The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

SCOTCH LINES.

CALEDONIAN.—At a meeting of the Edinburgh Town-
Council,
on Tuesday, a letter was read from Messrs.
Hope and Oliphant, requesting the Council to petition
Parliament in favour of this line. The Lord Provost
said he had reason to know that in a short time the de-
ci-ion of the Committee of the Board of Trade would
be given respecting these lines, and there was reason to
fear that the Edinburgh branch would be omitted. It
was fully expected that the other part of the work—the
line to Glasgow—would be allowed to pass, but there
was some danger of the branch to Edinburgh not passing.
After alluding to the rival lines, and especially to one
by Hawick to Carlisle, he said he believed there was no
security nor any great likelihood that that line would
be carried through ; and suppose it were, it must be
kept in mind that it was but a single line of rails, and
that the curves were so sharp that it would not make a
good railway. It might be supposed that a strong op-
position would be made to this branch by the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway, as it might prove a rival line
to their Glasgow one. Now, if this line had been pro-
posed simply as a rival line to the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow Railway, he would have said that it was not fair ;
but when the line was to be made for another purpose,
altogether, and was made a rival only accidentally, he
did not see why the inhabitants of Edinburgh were to
reject the boon that was offered to them on that account.
If they neither obtained this branch, nor the llawick and
Carlisle Railway, then people going to Carlisle, to Liver
pool, or to Manchester, would be compelled to go round
by Glasgow and Kilmarnock, instead of going directly ;
and those coming from the West of England would have
to go all round to Glasgow, and would have no opportu-
nity of coming to Edinburgh except by the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway. There was another considera-
tion. B tween Lanark and Glasgow there was a field
of coal of that peculiar description which was used in the
manufacture of gas. It was well known that the present
supply for Edinburgh was nearly exhausted, and that
they had t pay about 225. per ton for the parrot coal.
It' they had got access to this coalfield which was sup-
posed to be inexhaustible, it mighi be had for Bs. 6d. or
Os. per ton, and not only would the supply be increased
here, but it might be exported to a great extent.
There was another advantage, which though there was
s ime differs nce of opinion bout it, he was unwilling
to lose. The Railway Company had agreed if the
inhabitants were so dispoed, to allow water to be
brought from the other side of the Pentlands by
the side of their railway, and they had put this into
their Bill, which was certainly worth the while of
the citizens asking fur. Under all these circumstances,
he proposed that the Council should petition Parliament
and memoralise the Board of Trade in favour of the
Caledonian Railway, and especially in favour of the
Edinburgh branch of the line. Bailie Mack seconded
this motion, which was opposed by Treasurer Thompson,
wbo thought the Caledonian would not be for the benefit
of Edinburgh. If it had been a main leading line,
bringing trains into Edinburgh, he could understand it.
It was for this reason the Council had supported the
North British line, which promised to be a very valuable
one for the city. He did not think that the difficulties
between Hawick and Carlisle were impracticable, and
hoped the Council would pause before they resolved to
encourage the Caledonian, for the sake of the mere
prospect of a branch to Edinburgh. After some re-
marks from Mr. Muufarlun, Mr. Stott, and others,
Treasurer Thompson withdraw his opposition, anct the