, are two of its
greatest nations. Sometimes we improve upon
this estimate, and profess to believe, what is cer-
tainly very credible, that we hare a joint mission
to promote the civilisation of humanity, and that
we owe the assistance of example to people less
enlightened or fortunate. There is some truth.
in these assumptions, and we can never do
better than to act upon them ; but if any one were
to apply a certain obvious test to our preten-
sions in this respect he would meet with a.
singular result. The chief element in all beneficial.
intercourse is facility of communication. The
Romans knew this, and the evidence of their con-
victions remains to this day. The Americans know.
it, and apply their knowledge with infallible re-
turns. In measuring the power or civilisation of a.
Government, we measure its provisions for locomo-
tion and the transmission of intelligence. When wo
hear the number of hours in which the Moguls of
Delhi, communicated with Cabul, and the Sove-
reigns of Mexico with the sea-coast, we jump at
once to a general idea of their enlightenment : and.
when it was told that modern India had no roads
the allegation proved highly prejudicial to the
Government of the old company. Wise monarchs
in every age have looked with anxious solicitude to
the postal service in their dominions. Darius of
Persia and Louis XI. of France busied themselves
with the self-same work. Napoleon 111. has taken
a similar course, and we can only hope that he will
pursue it effectually ; for England and France, if
not behind other nations, must certainly be re-
garded as behind the age so long as the communi-
cation between London and Paris remains as it is.
" What!" exclaims the reader, " discontented.
with leaving London-bridge in the morning and
dining in the Palais Royal at night ?" Yes, we
are decidedly dissatisfied with this performance,
and for the simple reason that it can be greatly
improved without the smallest difficulty. Be it
remembered that railways and steamers are now
riot only established facts, but that they are
actually in full operation between the two great
capitals of Western Europe. An uninterrupted
line of steam communication already exists without
a break from London to Paris. There is no link
wantiny anywhere, no fresh machinery or inven-
tion to be called into being. A little improvement
in the way of piers, and an extension of the rails
over a few hundred yards from the station to the
pier-head, would really cover every new require-
ment. All the rest is at command already, and we
have literally nothing to do in estimating our posi-
tion but to take certain well known results and
apply them to the case before us. It is now per-
fectly understood that the railway trains can travel
at a speed of 40 miles an hour without the least
risk or pressure ; in fact, we are much underrating
the speed which might be actually obtained. It is
also known that steampackets can be made to ave-
rage at least 12 miles an hour with unexception-
able punctuality, and here, too, we have put the
standard lower than is necessary. It remains,
therefore, only to compute the mileage between
Paris and London, and we shall discover at once
how far our present performances are creditable to
the enterprise of England and France.
There are two main routes in use between the
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distances are respectively as follows :

Miles.
(1) London-bridge to Folkestone Harbour 83
Folkestone to Boulogne 27
Boulogne to Paris 169-279
(2) London-bridge to Dover
Dover to Calais
Calais to Paris
It thus appears that the distance from London
to the French coast is the same in each case, being
110 miles ; but that the distance from the French
coast to the French capital becomes nearly half as
long again when the start, instead of being made
from Boulogne, is made from Calais. Such a fact
ought to be conclusive in favour of the Boulogne
route as the route for the mail service, since the
extra five miles of sea•passoge cannot possibly
counterbalance the saving of more than 60 miles by
land, and the mere adaptation of piers to tides is a
question of money only. Yet these two considera-
tions, insignificant as they are, have been hitherto
allowed to furnish pretexts for the adoption of the
route by Calais, so that every letter despatched
from London to Paris is carried over 67 miles of
ground without the least necessity for the work.
If, again, we look at the time consumed on the
whole passege we can see plainly that we are not
doing our best; for 13 hours, or at the least 121
hours, are taken for a total of 346 miles, of which
324 are performed by railway, giving an average
of not quite 30 miles an hour for the entire
journey.
At present the average speed of the Boulogne
route is somewhat less than this, being about 28
miles per hour all through ; but this is simply be-
cause less care is taken to accelerate the journey;
whereas it is evident, on the very face of the matter,
that this is the route on which our efforts should
be concentrated. No superiority of management
or arrangement can make up for an addition of
nearly 70 miles to the length of the passage. The
first thing in such a case is to ascertain the shortest
practicable line between the two points to be con-
nected, and then to provide the most rapid means of
communication. If the mail service, for instance,
were performed, as it should be, by way of Bou-
logne, we should first save the 67 miles now unne-
cessarily traversed. By a proper acceleration of the
speed maintained, we should then save something
more ; for the 252 miles of railway between Paris
and Loudon-169 on French, and 83 on English
ground—could certainly be performed without the
slightest difficulty in six hours at the furthest.
Allowing an average of three hours for the sea
passage, with its incidents of embarkation and de-
barkation, we should at once obtain a gain of three
hours out of twelve, and reduce the journey between
London and Paris to nine hours only. in reality,
another hour might be saved by judicious arrange-
ments, and the time brought down to two-thirds of
its present length.
When, therefore, W 3 see thus plainly that the
journey from London to Paris can be performed in
eight hours we are naturally indisposed to acquiesce
in a system which makes the passage half as long
again, and proportionately retards all episto-
lary intercourse, not only between England and
France, but between England and the Conti-
nent. Paris, from its natural position, is the
great central depot for our Continental communi-
cations. All that we send to Southern Europe, and
all that we receive from those parts, passes through
Paris, and whatever shortens the time between
Paris and London shortens the distance between
England and a score of other States. Our national
interests, therefore, and indeed the interests of both
nations, are deeply involved in a matter which may
seem at first sight to be of no great importance.
Every improvement in intercourse of this kind has
been attended with beneficial results. An improve-
ment in the case before us would be fraught with
more than ordinary advantages; and, as the subject
is actually under consideration, and the proposed
acceleration is so manifestly practicable, we trust we
may not be disappointed in anticipating the boon
from the wisdom of the Imperial Government.—.
Times.