Star.
London, England, 1825-04-19 00:00:00

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fleet or light Dragoenermenarebed yesterday Axel Welembrter,
fir *sideline.
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idsetry,tnarebed this !tiara* ftlint Westminster, for Cbit =
A Detachment belonging to the Royal Staff Corps Masked
otley ft" Westrtester, far Hythe.

TO THE SUBSCHIBERS OF THE PROPOSEDI
SHIP CANAL.

T.his great ondertaking, to which we are pledged,
lor the formation Of a Canal, navigable for shipping,
from the E.iglish Channel across to the Bristol Channel,,
is now advancing to m 4tm ity ; and we, the Subscribers,
are called upon ul sign the contract, preparatory to the
introduction of the pending Bill into the House of
Lords. That the opinion and the feelings of the country
are decidedly with us, in favour of this measure, is
qui.e certain s indeed, it may be ,said that there l: no
opposition to it worthy of the name. There Appears,
moreover, to have been no want of talent or energy in
the Committee of Management whom we appointed
and the Professional Persons employed on the crecaion
seem to have performed their duties faithfully and
zealously. The-undertaking, therefore, can now be
imi eded or frustrated er4 by the supineness, or by the
falliraa away at its supporters. It is on the Subscribers,
collectively and individually, that the maturity of the
measure, and the consummation of this great work,
wholly and solly depend.
I was and all fully aware, in common with every
other.unprejudiced person, that the proposed Canal will
be of immense benefit to the nation, and highly cre-
ditable' to be age in which it is to be perfected. I feel
too, as sen-ibls as another, that to be all.ed to such an
undevtaking as this is, reflects 4 certain degree of credit,'
and is a kind r,f honourable distinction, when con-
trasted with many, I may say with most of the schemes
and projects of the day. Still, although I have all
seen and felt ail this, I yet, as a Subscriber for a . ertai
number of shares, did nevertheless wish, before I signed
'the contra t, and bound myself, my heirs, and assigns,
rto the actual Idea 'lc, of a ape ific sum of money, to be
well assured twat I acted wisely, in a "pre& and loss"
pint of view, by so doing. It was to this point, that I
(felt it to be a duty which I owed t s myself, closely to
aliiect my inqtyries ; and having fully satisfied my
mind in .his particular, I now, in good faith, and with
perfect candour, beg to explain to my fellow Sub-
scribers, the seasons hich have influenced me to sign
the contract for my full numb rof shares, instead of
withholding my signature, and thereby foifeiting my
deposit of IL per'share on the whole or • any part
of them.
The points of inquiry which I proposed to myself,
were these:
First—ls there a reasonable' prospect that the Revenue to arise
from the Canal, when it is completed,will yield an adequate return
on the Capital employed in it. formation?
Second—ls the Revenue so to arise from the Canal, likely to lie
iffected or interrupted by any contingent event in the hereafter?
Tbitd—Are the parties- who have embarked with me in this great
sindertaking, of character, station, and respectability fitting them
for the task; and are they suds as I can with confidence associate
myself with ?
Fourth—Will the work be completed within a reasonable space
d time, so that I may look forward to the receipt of an income
from it," before I go hence and be no more seen?"
These questions appeared to embrace everything
essential towards enabling. me to decide aright; and
they are, I still presume to think. well deserving the
attention of every subscriber. I will, therefore, here in-
, tent the answers which I obtained to them severally in

the c•Ause of my investigatinits.
In answer to the first enquiry, I must observe, thatafter a careful examination of the two Reports which
have-been publiihol under the correction of our Com-
mittee, and with the sanction of two General Meetings
of Subscribers, and after reading likewise all that has
been written on the adverse side, I arrived at the firmest
conviction, that within a very few years after the com-
pletion of the Canal, the revenue will equal, if it does
not exceed, what Captain Nicholls has estimated it at
is his first Report, that is, 210,8461. or about 13 per
cent. on the capital employed. I do not found this
opii,ion altogether on the statements contained in these
Deports, fa- I have been at great pains to make en-
quiries among competent persons, in Wales and other
pails of the Kingdom, as well as in London, and the
result of the whole is a full persuasion, in my mind,
that the revenue will very soon arrive at, and in the
end will greatly exceed, the sum at which it has been
estimated ; it being quite certain that Captain Nicholls
has, in several instances, taken his quantities at too low
an average.
The answer to the second very important question is
sufficiently obvious. No event can hereafter materially
afect the Revenue of the Canal, excepting it be the
breaking out of a war ; and this contingency, however
injurious it might prove to other interests, would as-
suredly benefit the Canal, by compelling every vessel
that could do so, to pass through it. Indeed, without
such a communication across the Peninsula of Somerset,
I do not see hots it will be possible to prctect our Trade
along the Western Coasts, in case of a war with Fiance,
if the enemy shall apply the power of steam to his pti-
/meets and cruisers, es he most probably will do.
Much might be said on this point, which is really One
of great political importance, and well deserves the early
sad serious attention of our enlightened Government. •
I sought for an' answer to the third question, by
examining the list of sllscribers very minutely, and I
fled it filled with names of the very first respectability.
These are not confined to commercial' men or capitalists
*lone, nor to residents in the metropolis ; but the list
comprises persons in all parts of the Kingdom. and of
every profession and occupation—Clergy, Lawyers,'
Medical Men, Merchants, Ship-owners, Manufacturers,
Country Gentle men : in short,every variety ofdesignation.
This is just such a list as it must be desirable to form.
for the accomplishment of such an undertaking as the
Ship Canal, which is calculated to benefit all, by pro.
meting property from shipwreck, and preserving the
lives of our fellow-creatures : and it h such a list too,
as for character, wealth, and respectability, I believe I
may add, no other association at its untset could pro-
duce a parallel to.
As regards the lad question, to which a good deal of.
attention has beendirected, and on which I find a great
diversity of opinion has prevailed among the sttbscriberi
amerally, and about whit h, I must confess I myself
did teal considerable d, übts, I•endeavoured to procure
information by enquiries among persons conversidt
with the situations of the proposed harbours, and with
the particular lase of country through which the Canal
4to pass ; and also by consulting several prOfes•ional
%en of talent and high tespectability. The result has
1
bleartu me atleast, perfectly satisfactory. I and that