History of Canal and River Navigations. 199 



on the Continent, it is clear that many of our canals and 

 navigations would well repay a judicious outlay of capital. 

 We find the improved Aire and Calder Navigation com- 

 peting with the railways from Leeds and Wakefield, and 

 carrying 2,200,000 tons of traffic annually. Regular lines 

 of steamers are loaded at Goole for London, although there 

 is direct railway communication between the manufactories 

 at Leeds and the Metropolis. The Bridgewater Canal, on 

 which steam haulage has been largely developed for 15 

 years or more, competes with three railway companies for the 

 traffic between Manchester and the South Lancashire 

 colliery districts, and between Manchester and Liverpool, 

 and carries 2,500,000 tons per annum ; and in France, 

 although only one-half the waterways have as yet been 

 brought into the first class, 92% of the internal water-borne 

 traffic is carried on these, leaving only 8% for an equal 

 mileage of inferior sections. 



Much may be learnt from what has been done in France. 

 Throughout the country the length of waterways available 

 for inland navigation approximates 8,000 miles. Of this 

 650 miles are returned as tidal, 2,100 miles navigable 

 without works, 2,250 miles canalised rivers, 3,000 miles 

 canals. All are toll free, with the exception of about 600 

 miles, a little over 7% of the entire length ; of those not 

 under State control about one-half are under temporary 

 concessions, some of which, however, do not expire until 

 i960. 



Prior to 1792 canals were made by private enterprise 

 under concessions. But at the Revolution they were 

 declared public property, and all rights were confiscated. 

 Subsequently, in order to raise money for warlike pur- 

 poses, many of them were sold. After the Restoration, 

 from 1 8 14 to 1830, 500 miles of new canals were made 

 under Government supervision, and during the reign of 

 Louis Philippe, at the time when enterprise in canals stag- 



