Government Survey of Scotland. 363 



On the completion of the survey of Ireland in 1845, that 

 of England was resumed, and that of Scotland commenc- 

 ed, and in consequence of the very great advantages 

 which the survey of Ireland had conferred on that country 

 beyond the special object for which it was designed, the Go- 

 vernment decided that, in the progress of the survey of Great 

 Britain, the same series of maps should be published, as 

 had been in Ireland — and in consequence the counties of 

 Yorkshire and Lancashire, Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbright- 

 shire, Edinburghshire, and Haddingtonshire, have been drawn, 

 and the first four counties completely engraved on the six- 

 inch scale, whilst the survey is proceeding in Durham and 

 Fife. We also learn that the primary triangulation of the 

 whole United Kingdom is now complete, and the measure- 

 ment of the arc of the meridian, from Dunnose in the Isle 

 of Wight, to Balta in the Shetland Islands, is in course of 

 publication. 



The progress of the survey of Scotland, which was neces- 

 sarily slow in consequence of the small sums granted for the 

 service, having created much dissatisfaction, and many emi- 

 nent persons having expressed an opinion that a survey on 

 the scale of six inches to a mile was not required for Scot- 

 land, a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed 

 in 1851 to report upon this subject. 



The report of this Committee, and the evidence of the nu- 

 merous witnesses examined, contains much valuable and de- 

 tailed information, but much diversity of opinion between 

 the several witnesses ; Sir R. Murchison, Lord Monteagle, 

 Mr Stephenson, Mr Locke, and Mr Brunei, being of opinion 

 that the one-inch scale, like that of the southern counties of 

 England, was all that was required for Scotland ; whilst, on 

 the other hand, Mr Griffiths, under whom the valuation of 

 the whole of Ireland was conducted, and Sir John Macneill, 

 the engineer to the Railway Commissioners of Ireland, and 

 all the Ordnance officers, were of opinion that the scale should 

 be six inches to a mile, like that of Ireland. 



The following are the recommendations of the Committee : 



1. That the six-inch scale be abandoned. 



2. That the system of contouring be abandoned. 



