Scotland in the nineteenth century

15. Transport

Section 15.2: Canals

"the Committee to whom the several papers relating to the Crinan Canal, which were presented to the House upon the 11th day of April last, were referred, to examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their observations thereupon, to the House..."

The Committee examined the amounts spent on constructing and repairing the Crinan Canal. They recommended that £19,207 should be granted for the completion and repair of the canal, as it would be of great advantage to the fisheries of the Western Islands and to the west coast of Scotland.

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"appointed to take into consideration the estimate of the sum that may he wanted, towards defraying the expense of making an inland navigation, from the Eastern to the Western Sea, by Inverness and Fort William, for the year 1816; and to examine the matter thereof, and report the same with their observations thereupon, to the House; and to whom the several reports of the Commissioners for making and maintaining the Caledonian Canal, were referred."

The construction of the Caledonian Canal was begun after the passing of the Caledonian Canal Acts, 1803 and 1804.

The Committee recommended that the usual grant of £50,000 should be increased to £75,000 in the present and next session of Parliament for the completion of the canal.

These papers included the minutes of the Committee of Management for the Company of Proprietors of the Crinan Canal, 20th September, 1815, the report of William Thompson, resident engineer, on the state of the Crinan Canal and the estimate of the probable expense of completing it, and a copy of Thomas Telford's report on the present state of the Crinan Canal, the practicability and expense of repairs and the importance of the Canal in providing communications with the Western Highlands and Islands.

A comparison of the revenue derived from tolls on the Crinan Canal between 1804 and 1812 is given in the appendix (p. 7).

The Commissioners reported that there was still some problem in getting the required depth throughout the canal, and it was still less than 15 feet deep in some places.

476 ships were recorded as using the canal during the previous year, an increase on the year before. The figure did not include "steam boats" but because of the number of steam vessels using the canal, they would, in future, be counted. The year was calculated 1 May, 1824-1 May, 1825 and tables giving accounts of the revenue and breakdown of charges were included (p. 16). Also, the number of people employed (p. 12).

The Commissioners considered that the charges should be increased so that a public company did not compete unfairly with the nearby Forth and Clyde Canal run by individuals.

Appendix A: Breakdown of the movement of shipping (p. 11).

Appendix B: Number of workmen and their jobs (pp. 12-15).

Appendix C: Tables of revenue (pp. 16-24).

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The Commissioners reported that work on the canal having been completed, the number of men employed had stabilised at fifty, the number necessary for general duties. The annual expenses were estimated at £3,100 for labour and up to £1,000 p.a. for material, while the amount being collected each year from dues was £3,207.

The Commissioners did not consider that the canal could be profitable until the overall depth of 20 feet had been achieved. This, it was estimated, would cost £41,000, most of which was needed to clear obstructions.

Appendix A: Number and type of workmen employed (pp.9-15).

Appendix B: Number of ships passing through, 1825-6 (p. 16).

Appendix C: Number of ships passing through, 1826-7 (p. 17).

The report was prepared after an accident at Fort Augustus lock in which a wall gave way. Walker also drew up a list of the necessary repairs and of the canal's long-term prospects. He considered £104,490 needed to be spent at once to bring the canal up to a suitable standard and that steam tugs were indispensable as the lakes were unsuitable for tacking. The 100 mile trip had been known to take a month if the winds were unfavourable. The majority of the trade travelled east to west, while the most common wind was west to east. It was estimated that tugs could reduce the passage to four to seven days.

Appendix 8. Letter from John Gladstone on the possibilities of the Caledonian Canal and a system for the use of steam tugs (p. 15).

The Caledonian Canal was in a poor condition and it was estimated that repair work would cost £200,000. The canal had originally been started in 1803, giving employment to the Highlands, this being the immediate reason for its construction. The object had been to build it large enough to carry a frigate from the west to east coasts. When the canal opened in 1822, it was only partially completed and its use was for this reason limited though it had already cost £905,258.

Plans to abandon the canal could not be advised as this would cost more than putting it into good repair.

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Witnesses were examined from Glasgow and Dundee, Belfast and London on how canals affected their trade and what possibilities it held if it was improved. All those examined hoped that the canal would improve the trade of the northern ports. A circular was also sent to the managers of nearby ports for their opinion (pp. 167-70).

The Committee agreed that the Caledonian Canal should be improved and repaired but that the Crinan Canal should be left until the other works were finished in the hope that private money might be spent on it.

Appendix: number of vessels navigating the canal since 1822 (p. 170).

It had been proposed that the whole canal should be taken over by a joint stock company. The Committee agreed this to be a good idea if certain regulations were imposed to safeguard the government and the public's interest. All the work needed to improve the canal should be done and the lease should not he for longer than 99 years. No rent would be paid but naval ships should be admitted free of charge and a reserve fund built up for major repairs.

The rates were decided on as 2d per registered ton per mile plus 1d if a steam tug was used.

The Committee felt a quick decision was needed in view of the continuing deterioration of the canal and the growing debt to the Bank of Scotland.

The Government had been unable to get the canal transferred to private enterprise under the terms laid down by the Select Committee and it therefore remained under Commissioners' control.

Despite the problems experienced with repairs and the bad weather causing the canal to be closed by ice, it received a larger income for 11 months than in the previous 12 months.

The Committee considered a report from Sir W.E. Parry R.N. concerning the state of the canal and decided it should be repaired at once. They also considered three choices for the canal's future.

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1. Do only the work necessary for the safety of the canal, cost £25,000.
2. Improve the canal and provide steam tugs, cost £150,000.
3. Abandon the canal, cost £40,000 plus extinction of debt £91,000 total.

The Committee thought the second option the best use of public money.

The Report examined the canal and its sea approaches. Captain Parry also made enquiries at Inverness and Aberdeen as to the problems experienced with its navigation, and collected evidence from the ports of Aberdeen, Dundee, Leith, Glasgow, Newcastle, Hull and Liverpool as to its usefulness. Most witnesses thought Glasgow's trade would greatly increase if the canal was improved.

Parry thought that with the provision of horses and steam tugs the navigation of the canal could be reduced to 48 hours in summer or 72 hours in winter.

The railways had been thought of as rivals to the canal but most witnesses who were asked thought the problems of transhipping goods would leave the canal as the preferred route.

Appendix: answers to queries from the different ports (pp. 12-78).