204 History of Canal and River Navigations. 



countries during next year, and from them we may expect 

 many valuable contributions to our knowledge of the 

 subject, such as is afforded by No. 241 Miscellaneous Series 

 of Reports published by the Foreign Office in 1892, by 

 Mr. Consul O'Neill, which treats of the* harbour improve- 

 ments at Rouen and the navigation of the Seine. 



Having thus collected information from all quarters, the 

 Board of Trade should either formulate a proposal for deal- 

 ing with the question, or a Commission should be appointed 

 to take evidence, before which the Board of Trade repre- 

 sentatives would appear as witnesses, together with other 

 qualified persons. 



The whole subject would then be fully considered under 

 its numerous aspects, and a valuable report, on which action 

 could be taken with a great degree of confidence, should be 

 the result. 



Fortunately politics have nothing to do with the question ; 

 it is a pure matter of business, and should be so regarded. 



Lancashire and Manchester have plainly expressed their 

 views of the necessity for cheaper carriage by constructing 

 the Manchester Ship Canal ; and I hope this example will 

 induce action to be taken in respect to inland waterways 

 throughout the country. 



It is clear that they are more cheaply made and main- 

 tained than railways, and that for certain descriptions of 

 traffic they can be employed with an equal or greater 

 advantage, and with far greater economy. 



