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CHAP. XIX.



ON CONCLUSION OF THE SMALL CANAL SYSTEM



	Having exhibited the various machines for transferring the small coats, and gone through the operations, in which I have endeavored impartially to present the fair comparative view of the general effect of large and small boats; I shall now take a summary review of the whole process, the object in view, and the effect which ought to be produced by canals.



	First, the true sense of national importance, to facilitate agriculture and merchandise the whole ponderous carriage of a kingdom should, as much as possible, be conveyed by canals, thus reducing expense, opening easy communications, exchanging  the produce of one district fro another, improving the country, reducing the number of horses, rendering manual labor more productive, and spreading with greater regularity the comforts of life. Hence there should be a power of extending canals into every district, in order to draw from every source, but it is evident this can only be done by portioning the expense of the canal to the trade.



	Yet, however desirable this may be, it cannot possibly be performed by lock canals; locks load a canal with certain and heavy expenses which descend to one point, for twenty-five ton boats, below which there is no reduction, whatever the trade may chance to be: every country, therefore, which cannot produce a trade equal to those heavy expenses, must be shut out from the benefit of water-carriage, and this is by much the greater part of the kingdom.



	Wherever the importance of two great trading towns, or commercial countries, can bear the expense of a lock canal, it may be constructed,; but it is impossible to branch off into the less important or poor districts with large boats, which carry them all their consequent expenses: which is not only un-mechanical, but impolitic, in two respects; it excludes the benefit of water conveyance to such districts, towns, and hamlets, and bars out a trade which ought to be drawn into the canal to the benefit of the proprietors.



	But a small canal, forming a communication between two important counties, is so easy of access, in consequence of the small boats, that lateral cuts are easily constructed; they consequently will extend into the country, and others from them into every nook and corner where forty or fifty tons per day can be collected: thus the country will be nourished, as veins feed the constitution; and the canal became important, like a river receiving numerous streams: while another advantage of the small boats, that of moving flow and taking quantity, or conveying a less quantity and passing with the rapidity of a coach, which will most materially accommodate merchandise and valuable articles, will take almost the whole ponderous quantities of trade on canals that must for ever be excluded on the trade yet adequate to a trade of the first importance, consequently persevering regularly throughout; while their cheap formation is the greatest possible inducement to their construction: I shall therefore bring this subject to a few questions, which I wish every speculator to apply his own deliberations.
 
	First, As a small canal, averaging the situations, may be constructed for one half the sum which a canal for twenty-five ton boats would cost, or about one third the expense of one forty-ton boats; It is not better for a subscriber to have as good a prospect of receiving ten or fifteen per cent. by the small, as five by the greater work; yet, guarded against any material loss, have every advantage which the large canal could give?

	Secondly, in constructing a navigation, it is not better to expend 33,000l. in a small canal, and have the prospect of drawing in numerous connections by the cheapness of the system, than to spend 66,000l. for twenty-five ton boats, or 100,000l for forty-ton boats, in forming large canals, to accommodate a few unusual articles which the small boats cannot convey, and thereby prevent the possibility of lateral cuts; which would return infinitely more trade into the canal than the small boats exclude.

	Thirdly, which will command the most trade, the small boats, by the cheapness with which they may be extended into every district where there is any thing to carry; or the large boats, by their capacity to contain the unusual and bulky articles.
	
	Fourthly, or will the consequence of those unusually bulky commodities be put in competition with goods of medium dimensions: which are certainly ninety parts out of a hundred of the whole carriage of the kingdom.

	Fifthly, in a national view, is it not better to have three hundred miles of canal for the same money which it now costs to make one or two hundred; and extend the conveniences of water-carriage in a two or three-fold proportion.

	Sixthly, If a company are about to expend 300,000l. in a canal for forty-ton boats, the canal only thirty miles long, when ninety miles might be extended into populous districts for the same money; which, in common sense, would make the best return to the subscribers.
	
	Seventhly, it is not a fair criterion to judge the application of a small canal by these circumstances.

	Eightly, it is not also fair, to compare the interest of the principal saved, by adopting the small, instead of the large boats, with the expense of transferring the cargoes from large to small boats; considering, that the transfer of cargo will fall on the freighter.

	Ninthly, to view this subject to its extent, as of individual and national importance, will not the small boats draw infinitely more trade into the channels of canal conveyance, in consequence of their cheapness and expedition, than can ever possibly be done by the large and expensive mode of locks.

	Tenthly, will not this system draw almost the whole carriage of the kingdom on canals; the greater part of which must for ever be conveyed in wheel carriages, if the lock principle is pursued.

	Let each speculator, or member of a committee, contemplate these questions, and consider the process; let them propose these question to their engineers, and request and answer; an I have no doubt of discussion drawing the large boats out of the streams of prejudice, and launching them into the rivers, their natural and proper situation.

	Having put the question to engineers, I conceive it necessary to be properly understood by them: for I really have as a great a desire to be in harmony with all men, as to harmonize the canal system.

	I do not therefore mean to call their abilities to account, by this question, or to find the least fault with the works they have constructed; the lock-canals, though limited in their extension and imperfect in their extension, and imperfect in their principle, were not invented by them; they have but prosecuted the principle, as the best method hitherto known for general utility.
	
	When a company of gentlemen with a canal, they apply to and give credit to the reputation of an engineer; he consequently acts to the best of his judgment, which judgment is usually formed on established customs; and which, in many instances, has been judiciously exerted. But is such a system of operation was invariably to be continued, there would be no more scientific improvement among men, than in a bed of oysters.
	
	I therefore look upon it as a duty in every man, who has the least pretension to science, to investigate every plan, which has even the resemblance of improvement; and he is responsible to his employers, as he persists without passing his candid judgment; his judgment should also be put to the tent, by opposing it to one wheel versed in the subject; and thus light would appear, as friction brings forth the sparks of latent fire.
	
	I am aware, this challenge to a fair discussion may be construed into self-importance in me, by opposing my opinion to all others: but be that as it may, I deem it indispensable necessary in all improvements of a public nature.

	A man, unthinking, may turn up a tuft of earth, and find a vein of gold, which interest will urge him to pursue: I, by chance, stumbled on this subject, by turning over a news-paper, or, in all probability, I should never have thought of canals. I mentioned this to show, that I do no arrogate to myself a great deal of the ingredient which is called Genius; but that some of the most useful discoveries is the produce of the accident. I found the subject interesting, and I have had the pleasure, in prosecuting it, to find it worth pursuing. It has also been some satisfaction, that it appears of national importance: and, as I conceive, I have now removed the principal part of the rubbish (except one strong strata of prejudice), and got my machines ready to work, I lay the enterprise open to the inspection of all, in order that, if there is any intrinsic worth, it may be assayed; and, I have some hope, it will not all evaporate in fusion.

	Therefore, I do think it most seriously important, for speculators and their engineers, to consider this subject well, before they bring their bills into parliament, or prosecute another canal. If the system is found, the sooner is adopted the better if not, let it be buried its own insignificance.

	As I venerate liberality and the light of reason, I despise the pusillanimity of the individual, who, like a dark lantern, conceals the light he receives. Therefore, whether this is a gleam radiating from a brilliant reflector, or the pale glimmering of inflammable vapor, I am determined it shall not be confined; and my reason is, that many useful improvements sleep for ages, for want of the fire of energy in the projector, while the only mode of proving their utility is to bring them to the test of discussion: I therefore, feel myself quite ready to meet every objection to this system of small canals; and, for this purpose, I here call on engineers, or others, who think proper to answer the arguments in their favor.

	If they cannot do this, I hold myself perfectly justifiable in crisscrossing on the works of those men, who may hereafter either willfully, or ignorantly, prosecute the lock principle, and draw their employers into the consequent errors: I will therefore, once more, revert to the comprehensive view of water-conveyance, large or small canals; and which consequently will produce the greatest benefit to society? It will therefore be a feeble subterfuge to attempt to evade the question, by saying, this may do for some canals, but not for ours.

	Such a reply would also be impolitic, and exhibit a limited sense of the small system; for, as I have ever before hinted, I will now assign my reason why the small canals will ruin the large ones.

	Which is, that when the small canals are well understood, they will become so numerous, and perform the work at such low tonnage, as to reduce the lock canals, or their emoluments, which is the same thing, to the utmost insignificance, by drawing off their trade, as lock canals now draw the trade out of rivers.

	The proprietors of the lock canals, will then have little more than the bulky articles; and it will then be seen, what proportion they bear to those of medium dimensions.

	To give some idea of this, I beg the proprietors of the Leeds of Liverpool, Lancaster, Rochdale, Grand Junction, Kennet and Avon, Ellesmere, are various other canals, for river or forty-ton boats, to suppose a small canal running side by side, or to the same points; which small canal would carry all articles of medium dimensions for one-third which the proprietors of the large canal could afford; where then would the object of transferring cargo?

	The same tonnage which would produce five per cent to the large canal would be fifteen per cent to the small company; and, as fifteen per cent is a considerable profit, they, for the sake of engrossing the trade, might continue to reduce the tonnage as the trade increased, which still retained fifteen per cent to the small company, would prevent the larger from ever rising above five. Thus the small canal would absolutely be a dictator to the larger work, and fix its emoluments, above which it could not arise; but might be reduced to less than two per cent. if competition or disputes arose, the small canal still receiving five per cent. The reader will now judge, whether I have ushered this opinion into the world without some reasons to support it: he will also consider, whether any man would subscribe to large canals, taking upon himself a part of the risqué attendant on such heavy works, when he could not, at the utmost, receive more than five per cent.

	From these considerations, it is also a natural conclusion, that the large canal companies will endeavor to prevent those small works interfering with their trade; and, in case of danger, fly to Parliament with bills of infinite restrictions. But, I hope, a wife will see, that competition is the truth polish of society; that to reduce the expense of public works, it to improve the nation, and will therefore take off many of the restrictions with which they are now shackled.

	As far as my judgment extends on this point, I conceive, if Parliament guard landed and mill property, also the feeders to established canals, the relative effect which the trade of one may have on the other, should never be considered; if all restrictions of this kind were abolished, canal speculations would still find their level; and competition would reduce the expense of carriage, which is the real object of canals: competition always takes as little profit as it can afford, monopoly as much as it can draw out of the freighter; therefore competition should meet with every encouragement, restrictions should be as few as possible, and circulation as free as the air we breathe. Till this is the case, the nation never can receive the full benefit which ought to arise from water conveyance.