Star.
London, England, 1824-12-11 00:00:00

SEW UNDERTAXING&

I. 14
—ENGLISH AND BRISTOL CHANNELS' JO C 4 lON
the
CANAL'
Among h riumerdur arls now afloat for local im
provement, the prripoted Canal for effecting a conimn-
nication between., the English and Bristol Channels is
entitled to peculiar attention, from the prospect which
it affords of public benefit.
The woollens of SoUth Wales in general, the slate
and coal of Glamorginshite; the copper of gwansea
(where all the ores of COrtswill are melted), the iron of
Merthyr Tydvil and Abeidare, and the groceries of
Bristol, will thus be supplied to the whole of the south
coast of England, and to that which, after all, must be
the great emporiuni of comtherce, a London Market.
If further inducements were necessary, humanity and
patriotism are not wanting to promote so good p cause.
The difficulties of eircumnavigating the Land's End
have already been stated, brit it is not this alone that
the mariner has to &Tad. The navigation of all the
lower part of the Bristol Channel is peculiarly dan-
gerous. The velocity of the tide, which frequently
comes up with a head of five or sii feet, when added to
the prevalent winds from the south-west, makes it, un.
der such circumstances, next to lnipossible to beat
down ; even in , the chaps of .the Channel, whilst
in a gale the, iron-bound coast of the North of
Devon and Cornwall threatens certain destruction,
there is no friendly port for which a distressed vessel
can bear, except the distant ones of Padstow or Mil-
ford. Those who have witnessed during the fair
months of Summer the perilous situation of a ship em-
bayed below Hartland Point, with the usual wind blow-
ing in shore, can alone form an adequate idea of the
wintry terrors of that long barrier of cliffs opposed to
the fury of the Atlantic. The zeal with which the de-
sign has been taken up by the nation is a sure test of
its merit. We hail the increased activity of the pro.
prietors as an omen of success, and congratulate the
public at large on a work, the commencement of which
may be well considered as one of the triumphs of
national prosperity.
The breadth of the Isthmus of Suez is perhaps some-
thing greater than the distance in this case to be cut
through ; but the attempts of the predecessors of the
Ptolemies were abortive, and those intelligent monarchs
themselves never contemplated a project on a scale so
magnificent as this. The lanactus canal of Languedoc
must now sink into comparative insignificance; the
idea of a passage for fleets remained for more enter-
prising times.

11.--BIRMINGIIAM AND LIVERPOOL RAIL ROAD
COMPANY.

The object of this Association is to form a Rail-road
fin= Birmingham, through the Staffordshire Collieries
and Ironworks by Wolverhampton, Nantwich, and
Chester, to the Mersey, to communicate with Liverpool.
Branches are also to go off to Dudley, Stonrbridge, the
Shropshire Coal and Iron-works, and the Staffordshire
Potteries. Part of these lines pass through some of the
most populous manufacturing districts in the kingdom,
while another part traverses a country at present totally
unprovided with any Canal or similar accommodation.
The population of Birmingham, and the Towns and
Collieries in the neighbourhood, may be computed at
about 300,000 ; and the total population on and in the
vicinity of the proposed line, or in connection with it, at
about 600,000. The quantity of coal raised annually in
the South Staffordshire Coal Field, may be estimated at
2,300,000 tons, and the quantity of icon manufactured
in the same district, and in Shropshire, at 250,000 tons.
—At least one million tons of the coal, and almost all
' the iron, are now transported to distant places. The
Staffordshire Potteries send annually, in the direc-
tion of Liverpool, in the article of earthenware alone,
about 26,000 tons, and the total annual tonnage to and
from the Potteries is about 200,000 tons. These are a
few instances only of the stupendous sources from which
those tonnages have arisen, which have enabled one of
the Canals passing through these districts to pay an an-
nual dividend to the Proprietary of 1401. upon an ori-
ginal share of 1401. and have enhanced the value of
such share from 1401. to 32001. and another Canal in the
same district to pay a dividend of 1601. upon the ori-
ginal share of 2001. the shares themselves having
reached the value of 46001. each.
These circumstances sufficiently account for the rea-
diness with which the plan for a Rail-road through
these districts has been adopted, a Company formed,
and a capital of 600,0001. raised in 12,000 shares, at
501. each. By the aid of locomotive and stationary
steam engines, the heaviest goods may be forwarded, at
all times, and in any weather, at the rate of eight miles
an hour •, and it is sups fluous to remark on the vastly
increased facility which will thus be given to mercan-
tile and manufacturing enterprises. Hopes are enter.
tained that passengers may be forwarded on this Rail-
road at twelve miles an hour, but the Company do not
pledge themselves to this part of their undertaking.