CALEDONIAN CANAL.

Substance of the Twenty-second Report of the Commissioners appointed for carrying into Execution the purposes of an Act, passed in the 43d year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Third, intituled, "An Act for granting to his Majesty the sum of Twenty Thousand Pounds, towards defraying the Expense of making an Inland Navigation from the Eastern to the Western Sea, by Inverness and Fort William, and for taking the necessary steps towards executing the same;"and also for the purposes of an Act, passed in the 44th year of his said late Majesty, intituled, "An Act for making further Provision for making and maintaining an Inland Navigation, commonly called the Caledonian Canal, from the Eastern to the Western Sea, by Inverness and Fort William, in Scotland."

THE attainment of the full depth of the Caledonian Canal is an operation which it is in vain to attempt to expedite, without incurring the expense of additional dredging machines; an expense which would be incompatible with prudence, inasmuch as canals in general do not come into full use till the course of trade has accommodated itself to the new channel prepared for it; and this kind of delay is the more to be anticipated in a canal of an unusual kind, and unexampled in its dimensions. Shipmasters are prudently unwilling to rely on a passage unexplored by vessels not quite so large as their own; and this sort of caution has really prevented disappointment in the case of the Caledonian Canal, the navigable depth of which, from sea to sea, is not very much increased since the date of the Commissioners' last re

port. At four places in the summit level it is not yet fifteen feet deep, and the same deficiency exists across the Dunainchroy Moor, near Inverness, as also in the short space connecting the foot of Loch Lochie with the regulating loch near Mucomer.

The unusual hardness of the clay at Bona, (foot of Loch Ness,) and the necessity of employing a dredging machine at Dunainchroy, have produced unexpected delay; but all obstacles have been nearly overcome by slow degrees, and the Commissioners are assured, that the shallows are so far diminished in extent, that the labour of the next three months will produce a clear passage throughout the canal and lakes, nowhere less than fifteen feet deep.

The passages of vessels from sea to sea have been 476 in number, showing an increase as ten to six upon the amount of the preceding twelvemonth; of these, 218 have been from the west to the east, 258 from east to west, and 517 vessels have entered the canal without passing through it. Steam-boat passages, to the amount of 149, are not included in these numbers; but in future they will form part of the account, as the indulgence hitherto shown towards them in the non-payment of tonnage rates will henceforth be discontinued. The tonnage rates on other vessels, at one farthing per mile per ton, with five shillings on every steam-boat passage, have produced L. 2,160, from 1st May 1824 to 1st May 1825; and directions will be given to the collectors, to charge one halfpenny per ton per mile, from and after the end of June 1825, not only because the rates are unreasonably low, as compared with the accommodation afforded, but also with regard to the interest of the Forth and Clyde Canal Company, who might reasonably complain of injustice, if a very low tonnage rate continued to be charged on a rival mode

of conveyance, created and maintained, not at the expense of individuals, but of the public.

The Commissioners proceed to describe in detail the present state of the works along the whole line of the canal. They further state, that the number of persons employed in the canal operations has been on an average 287,-an increase of 122 upon the number stated in their last report; the lining of the canal near Fort Augustus, and afterwards in the Clachnacharry district, and the rock cutting at Mucomer, having required many labourers, of whom a larger proportion than usual were of necessity employed in day work.

The expenditure of the last twelvemonth has not varied perceptibly from the amount stated in their last report, as the expenditure of the preceding twelvemonth; considering that, for the reasons therein specified, that payment arose from fourteen pay-days. Thirteen only, the usual number, are now included; and the expenditure in fifty-two weeks has been nearly L.22,000.

HIGHLAND CHURCHES.

Substance of the First Report of the Commissioners appointed by virtue of an act of Parliament, passed in the 4th year of George IV., intituled, "An Act for building additional Places of Worship in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland."

THE Report, which is dated June 27, 1825, describes the original act, (by which L.50,000 was granted by Parliament,) and the acts which were found necessary for its amendment; and states, that at their meetings of the 17th February and 25th June, the Commissioners were enabled to appropriate, in a satisfactory manner, thirty-one churches, which were to be served by thirty ministers; and to offer manses and ministers in ten other cases. The following list shows the places at which churches have been directed to be built;-most of them absolutely, a few provisionally:

satisfactory review of their transactions during ten years, therein proving that the public and the heritors of ten counties collectively, had paid equally, or about L.34,000 each, during that period, towards the repair of Highland roads and bridges; the share of expense borne by the public appearing to have preponderated in the counties of Inverness, Ross, and Sutherland; in all the other counties the road repair assessment had produced more than had been expended on the part of the public.

In the Report of last year, an explanation was given in what manner it became necessary to give further opportunity to the counties of Inverness, Ross, and Caithness, to revise their proceedings under the act of 1823; and this was done by means of a short supplementary act passed in May 1824, wherein occasion was taken to gratify the heritors of Inverness-shire by certain amendments of the act of 1819, and also to specify distinctly the portion of public aid annually assignable to each of the four northern counties, towards the repair of military and parliamentary roads and bridges; viz. to Invernessshire, the sum of L.1066; to Ross shire, L.438; to the county of Sutherland, L.222; and to the county of Caithness, L.115; in all L.1841 per annum; the expense of management being calculated at the like sum, and the residue of the annual L.5000 (given by the act of 1819) being reserved for road repair, and management thereof, in the other six counties, which are not affected by the acts of 1823 and 1824.

No toll-gates have hitherto been erected on any of the roads, nor have tonnage or other rates been imposed for upholding ferry piers and shipping quays, as authorized by the act of 1823; but in pursuance of the resolutions of the county meetings of

Ross-shire and Caithness respectively, toll-gates will now be erected, not exceeding three in each of these counties; and tonnage and boatage rates will be established at such of the ferry piers and quays as require to be repaired or rendered more accessible at low-water.

The stormy climate of the Highlands rendering the construction of caravans for the workmen desirable, eight were constructed, each at an expense of about L.15, and capable of lodging fifteen men. They were found so useful, that it was in contemplation to build six more. From this and other contingent expenses the Commissioners were induced to calculate the expense of management at L.2500 per annum.

The Commissioners proceed to describe in detail the improvements making in the various roads and bridges of the Highlands. They express great regret at the death of Mr John Mitchell, the principal road inspector, of whose indefatigable labours, in the course of eighteen years' service, they speak in terms of the highest praise. His place was filled by his son, Mr Joseph Mitchell, who was dischar ging his duties to the entire satisfaction of every one.

Of the two Lowland roads placed by Parliament in charge of the Commissioners, the Glasgow and Carlisle road was opened to the public in the year 1822, and the large bridges mentioned in the Report of March last are all completed. One of these bridges is an arch of 80 feet span, near the town of Hamilton; one is near the village of Abington, over the Glengonnar burn; and the third, an arch of 90 feet span, is at Crawford, and supersedes the Elvanfoot bridge, which was badly situated, and in danger of being destroyed by a change in the river current immediately above it.