126 neport—1874l. 
their property in Ballymacarrett, and connected with the Central Railway 
near the point where it crosses the county Down line. This tramway com- 
pletes a system which opens up a thorough line of communication between 
the county Antrim and county Down sides of the river, and affords a valu- 
able means of transit of goods by rail from almost all quays in the harbour 
to the County Down, Central, Ulster, and Northern Counties Railways. In 
order to meet the rapidly increasing requirements of the trade of Belfast for 
additional dock and harbour accommodation, I lately received instructions 
from the Commissioners to prepare plans and specifications for works of con- 
siderable magnitude proposed to be carried out on the county Antrim side of 
the harbour. The plans which I submitted were approved of by the Com- 
missioners. They consist of a large wet dock 1200 feet in length, exclusive 
of the entrance, and 280 feet in width, with a depth of 20 feet at low water. 
This dock it is proposed to extend, when the trade of the port shall have 
increased to such an extent as to warrant it, from where it is at present 
shown to terminate to the foot of Corporation Square, an additional distance 
of about 1250 feet, which would close the Clarendon Dock, and do away 
with the two old graving-docks situate off that dock. The entire length of 
the dock when completed would be 2450 feet, giving a water-area of about 
152 acres, with two entrances, one where the present entrance to Prince’s 
Dock is situated, and one entering from the Spencer Dock; and I may just 
state that my reasons for recommending an open wet dock in preference to a 
dock closed by gates are, that the moderate range of tide which exists in this 
harbour being only 8 feet average, together with thesimproved modern 
\echanical appliances for loading and discharging vessels, renders the rise 
amefall of a few feet of tide an immaterial question either as regards time 
or Mpney ; and further, that with an open dock vessels will not require, as 
they would with a close dock, to accumulate opposite the entrance to such 
an extent as to impede the general traffic in the outer or Spencer Dock, a 
free and open means of communication being maintained with the river, 
so that vessels can arrive and depart at all times of the tide. The gates 
and sluices of a close dock are also liable to derangement or accident, and 
tend under any circumstances more or less to limit the amount of traffic to 
the dock. 
It is also proposed, in order to meet the demand for additional graving- 
dock accommodation, to construct, on the county Antrim side of the river, a 
dock of about 600 feet in length, capable of receiving the largest vessels 
built in or frequenting this port. 
Another extensive improvement, which has for some time oceupied the 
attention of the Commissioners, is the formation of a new straight channel 
across the west bank, in continuation of the Victoria Channel, between the 
Twin Islands and Whitehouse Roads; and will, no doubt, when carried out, - 
afford great fagjlities (as compared with the present circuitory route) for 
vessels either entering or leaving the port, and lessen the risk of danger and 
delay consequent upon vessels taking the ground on the slob banks lying on 
either side of the present channel. I have thought it might be interesting, 
and have therefore appended detailed information as to the areas, &c. of 
the property at present in possession of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. 
The total area of property on both sides of the harbour is 1008 a. 2r. 17 p.; 
of which 526 a. 1 r. 11 p. is on the county Antrim side, and 482a, 1r. 6 p. 
on the county Down side according to the original county boundary, 95 acres 
of the property on the county Antrim side being at present in course of 
reclamation. Of the above area about 470 acres have been reclaimed from 
