The New York herald., 1846-03-27


From the London Timssl
The following most important report Of the Gauge
both houses Of Parliament by command Of her Majesty:
May II please your Msjssty-we. the Commissioners
bearing date the llh Of july in the ninth year Of your
Majesty reign, to enquire whether, in future private
vision ought to be made for securing an uniform gauge
and whether IL would be expeden and practicable TO
take msasures to bring the railways sresdy construct
uniformity Of gauge and to enquire whether any other
mode could be adopted Of obviating mitigating tho
will occur In railway from the want Of
uniform gauge beg dutfuily to submit that have
called before such persons have judged to be,
by reason Of their situation knowledge or expensncs
the most competent to afford us correct information
the subject Of this inquiry and we have required the
ou: railway companies - to us TO bs the be:t cal
culsted to aid our researcher We have personally
railways, both at home and abroad. especially those
which incident to break Or interruption Of gauge
engines. weA mechanical contrivsnces invented,
either for tue general use OF railways or for obvating
Of gauge. or Otherwise Connected with shs subiec, sf
our enquiry; and as we believe we have now carried
our investigation to the utmost useful limits, we feel in
position dutfuliy to offer to your Majesty the follow
J. Our attention was first directed to ascertain wheth
Of 30 much Importance a. to demand tn,
Interference Of the Legislature.
0locester is the only rlace where break Of gauge
actually exists at the present time It caused by the
meeting at that place Of the broad or feet gauge with
tn: narrow Or feet q inch gauge Ta.Is are other
lar TO that which must result from break Of and
persons we'll acquainted with railway trains have NO
that would arise from any further ntsrmxture o gauge
and We submit the % that occur to Us
We believe that the inconvsniencs produced by
these than il other trains because The travel
ing by fast trains are usually Of class who readily sub
NIT to many inconveniencss for the sake Of increased
lsss ncumbsrsd with luggage than persons travelling
by the slower trains; and II understood to be the
general practice that private carriages horses
conveyed BY these trains the Of break
Of gauge reduced in this instance to the removal Of
S.S
fusion, a. we'll az personal discomfort especially at
night and In the winter season besides the risk Of loss
in this instance % being an nconvenience Of grave
nature e call for Legislative either for
its removal or for it, mitigation.
2dly Ordinary or mixed trains
In these trains the passengers considerably exceed in
have generally much greater quantity ef luggage To
such travellers change Of carriage h really serious
travelling by railways in communication with each 9TH
but under different management, endeavor to make
those trains which afford them the accommodation ct
Occupying the same carriage from the beginning to tho
The managers and directors Of railways are well aware
Of this feeling and instances they do not
allow their carriages to run through yet with view Of
nus to terminus to prevent the evil q removal Of the
sspsS:s in running trains Of return empty
carriages in order to accommodate the public by
abng travellers to avoid change Of carriage on tho
| journey.
II by the ordinary or mixed trains that private
rages and horses are conveyed, and the removal Of
part Of the iourDsy would b. attended with nconven
and delay; and with regard to the horses it would
We arrive thsrsfors Il the conclusion that the brssk
Of gsnGs wsad inAioe considerable inconvenience ON
that this Inconvenience would be much Increased At
points Of ceuvergepce Of more than two lines.
The change Of carriages and trucks and
the anserencs Of luggage Of entire train OF much
extent must even In the day time bs an Inconvenience
Of very serious nature but a nigh. would be an in
called for to remove or mitigate such an evil
3dly. Goods trains.
From the statements made to by carriers on rail
ways and from own observation, We induced TO
believe that not only considerable deal Of care, judg
msrcssndiss n railway wagons but also that il e Do.
srabls that when properly packed the srclss should
generally % 0S not ,h., 0s m ,S until the
chsnde the heavier goods placed at the bottom
the lighter At the top Of the load and secured
the wagons and is considered very desirable. with
view TO prevent loss by plisrins that the sheeting
ill the csnpetion Of the journey Indeed acting upon
this principle, carriers nnd prontable to send their wa
Esr.B, toll 10 Il. wsS
rather than incur the risk Of loss BY theft to which they
wS b. Sy s On u:
that may have started with light loads from ono Of the
The stations for re-arensing the goods trains are
therefore, few possibs thus. between Leeds and
London, the points for unsheetng the goods wagons
London The rearansemsnt il con6nsd to Birming ham
and Rugby and those stations the proportion Of
nn NJ iunn UafR ham
sixths Of the WAGONS pass without resrrsugsmsnt
In the conveyance Of machinery and articles Of SINH
utmost consequence that the load should not be disturb
ed between the beginning and the end Of the journey;
biy from break Of the gauge, would altogether pre-.
vent the transport Of such articles BY this neds
We believe that the traac upon the line Of railway
between Birmingham and Bristol has been greatly rs-
strictsd By the interruption Of gauge at Glocsster
transfer being attended with expense which would
charged on such articles; moreover many descriptions
Of coal such considerable proportion Of that Of the
Midland counsss are subject 10 great deterioration BY
In regard to various articles Of agricultural produce
the loss by removal would be less than other classes
OF goods; much Inconvenience, however, would he
found 10 the tnser Of TIMBER and the didicuy Of SHIFT
ing cattle would be great a. to present an insur
cited sis1s Of the animals after travelling BY railway
and the resistance they in consequences oner when
attempted 70 force them second time into railway
wagon.
There be question that in the Arst construction
Of railway the narrower the gauge. the smaller will
be the cost Of the works. This applies to tunnels
bridges, viaducts embankmsnts, cuttings, sheds, work
shops, turntables rsnsvsrse slsepsrs, and ballast and
the purchase Of land but does not AFFECT the rails,
fences, drains and station houses The exact dnsrencs
however, must depend In great degree, uon local cir
cumGances. and opinion be gwen OF the precise
ratio ofdi6ersnce without going into very mtout cal
cuaton Of each line which the two are 70 bs
compared for instance In line free from tunnels or
visducts and in nat country whore there are neither
cuttings embank nents the difference would be limit
Cd very nearly to the quantity Of land 10 b purchassd
Qhe severance and damage being about equal In both
casss the amount Of bssstng, and some increase in
the cost Of the slesper wheress In very unduating
country, the difference would bo moro considsrable.
Al to the cost Of the maintenance Of way supposing
the construction to bc the that Of the broad gauge
must BE- rather the greater Of the two.
In respect 10 ths Of the engines and carrying
M hat lhaua