88 
The Journal of the Royal 
sundry goods, to say nothing of the number of lives, 
gold and stores now so frequently lost on the rivers, 
which would be saved. 
Railway construction, however, in such a country as 
this can not be undertaken without liberal Government 
assistance, and land or cash guarantee ; as no matter 
how great the prospect of a fair return on the capital 
expended is, the British public say, wdien asked to 
invest, *' we know nothing about this railway's possi- 
*' bilities, if it is as good as it is represented to be, why 
" not get a guarantee from the colony, and then we will 
" subscribe." While another danger to be guarded 
against is, trilling with a subsidy once giv^en, as the 
merest suspicion by the Stock Exchange or public that 
such had been or would be possible would be quite 
sufficient in itself to absolutely condemn any future 
issue of stock under a guarantee by such a government ; 
and there is no more sensitive pulse in the world than 
the Stock Exchange. There can be no question that 
the motive power for any inland railway in this colony 
should be electric, as p ower can be obtained to any 
extent from the falls on the various rivers which the 
proposed lines would cross at frequent intervals. 
The Rev. A. Campbell considered that in connection 
with a railway, such as that proposed, a reasonable risk 
should be taken, if there was a reasonable hope of 
succoss, and that railway development in the colony 
should be encouraged. The matter should be regarded 
not only from the standpoint of intercolonial trade, but 
of trade with other countries. The coast line bordering 
the Atlantic was the nearest landing point for Europeans, 
and if the proposed railway was constructed the colony 
