212 History of Inland Transport 



particular works in its neighbourhood " ; and, in the course 

 of a detailed argument in favour of small boats, of from two 

 to five tons burden, in preference to the unduly large ones 

 as he considered them then in vogue, he adds : " Rail- ways 

 of one mile or thereabouts will, no doubt, be frequently 

 necessary, where it may be difficult to find water at the 

 extremity, or when the trade from the works is not sufficient 

 to pay the expence of machinery, 1 and, its extent being one 

 mile, can be of little importance to the country." 



That Parliament itself, at this time, looked upon railways 

 only as accessories to canals is shown by a reference to the 

 " House of Commons Journals," where, under date June 19, 

 *799> it is reported that a Committee appointed, on the loth 

 of the same month, " to consider the expediency of requiring 

 notices to be given of an intended application to Parliament 

 for leave to bring in a Bill for the making of Ways or Roads 

 usually called Railways or Dram Roads, or for the renewal 

 or alteration of an Act passed for that purpose," had adopted 

 the following resolution : " That it is the opinion of this 

 Committee, That the Standing Orders of the House of the 

 yth of May, 1794, relating to Bills for making Navigable 

 Canals, Aqueducts and the Navigation of Rivers, or for 

 altering any Act of Parliament for any or either of those 

 purposes, be extended to Bills for making any Ways or 

 Roads, commonly called Railways or Dram Roads, except so 

 much of the said Standing Orders as requires," etc. The resolu- 

 tion was agreed to by the House on the 25th of the same 

 month. 



Towards the close of the century it became customary for 

 canal companies applying to Parliament for powers, or 

 extensions of existing powers, to seek for authority to make 

 railways, waggon ways or stone roads in connection with 

 their canals ; and these they were generally authorised to 

 lay down to any existing or future mines, quarries, furnaces, 

 forges or other works within a distance of, at first four, 

 subsequently eight, miles of such canal. They were, also, 

 authorised to construct any bridges necessary for giving 

 access to the canal. If, after being asked to make a railway, 

 waggon road or bridge, under these conditions, the canai 

 company refused so to do, the person or persons concerned 

 1 Stationary engines. 



