THE REPORT OF THE IRISH RAILWAY COMMISSION.

LETTER IL

The Select Committee en Railroads, one of the best Committees that ever sat, who have done very great service to the pal die. sifted and enaillered this question, (the question of getting Govern:rent to appoint engineers to report on competing lines of railway.) and decided against the interference of Government. I know too much from experience of the benefits conferred by the Report of that Committee, to do any thing, in my situation as Speaker, to shake or weaken their antivaity. I was Luau also to look at the interests of the p public: end saw 1110,101m convince me, that if 11 precedent were once established of getting Government to interfere, there would have been other similar applications supported by to enncgss am1jobbiu_."- In tter from Me Speaker of the Muse of Commons. exp!aaatcyp 4 lain .dsti.43 rot, .'_urns! a Government Sarre.a of the lest 1.b.e.s of Railway to connect the No. §§' Enalau 1 It v ways a Ws Scotland. law IS3G.

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIF. SPECTATOR.

SIR—Before I proceed to what I wish to make the more immediate subject of this letter, I am anxious to be indulged with a general observation. If I rightly understand the tone and spirit of some articles which have appeared in the daily papers upon the Irish Railway Relent, an effort is being made to mat this question us a Government one. 11 such lie the ease, I enter my earnest protest against it. It i3 essentially unfair, and must he is holly unavailing. As far as I are able to test the real purport of an attempt of the kind, it can only be resorted to with the subtle design of stirring up in the minds of nien of Liberal politics, who feel disappointed and dissatisfied with the Report upon its bare demerits, some vague mistaken fear, that, if they give expression to the opinions it has forced upon them, Government tray somehow or other be ulti- mately embarrassed or annoyed by the exposure that will follow. Party, how- ever, in this case, I contend them is none at all. The Commission, as I stated in my last letter, was called for by a public meeting of Irish noblemen and gentlemen of high rank and large property, embracing all sections and degrees of politics. The resolutions proposed at that meeting were unanimously as- tented to; and Ministers, in responding to the call so made upon them, per- formed a simple act of ordinary duty, which leaves them, to my view of the question, no more answerable fur or bound by the conclusions of the Commis- sioners, than those are who, like me, took no part whatever in the proceedings from which it emanated. I consider this explanation due to the integrity of my own intentions; and, having made it, I will add, that I rather look upon myself as performing an essential service to the Government, while I am exert. ing myself to prevent them from acting upon the recommendations of a report which I conscientiously believe to be most prejudicial to the interests of Ire- land, sad subversive of any popularity which her Majesty's present Ministers . may otherwise lay claim to in that country. The first step taken by the COIIIIIIIILISitillett■ WAS in the right course, and pro- raised well. Their Secietary wrote an official letter to the different joint stock companies who were then proposing lines of railways in Ireland, demanding .copies of their maps, plans, sections, estimate., and such general information as might appear to the patties calculated to throw light upon their respective un- dertaking*. The application, I have reason to know, was responded to with cheerful alacrity. Aware that the Commission had been appointed fur the ex- press purpose of affording facilities to private enterprise, Cuminittres made the most active t xertions to furnish the documents required. Considerable hula and no small expense were incurred by various parties in these matters. the result was, that, by November 1836, the Commission having issued ielt preceding October, the proposed companies, one and all, bad submitted th, lines with proper plans and full estimates to the judgment of the Commissi — era. Will you believe, Sir, that the mass of documents thus laboriously sad expensively produced, has been treated as so much waste-paper; that, after calling in the most formal manner upon the authority of a Crown Comaa,45- for every exact detail which could substantiate or throw light upon the intended works, the Commissioners pass over the whole in silent contempt? Yet such is the discreditable fact. They have published an Appendix of extreme lentil' and most diversified contents; but we search in vain through its closely.preiied pages for a specification of these plans, of the parties promoting them, of the

engineers advising them, or of their estimated expenditure and revenues, la

borrow a sentence from the Report itself—" There has been no apparent exsaa nation of the grounds upon which they claimed support, or of the calculation of their probable success." Express directions were given to the Commissioner' to examine all persona whom they might judge most competent by reason of their situation, knowledge, or experience, to afford information : but, although these several projects lay before them, sanctioned by the calculations of a hat of well-known practical plea—Snell as STEPHENSON, BRUNEL, RASTRItt MACNIEL, BALn, and others,—not one of these or any other witness was per. mitted to offer a tittle of evidence upon any single case. Not even the Dunes and number of the intended companies have been suffered to appear in the Fie. port. Some few of them, it is true, have been incidentally alluded to here and there, and condemned in general terms ; but there are othets which have not been as touch as mentioned ; and not one has been deliberately inquired intoer formally decided upon.

Sir, I can only liken such a proceeding to that of a bench of judges, who, upon a cause submitted to them for trial, should catch up and suppress aka

gether the evidence upon the side of the plaintiff, and yet prompt a refutation of his claim out of the very proofs in their hands to enforce it. And why, I aar was this done? How came these Commissioners to put companies and indi: viduals to the cost and trouble of exhibiting, formal and exact evidence of the

different projects they entertained? And after receiving prompt, intelligent, aid

complete answers to the demand, how came they to treat the whole as a nullity or an impertinence ? Above all, why has this valuable body of documentuy

evidence been kept back from Parliament and the public? Why do we not find in the Report, which, overloaded as it is with every variety of matter that can help or favour the centralization monopoly of the Commissioners, is stn' diously evicted and deprived of fact, circumstance, statement, consideration, and suggestion that could throw light upon or do justice to the rights of private eaten prise.

Sir, I will hazard a short answer to these questions. Hail the case bees fairly stated on both sides,—had testimony appeared for private enterprise as fully as it has been adduced on be'nalf of the contemplated monopoly,—every reader of the Report would have stood in the situation of an instructed juror, and might have decided for himself between the contending claimants. Thia however, would not have answered the purpose, and a more artful mode of pro• ceeding was contrived with a far keener object. The muster spirit of the Conn mission knew well that the effect the Report was intended to produce, and the tendency which its whole contents was designed to hear, was, under airfycl siir. m

custance, an attainment of the most critical difficulty, and could hardly

be defeated altogether, should the Report itself become the depository of a string of facts strong and convincing,—as, for instance, that those lines of railway connecting every principal place in Ireland had been projected by private enter. prise ; that the punt stock companies in a course of formation for executing these lines were headed by the principal noblemen and landowners of Ireland, associated with some of the most eminent bankers and capitalists of Linda' and the provinces ; that the most experienced engineers in England had beta retained to make the necessary surveys and calculate the reasonable traffic; and that, with a single exception—the out-of-the-way Beethoven line—the Coat. missioners had not been able to point to one line of communication which private enterprise had not offered to execute; while, on the other hand, excluding a peculiar competition set on foot in one or two instances by a body of capo talists represented by PIERCE NIAIIONY, Esq., there were hardly two competing undertakings to confuse or disturb their judgment. Hence, Sir, the suppres. Edon of facto, and the omission of every word of the full volume of complete evidence which they had in their possession, and which, if published, would have left no room for doubt, disputes, or differences, as to its clear sufficiency for the purposes it was prepared for.

I therefore propose to supply, at least to sonic extent, the partial deficiencies of the Report in this respect, and to show what are a few of the principal projected lines of private enterprise—who were their leading supporters—who their engineers—how much their capital, and what and how derived—the estimates and expense and profit fiir each. But in offering to fill up this marked and sinister -lookitig void, you will be good enough to observe. that I have only the lesnurces of an unaided individual to draw upon, and that, beyond the it3 lormation which attachment to the subject has from time to time induced me to gather, I ant wholly unprovided with twang to sustain the discussion. I enter the lista therefore under obvious disadvantages of the heaviest kind, when I charge my-elf with the very disagreeable task of correcting the errors and exposing the mistakes of the Irish Railway Commission. For such my dm. ritual &cations I claim due indulgence. The following passage is from page 20 of the Report--" It will be Iwo that the largest stream is (min Dahlia towards Naas, where it divides into three branches—the one by Claims, Kilkenny, and Clomnel, to Cork ; the other by Nlountrath, Roscrea, and Nenigh, to Limerick ; while the third, passing along the Grand Canal, is chiefly dissipated among the small towns on its banka s sin ill portion reaching Ballinasloc. Next in importance are the streams through Balbriggan and Ashbourne, uniting at Drogheda, and thence continuing to Newt v ; at which town a branch separates towards Armagh, where it is agate sidela;ided into emaller branches ; the principal of which pass by Caledon, to Omagh and Strabane on the left, and to 'Meg, Dungannon, and Cookstown, oo tire 'MU. The main line from Newry continues through Lisbutn to Belfast. Next in magnitude to these two great lines, is the stream direct to the Wdt. through Leican, illaynooth, Enfield, Clonard, and Kinnegad ; where a branch separates to Athlone, by Kilbeggan ; the main line continuing to Mulligan and thence to Longfiird ; from which a small stream passes through Carrick. On Shannon and Boyle, to Sligo. The Athlone branch continues to Ballinasloef where another small division takes place, a portion diverging to Titans and Custlebar, while the larger passes on by Lougbrea to Galway."

This, be it observed, is the testimony borne by the Commissioners to facts

they exist : the main currents of trade arid travelling connected with nod dr pendent upon the great centres and hearts of population and prosperity la Ire• land are here plainly indicated. Let us see how private enterprise proposed to avail itself of them on the one hand, and how, on the other, the Cournaissmen would make them subserve what they have been pleased to call "their system.

The largest stream goes to NARY, and thence by Carlow, Kilkenny, and Clontnel, to Cork ; and it has been occupied by the Dublin and Kilkenny Co".

parry, which is incorporated by Act of Parliament, and of which the Comma stoners have found themselves compelled to declare " that it has been laid out with great judgment, and that its gradients are very favourable." How then, Sir, du they deal with it ? It takes up the largest stream of travelling to I* a. it is laid out with great judgment ; it has very favourable gradients ; an woo ,poroea company ; a subscribed capital, on which two calls have been de; and a proprietary of. considerable wealth and unexceptionable respect. made; h being its cla how, I repeat, do the Commissioners deal with " object to it in the strongest manner ;" and call upon the Govern. meet to enlist the monopoly " capitalists represented by Pierce Alabony, Esq.," .0 effecting a more inland line, which passes miles away from Carlow, Kit. 'woe, and Clonmel,' and will be, as they state themselves. " ruinous " to the tablished Company. I have only to ask. in the words of the Treasury m i- pja this, or is it not, an interference with private enterprise? "Bn't you will say, there are doubtless reasons assigned for this recomreenila- eioe. There are, Sir, two, and I will suggest a third. The first is that the hee by which the Dublin and Kilkenny Company proposed to extend their truck through Clonmel to Cork, is longer by four miles than the one delineated by de Commissioners; and the second is, that, according to their opinion, the Dublin and Kilkenny line ie Out Of the question as a meant of communication with Limerick ! These, as grounds for ruining private enterprise and sub- "ding created rights and vested interests, are no loose and untenable, that I am forced to declare the third reason I have promised to suggest was the clinching one in the minds of the Commissioners; and it is this—Mr. Solicitor 111shony is the prime mover of the competing line, and he represents the norm. neap. For surely, as to the first reason, the making of four extra miles of rail- ' wayN a most judicious proposition ; when by that means you bring into the direct line of communication three such towns as Carlow, Kilkenny, and Clot:. eel, through which the largest stream of travelling in the island flows, instead of leaving them, as the Commissioners do, respectively twelve, twenty six, and twenty.two miles from the main flunk. Then as to the second reason, which affirms that a connexion between Limerick and Dublin by the Kilkenny ti link is o out of the question ;" the Cotninissioners in the very next page answer their own objection in the most complete manner. For they soy, at rage 41—" If the branch from the Kilkenny line to Limerick were to start from Redirect beyond the Curragh of Kildare, at the distance of twenty-nine miles from Dublin, its length would be diminished by about ten miles ; but the distance between Dublin and Limerick would be increased by one mile. Thus it up- rare, that when it is the object of the Commissioners to run down a line, they hold such a thing as lengthening the distance between two principal places ten or fifteen miles a fatal objection ; and yet, if we glance at other parts of the map, we find these gent emen lengthening the line between Waterford and Dublin no less than forty-four miles, and Limerick itself and Dublin seventeen miles. All that, however, wits to give a help to the " system ;" which fre- quently changes the reason of the things in the minds of the Commissioners in rather a curious manner.

But, in truth, the whole of this argument about a Dublin and Limerick line, iu a branch of the Kilkenny trunk, has been raised by the Commissioners for the sole purpose of creating confusion. The promoters of the Kilkenny trunk took the right view of the question ; to which, however, the C lllll missioners hare wilfully shut their eyes. The Directors of the Company in question, well aware, when they planned " their system," that, as the Commissionees leave reported, the second of the three broaches into which the largest stream of tra- velling from Dublin divides itself at 'Naas, and takes the towns of Mountrath, Roacrea, and Nenagh, to Limerick, submitted to the Comuaissioneis the project of a company for making a Dublin and Limerick railway in that very direc. non. The line was surveyed, the plans and estimates delivered in ; the gradients were exceedingly favourable ; thirty.five miles of the road were it dead level ; it is seventeen miles shorter than the monopoly line ; every supoort was offered to it ia Limerick ; a most influential body of capitalists were anxious to undertake it but the Commissioners, without calling any evidence or examining a single engineer, as they were expressly empowered to do, have dismissed the project in three or four lines of general condemnation! This is the second proof I adduce of the attention these gentlemen have paid to the instructions which directed them to afford facilities to joint stock companies in selecting the best lines of railway between principal places in Ireland. To the reader who has favoured me with his attention up to this mint, the conclusions of the Commissioners must appear unaccountable. We find the Commission appointed to assist joint stock companies; we find the Lords of the Treasury impressing upon the Commissioners the policy of promoting private enterprise; we find the Repoit declaring that the largest stream of travelling in the country proceeds from Dublin to Naas, Kilkenny, and Chime], and again from Naas to Mountrath, Nenagh, and Limerick ; we find two companies pi ()- posing lines in these precise directions; and yet the Commissioners oppose them in the most decided manner ! Strange, is it not? Yes ; but ut the same time explicable with the simplest ease. For had the two companies just alluded to been admitted ground to stand upon, the monopoly would have received its death-blow. In that case, there could have been no centraliz etion system; and the golden prospect would have vanished into thin air, which exhibited to the sanguine imagination a Government Board in Dublin Castle, vith Colonel BURGOYNE at its head, for the stye • endence and control of ail and singular the railways in Ireland ; and Mr. Prance MAHON v, as solicitor and factotum to one eelect company of capitalists, sustained and consoled in their patriotic avocations by a "considerable advance" of public money in aid of their concerted undertakings ! Sir, I must not trespass further at prevent on the Spectator's fully-occupied

'pace. I shall endeavour to conclude the subject in any next letter. :1nd

remain your very obedient servant,

The following short tables exhibit the strongest points of contrast. The data art taken from tl.e Report.

POST OFFICE INCOME IN 1836.

Careminkwers' Katenay line to Cork. Compnny's Kilkenny Line to C,rk.

ItathAogau £J06 Naas JERI; Monasterevan 256 Kilkulleu 4112

Pottarlinglon 413519 Mount Melliek Athy 566 Carlow 1441 Mayborough . 436 Leighlin Bridge 311 Mountrath 444 Itagnalstown 333

Honig in °miry 160 Gore•hrbine MG 'finales 559 Kiikenny 2112

Clunmel 2930 £

£3075 9146 POPULATION.

Ralhangan 1163 Nous 3303 Moussterevan 1441 , 69) Portmlington

3001 Aihy 4494 Mown Melliek

77

Carlow 9114 Wary borongli 3223 Leighlin Ittidge 2035 Mountrath 1315

■ Rorris in Ossory 2593 Itagnalstown 7i0 0 Ciuresbridge 634

7034 Kilkenny 23,741 Manuel 15,134 93.852 60,974

MILEAGE .

Conami:siuners' Line. Company's Lincs.

Dublin to Limerick 125 miles. .... 113 miles Cork 166 .... 166

Waterfunl 141 97

Kilksany 76 73