buses and vehicles passing, but also from the devious course they often take. When Street Railways are introduced the number of vehicles will be reduced, and the omnibuses superseded. Experience, however, refutes this objection, for it is officially recorded that out of Thirty-five Millions of people, who travelled in 1859 on the Street Railways in New York and Brooklyn, only twelve were injured, and those from their own carelessness.

VII. It is objected that no other carriages will be permitted to use the rails.

The flat part of the rails will be open to any carriage that may choose to use it, free of toll.

VIII. It is objected that there will require to be stations, and it will not be always convenient to go to them.

Stations are quite unnecessary. Waiting-rooms may be provided at the termini, or at intervals, for the convenience of passengers; but the cars will stop at any spot, either to take up or let down passengers.

IX. It is objected that the Street Railways will interfere with the alterations of pipes and sewers.

As the rails are to be laid on longitudinal sleepers the roadway will be easily diverted.

X. It is objected that if Mr. Train or any company get a grant they will have a monopoly.

Mr. Train asks for no monopoly. He seeks leave to lay down two pairs of rails from the Cross to Whiteinch, and to run his passenger cars thereon. He is willing to submit to any reasonable restrictions that the Corporation and Trustees of the streets and roads may see fit to impose, and to enter into engagements, that the public convenience will be respected. He is so fully satisfied of the success that must attend the introduction of his system, that he is not at all particular as to the terms on which he may get the grant; and if the authorities would only see it their interest to enter into negotiations with him, they would soon find that he seeks no monopoly. He asks for no exclusiveness. Any vehicle may run in opposition to his cars, even upon the rails, provided that they be not an infringement of his patent. He depends for the public support upon the superior character of the accommodation he can supply. It will be with the public to say whether the system is to be extended, or whether the rails are to be torn up and the roadway restored to its former condition. That this will be done Mr. Train is willing to give a material guarantee. It is quite a mistake to suppose that the Corporation could, with any good result, lay down rails and take toll from any kind of vehicles with flanched

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wheels that choose to pass over them. A slow and a fast traffic cannot be worked at the same time, unless provision be made for the fast carriages passing the slow waggons by leaving the rails, and this, we have endeavoured to show, is inadmissible in the system of street railways.

XI. It is objected that the value of property will be reduced by the introduction of Street Railways.

Experience proves the opposite. It has been found in Philadelphia that since Street Railways have fairly got into operation, the value of property in the suburbs has increased from 30 to 50 per cent, while that in the business parts of the city has not decreased. In fact, the shopkeepers, who were at first the strongest opponents, are now the chief supporters and stockholders.

If rails, radiating from the centre of the city, were laid to Partick and to the different suburban villages, I do not venture too much, I think, when I say that ere long the ground along these routes would come into the market for feuing, and we should see mansions and villas, and rows of cottages for the working classes, springing up, again to be drawn within the limits of the city, in the course of years, by the unfailing law of progress. Already are our business men seeking for more commodious premises; and whole ranges of buildings, but very lately occupied by them as residences, are being converted into offices. Wearied with the city during the day, they seek relief by retiring to country villas for the night. In doing so they gain pure air; but their families lose many advantages; while both might be secured by a residence sufficiently removed from the city, and yet connected with it by a regular, safe, comfortable, and inexpensive communication.

XII. It is objected that Street Railways will not pay.

We have it from official records, that the New York City and Brooklyn Railways, from bribery and corruption, cost from £12,000 to £36,000 per mile, and still they divided from 5 to 12 per cent. in 1858. The road that cost £36,000 per mile, notwithstanding this enormous expense, divided 8

per

cent.

In that year they carried 777,000 passengers per mile, while the Caledonian carries only about 16,000 per mile. They earned £7,600 per mile, while the Caledonian Railway earns not more than the half of this sum.

From these facts we infer-considering that Street Railways in this country need not cost anything like the sum mentioned-they will pay a handsome dividend; that the popularity of the system is clearly shown by the large number of persons who use them; that the street railway system has an immense superiority over the omnibus system,

for on no route could our present vehicles pay a dividend with an outlay of £36,000 per mile; that the streets must be greatly relieved of foot passengers.

No supposed disparity between this country and America can vitiate these deductions to such an extent as to make them inapplicable to ourselves. There can be no doubt but that which has been found so convenient and profitable by our cousins over the water will be good for us too XIII. It is objected that the Street Railways have been a failure in Birkenhead.

If this had been the case I presume that the Bonds which Mr. Train had lodged as a guarantee, that he would pull up the rails if they were found to be a nuisance, would have been forfeited. Instead of this the Birkenhead Commissioners have decided to extend the Street Railways already laid. It is a very easy matter to get up an agitation against even a good thing: there are many people influenced by narrow prejudices ready for this. Such was the spirit shown towards the system in America; but, as we have already mentioned, those who were the most determined opponents are now the chief supporters. One of the grounds of complaint, "that the facility given to the public by the Street Railway cars tends to induce parties to visit Liverpool in the way of marketing," is a strong argument in favour of their introduction into large cities. Facility of travelling is what is wanted.

I can speak from observation that, notwithstanding some mechanical defects from the hasty construction of the road, the opening of the Birkenhead Street Railway was a complete success, and such was the opinion of the public press, without, as far as I know, one dissentient. Since then the road has been much improved, and those who were loud in complaint are now satisfied, and say that if it had been laid as it is now they would not have grumbled. About 140,000 persons have travelled on the road since the opening; and considering that the line is short, and that it runs through a thinly populated part of the town, we consider this a most successful result, especially as all the winter months are included. As a single line has been found sufficient in most parts of Birkenhead for the traffic, the company have wisely decided to pull up a part of the double track, and to apply the material in laying an extension which has been called for. Where the traffic is not heavy a single track with sidings at intervals will suffice. In some cases this plan is being followed in London. There is a Street Railway car factory now established in Birkenhead, which has already orders for about 30 cars; and a resident coachbuilder, who built five for the local line, is at present building four for Mr. Train for export to Australia, per order from Government.

So much for objections against the system. Let me now state as succinctly as possible some of the advantages that will ensue from its adoption, and I may state that I do so from personal knowledge, having had the opportunity of seeing Street Railways in operation during a residence of some years in North America. Of necessity some of these have been already shown in meeting the foregoing objections.

Space will be economized and time saved. The commodiousness and elegance of the cars will induce many people to ride who would otherwise walk, and thus the streets will be relieved of pedestrians. The regularity of the transit and the lowness of the fare will rob the cabs of many a hire, and hence their number will rapidly reduce; and, from the systematic manner in which they can be worked, and the direct line they will take, much less room will be occupied by them than is at present by the omnibuses.

There will be no longer any necessity for one to wait in the rain for fifteen minutes for the next omnibus, after having had the mortification of seeing the one he expected to get pass him crammed full, and clustered on the outside by persons trying to get shelter from the projecting roof; for the cars will follow one another every five minutes at the busy hours of the day. Our lady friends may sigh for the day of Street Railways. There will be no packing in the seats in a close omnibus on a wet day, with a row of gentlemen standing between with dripping umbrellas. What an atmosphere! Need I enlarge? The ventilation will be complete, the passage twice the width of that in the present omnibuses, and the ingress and egress easy and comfortable at either end of the cars.

The noise in the streets will be lessened, and the mud and dust nuisance abated. That such improvements will follow no one will doubt, and both will be welcomed by merchants and shopkeepers. The noise of passing vehicles in Argyle and Buchanan Streets is so great that, in the offices overlooking the streets, it is often very irksome to carry on a conversation, while the tremor of the building on its foundation frequently makes the hand pause before it completes a word.

Taxes will be reduced.-For the Railway Company will undertake to keep in repair eight feet of single way and sixteen feet of double way. Besides the omnibuses will be no longer running, and, from the convenience given to heavily loaded waggons on the flat part of the rails, the rest of the causeway will require less repair.

The transport of pig-iron to the Broomielaw will be facilitated as well as the moving of heavy castings and locomotives.-It would be a matter

of no little importance to free the streets of the pig-iron traffic; for it is most destructive to the paving and annoying to the public. A special line might be laid for it, and the iron carried in waggons with flanched wheels capable of taking from 4 to 6 tons. Branch lines could be laid into foundries, and castings could be moved on low trucks fitted to the gauge, while locomotives and waggons could be run upon their own wheels, and delivered at the shipping place with a tithe of the power at present expended.

Communication might be also made with the railway stations, and goods (not express) might be taken from one to another by night, in the waggons, without break of bulk. In fact, we have little idea of the amount of capital that would be set free in Glasgow, and of the facilities that would be given by the introduction of Street Railways.

Glasgow has hitherto been in the van of improvement, why should she be behind now? Leave has been granted Mr. Train to lay rails in Birmingham, in Manchester, and in six different parts of London, including the route from the Bank up Moorgate Street, and he is meeting with success on all hands; and, now that the ground is fairly broken, I have no doubt but that the system will spread, and ere long we shall see Iron Rails laid down in the principal thoroughfares of every city in the empire.

MR. ROBSON said the plan of Street Railways deserved to be supported. He had long been of that opinion, and had himself something to do with the introduction of the Street Railway at the general terminus connecting the Lanarkshire mineral lines with the Broomielaw. Along this railway 300,000 tons of coals are conveyed every year, without interrupting the street communication. He had no doubt that a Street Railway might be carried along the thoroughfares of the town without interrupting the passage. Still there were some points on which further experience was required before it could be clearly seen that the plan would prove unobjectionable in our crowded streets. Suppose, for instance, that a pig-iron cart were proceeding along the line at the rate of two miles an hour, and were followed by a passenger carriage going at the rate of six miles an hour, was the cart to get out of the way ?

MR. GREGORY-Carts would come upon the tramway for their own convenience, and of course they would require to leave it on the approach of the passenger carriage.

PROFESSOR ROGERS had witnessed the successful operation of Street Railways in the United States, where they had proved of great advantage, especially to his native city of Philadelphia. They had done all in VOL. V.

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