The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-04-05 00:00:00

STEAM NAVIGATION.

(From the oi,serz;6r.)
The important question of giving the promoters of inter-.
course by. water, by the same parliamentary encouragement
which is given to its promoters on land, and to which we lately
directed public attention, continues to excite considerable in- .
terest. In these times, when capital is,. seeking out the mean'
of eMployment, and particularly when that employment is coo'
fleeted with the great national object of improved and extended
intercourse, the preference giveu to the one, and the implied-
diseouragement of the other, merits the grayest consideration.
If this he applicable to English capitalists, it has double force
when taken in connexion with the, employment of capital in
Ireland. Intercourse by water, both inland and as a connect".
jag link between the two countries, has manifestly not pro
gressed in Ireland, as it has in England and Scotland. Inter-
course by water is now hot another name for 'steam navigation.
When this was first introduced into Ireland, the capitalists in
that country who were willing to embark in this hazardous ex-
periment were to be found alone= among the 6,4,1,..-AA:uses--,
those connected with mercantile 'pursuits. and who, naturally
timid and unacquainted with business, would not venture, with-
out that freedom fr in, personal liabilities which is now the corn.'
il monplace ingredien n all railroad or other joint stook esta-
blishments for impro ed communications. .The limitation of
tkl
liability .to subscribers beyond their respective investments
seems, however, when extended to steam navigation, to have
created an unfavourable imp'ession. This is what we cannot
understand., capital„invested in steam navigation is actually •
more available for creditors than in a railroad or a canal. Be-
sides, steam navigation never can produce, or even tend to,
monopoiy, white a railroad may actually become one.
Every announcement of railroad companies contains, as 0
matter of course, the condition, . that their acts of parliament
will, provide that "eio person shall he responsible beyond the
amount of his respective shares." Common sense suggests the
justice, as-well as the policy, of encouraging the investment of
capital in steam navigation by a similar parliamentary provi-
sion. The truth is, that all large investments of capital in those
countries demand that they be under the control of parlia
mentary regulations on the one hand, and, on the other, that
the liberal contributors to these great promoters of the best
interests of the country should be protected, whether they pro-
mote intercourse by land or by water. The opposition to the
Steam Navigation Companies, now regulated by parliament,
appears to originate in rival companies, just as if railroads would
oppose and cripple competition lines. Parliament should not
listen to complaints on the one hand or the other, but give alike
to all the benefits of protection, coupled with the wholesome .
ingredient of restriction and control. Perhaps we should net
have deemed it necessary to call such marked attention to this
subject at the present moment, were we not aware that a feW
gentlemen belonging to Scotland are busily canvassing the
English members of parliament to aid them, by their votes, ire
refusing to an Irish Steam Company such protection as can
alone secure that union and co-operation of the higher ant;
middle classes, so essential to the empl..yinent of capital, and
the promotion of r4mmercial enterprise in a country so cir-
cumstanced as Irelan yet is.-

4 NAVIGATION OF THE SHANNON.

(Prom the Observer)
We stated at.the time of their appointment the nature and,
object of the inquiry to be instituted by the Com Missioners et
the Shannon Navigation. These' commissioners are COlonel
Burgoyne, Messrs. Jonta, Griffiths, S. Cubit t, & it is well-known
that the merit of selecting engineers of such acknowledged emi-
nence is wholly due to the Chancellor of tlie Bxeheciner. Ibe
cominiSsionera, have made their first report, which -has been
printed, by order of the House of Commons, and we regret that
the crowded state of our colums prevents us from giving more
than two or three brief extracts from it. The commissioners'
after setting forth that "it has been proved, by experience, that
whenever new means of intercourse have been opened. whether
by roads or navigation, an increase of commerce has followed
in a proportion far exceeding what could have been anticipated
• from the expence incurred," proceed to say that—
" With respect to the question of Harbours, Piers, and
landing places, they, the commissioners, are of the opinion, that
although it would be necessary and publicly useful to establish
such at several important situations, yet as all other places bet
those chosen would themselves be equally entitled, and as local
and individual enterprise should lead in these matters, it appears
desirable to establish?;some just regulations for nrosCcasea,
namely, that as soon as any individual landed :proprietor et
commercial body, or local subscription, or all together, shall
come forward with a fund, caring upon the commissioners try,
form a harbour, or erect any pier or landing-place, under the
'Powers of this act, they will deeide on -the measure,. and apper'
tion such additioual funds,: by way of grant, or district assess"
went, as may seem hest adapted to the case, under certain rules
and regulations, which the commissioners could frame for the
purpose."
" To prove the great importance of one portion of the navi-
gation, a return is inserted in the Appendix, showing the great
increase of trade and produce brought from the Shannon, rid
Dublin, to Liverpool, during the last three years, being in the
half-year ending in the present month, more than twelve times
the quantity during" the half-year ending in February 1833,
viz. 3,431 sacks of oatmeal and wtreet-flour in the half-year end;
ins February 1833; and 44,486 sacks of the same in the ha
l'
year ending in February 1836. (In 1829 the amount of toil;
paid by the Company alluded to below to the Grand Canal
Company for the passage from Dublin to the waters of the
Shannon was, for six months, £737; whilst in the six mon!"
ending in February last, the tolls amounted to £5.50. 11
City of Dublin Steam Navigation Company have several sun"
steam-boats which can navigate from Portumna Bridge t°
Athlone, (a part of the navigation at present under the e°.f.**
trol of the Grand Canal Company), and included in this "'"
vision, but they are not fitted for the navigation of the large
lakes and broad waters; they have also one steamer in. Lott
Lerg, the Lady Lansdowne, a very fine vessel of nearly ;5`!".,
tons burden, and impelled by engines of 100 horse power; tb''
vessel can navigate Lough Der", from Killala to Porton)"
Bride in all weathers and draw after her f large barge
:each g
of fifty tons burden, collecting them at theour various station:
and little harbours along the Lough, and delivering them either
at Portumna, on their way to the Grand Canal, or at Killaloe,
on their way to Limerick, as the case may be: and were 011
division of the river improved as proposed, the same class!):
steam-vessels and the same means for facilitating trade and in
f
terceurse would be extended from' Killaloe to the entrance
the Royal Canal near Tarmunbarry, and bring into immedil •
and improved action all the navigation of the river abave
ado
below those points, even in their present defective state.
ree
effect this great object would require two locks only,
weirs, four swing bridges, and the river to be cleared from ,
structions; in doing which, many thousand acres
land could be secured from floods, and the agriculture,
navigation and intercourse of a vast extent of country grey
1"
" Such are the general reasons (without acting into
lars) which induce the Commissioners to lock upon thrsi_,'r,
sion as the most important part of the inquiry ; and fu
from the r),usideration, that trail the other divisions were.
nletsd, and this left undone, little or no benefit would
rese " left •
(acted; whereas, if this were coin pifacal, and all. the othe .
in their ,prerient stuta, great path( benefit would be •gatoe