ENGLISH EXTRACTS. THE GREAT MEDITATED RAILWAY IN AMERICA.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 268, 23 December 1848, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. THE GRE AT MEDITATED RAILWAY IN AMERICA.

The general advantages of construfiMng a Rail. road to connect the two Oceans through the heart of the United States consists in ths fict, never lostsiahtof in that country, that the increase in value of the lnml through which it would jia*s would far moie than covn the outlay to he incurred, and also that such a line would confer ex< lusive advantages on the United States. winch would be lost if the communicatoa were effected by the old scheme of a cun.il across the Isthmus of Panama. The particular recommendations of the California over the Oregon route are the secure nature of its harbour, their convenient position for the 300 American vessels annually emplojed in the whaling expeditions in the Pacific, and the central point they would present for the establishment of a great naval station and dock-yard, San Francisco being midway between the southern and northern boundary of the American possessions on this coast, which now extend about 1003 miles. By the construction of the rontem plated route, Lieut. Maury asserts the United S'atea would be placed in a position to command the trade of the entiie East. ''Hitherto," he sayi-, " in nil parti of the world, except Europe and the West Indies, lha ships of the two great competitor* on ths ocean have met on barfly equal terms." To refch home from India, China. New Holland, the Islands of the Pacific, or the yoits of South America, an Ameiican and British ship had both to pursue the smie route, although the course of one was terminated at Liverpool, while the olh-r hod to proceed to New York. But now the Oregon and California are Americanised, all of these ports are nearer ; and the chief among them, as Bombay, Calcutta. Singapore, the ports of China, Japan, New Holland, Australia, Polynesia, and the islands of the East, uoauy thousand miles nearer to the United States than they a*e to England."

What is to bb done rou the Piople ?— What should be done is perteorly plain and generally acknowledged. Yon will not find t j n men of sense or information in Great Briuin, out of the precincts of the Colonial and other Government offices, who have two opinions on the subject To relieve ihe labour market in Great Britain a great effort should immediately be made to transport tome huudred thousand of the veiy poorer class, who cannot emigrate on their own resources, to Canada, the Cap?, and Australia. Wages in the latter country are from 4s to ss. a d,»y for common, Gs. an 7s. a day for ski' led labour. 1 1 eland is the great quarter to wliiuh tliis re ief should be extended — if its surplus multitudes are taken off the pressure on Gieit Britain will be speyd ly abated. Ships of war, to lighten the cost of tmniport, should be employed to tramport the emigi ants ai they do our regiments.— Government barracks bhoulJ be established with pioper officers to receive the emigrants at their landing, separate the healthy from the »ick, establish the latter in proper hospital* so as to stop the spread of typhus fever and forward, at the public expense, the healthy and active to the frontier — other officers should be appointed there toallo them ground, find them tools, fuiniih them with seed, or find them employment. This should be done to at least three hundred thousand or four hundred thousand emigrants annually for tome years to come. We should like to see the chartism or repeal mania which would long sand against such a course of humane, and withal wise nnd liberal, legist ition. But such great measures would require raont-y-The average cost of each emigrant so transported and looked to m the colony would be £6 or £7 ; three or four hundred thousand j ersom so provided with the means or emigration would cost from 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 a-year. Granted. Could the money ba better bestowed ? It would not yield «ny return, like that devoied to making good Irish roads had ones. It would convert three hundred thousand paupers annually into consumers of Btitish manufactures to the amount of three or four pounds a-head ; it would add £1,000,000 or £1,200,000 a year to the export of British manufactures ; it would secure a durable vent for our goods by planting B.itish dependents in the New World — it would spread joy and comfort throngh Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow, not lesa than Tipperary and Galway ; it would extinguish — and extinguish by means of Christian beneficence— the flame of dissatisfaction in the realm ; it would give to our people all that French socialism hat that is really beneficial, and save them from the unutterable and incalculable evils with which it is fraught ; it would restore the balance between capital and industry, so grievously and ruinously deranged by the effects of free trade of late years: it would go far to alleviate the misery which the pernicious dogmas regarding the currency have sprrad through the country. For blessings such as these U the i-sue or Exchequer-bills to the extent ol two or three millions a yeai tor some years an extravagant price to pay ? Would not five times the sum be at oiu c borrowed by the State in a single year if war were to break out with France or Ameiica ? Are the dangers of any such war to be compared to those which must mev.tably be incuired if the present Inghtlul mass of pauperism, Hleness, and destitution it* allowed to continue unieheved, and logo on increase in the country ? What must, in the end, be the result of such a state of things, but internal anarchy, foreign degradation, ultimate ruin ? — Blachwood't Magazine

Tin; " Ta'iam \rav "—lt" — It linvins? been announced that this patent lite piesetvfr wou'd make a trip i' run Djver to Boulogne, long befoie the appointed hour for " demonstration," the beach in front of Waterloo descent, win thronged with apeciators. A tent win cm tJ<l on the beuli, under which the catamaran was put together .imf prepared for sea. During its prou;- es«, »n<l nfrer its completion, vnr num'iers of prople inspected it ; an 1 it 1. o.ilv jii t.as to "Mr Uclv (he m-entor, to say Hut his . uuitt* y anil kii,dn«"% to all vi limb Mill inq'iireiN, twte eminently contpioii jU>. Tlif hoin of si:! nji bud umvpcl, hut cs there «a-a *tiir adve»-e hre.*?,", hi nvp?, it, wa-> (Itemed inipnietwabie t<i hunch lh<» citun.iran. Indeed the hi^lu-gt ntiuUc'iil .iuth"rilir>q declared it quits impossible f.>r mi h it cnltMi roach Boulo nenmhit day, (Tuesday); mil "\ I •• 11. ly iv is there fine, n hictautly compelled to> .i'u ulon the idea of taking th j ti tp that day. On Wedn.-bd \y tie wni'l uus c p\My »dver-c. nn 1 it was not till Fliui >day ui»rnmjj at u o'd'ok, that hcco-ld Htte'npf the p^-sngo. At thi. ear y hour, <ur diow v citiz ih %veie disturbed by the hooniliij nf ctuioh, Iki?iven n^'ital for the di-p-iriurc of 'he fxpi'diti'iu , find thooe who understood the signal, and could muster sufficient couiN»-e to ihtow off d atVs counterf it, hted them to the beach to witness it. AH liavnt » ben got reudy, the catnttmnin was earri <1 down to ihe Witei't edf»'', by a lew Htimly buittncn, and in n trici laiiiic'ied f>rtlie iini t.nieon the briny deep am.d the roar <>f artilleiy and i lie j luudits of the people. Tin catamaran, bunt; nov taitlyaflo.it, lay ut anchor in the otliiij^, for a sliort limf>. The nn hoi 1 beii)" 1 c,<<t, the lie piescrvei wa-, pull d d-ai of the land, and she was then put undet tlis | ie,s'irß of a lii^ sail, ana took hti passaj/e across the ch.innel, wi b an LNpies'ion o f the heaity good wishes of ihe spectatois. She was accompanied by a lugger, with some 31 people on board, The catanoarou shewed evident s\mptom^of her seagoing qualities, so htig as she remained insi»ht, and it wai doubted by none, but that she would make the tiip at a reasonable tate. The catamaran is exceedingly simple in itg construction. This specimen is 30 feet long by 8 feet wide. The cylinders were stuffed with dilJercnt sorts of muirtions, and when on ih« witer U looked in fchape, not unlike an e'ongated basket, timing!) the bottom aud sides of which the wiler had free im;iehs and i^h-s. Its flexibility pioiecti ii from damage on locks or -inking ships, and t would seem next to imp ss ole (or any '■ci to tipsc il. It: will therefore, be scvircabie where no boat could live and though it does not keep its crew dry footed, th n m a mater of minor import in cases ot life or d-ath. WV have no doubt of the success of Mr.llely'o idvlmtion, and believe that every f ea-»om^ ve«fel »vill shortly adopt the catamaran as a life prebervci , (or paasengerß and crew, in rase of need. Jn the case of a vesbel taking fiie m Sc-.i, g-pt* i»ir on a sunken rorli, or in any way becoming in a sinking state, were each sailor provided with a cylinder cn>e, he coul.i bundls his clothes and a tittle ' grub ' into it and the f trengtb. of ihe united c ew would veiy 6odii construct tli<s catainann taft. The catamnran arrived safe at B >ulognfi at 7 o'clock, p.m. Here Mr. Hely was reonvt d most cordially b) the autlnritiep, and presented to ihe Frenci go/ermnent, through tlu«m, a modul of hi« invention. The rcta:n voyage w,>s favourable as far as Blackness, when the catamaiau fell in with heavy calms, aud did not arrive on Dover bay beach until 11 p. m., having about five miles off encountered a heavy norih-east breeze, with much rain aud a heavy sea. Agrjat number of persons a-Sdinbled on the beach opposite the baths to giest tlie catamaian,as the beached m ga lanf atyl j on the shingle. We understand that every Idsliinjr was as secure as at the hour of her starting from Dover Ha), and she was only atiirichorso deeper in the water. >II her woodwork remains pei tec.ly .staunch. She (•lnpped no water over her bulwaks, steered steadily, and hrJd hur wind by raems of her shifting keel, with wfnd-rful nicety. She has been ptouounct'd a craft ot fiist-rate «(-aworthmess and sifety, and U.e lcsult of this Stdt water trial, during which about 90 miles of water were travelled, may be considered as conclusive aa successful. This day she \\H be taken to pKvi on the beach. We undui^Uuu! that two offers to purchase the catnmardn weic madi* to the inventor by parties at Boulogne, previous to hoi dcpailuie iron that port. — Dover Chronicle, June 22.

(From Punch J The Model Debtor.— So long as he gets a thing on credit he never Ih nki it dear. No dinner is too good for liim ; the dearest winrs, the c truest peas, the most juvenile strawberries ; the strongest liqueurs, most exotic iuxuiies— everything that is expensive and delicious, so tlmt he is not culled upon to give ready money tor it. The world pays, and heojoys himself. His call is found him fice of e.ipjn&e, and hy some etiarm he hm a 20 ) guinea horse sent home to him without paying a single p nny for it. The rent of his house is several quuier« due; 'he furniture is of the vry be^t, but not a tfcli or a stitch of ie lino been settled for, and the very sheets he sleeps in might be taken fiom under him by his wahherwomin, for terrible arrears of debt. These thoughts, however, do not trouble his happiness. He trusts, for everything, to his appe ranee. He knows we 1 enough -that a man with a shabby exterior never gets credit for anything in this wo! Id, He 1m u };ood coat, and on the back of it ordeis as many new r\ >theß as he likes, lie has only to a&k for hats, boots walking slicks, pistols, diessing-cases, and they ate all lett at Ins "residence" exactly as it he had paid for every one of them. No questions are asked— noc a soul is in a hurry; for "anyone can see he is a perfect gentleman." lie. flourishes a cheque-book, though bis thuds would not be liquidated at any other bank but Aldgate Pump.— The day of reckoning, however, sooner or Uter comes. Then it is that the wonderful impudence, the real genim, Of the Model Debtor buiots out in all itsg<entness. It is not convenient for him to piy, just at present. He wonders at Mr. Smith's impatience (Smith is his butcher)— the bill can barely have bee-« owing two year; — jvc he will call and settle neU week. Some he threatens to expose; the impertinence of others hi> will certainly report to all his friends ; and he silences the noisiest with a piece ol stamped paper, on which his name is msciibed, as the representative of hundieds of pounds. But the bubbl • larger and larger, till it bur.ti. Th< n th<j Modi I Debtor tumbles from his high estate — if eve* 1 he hid any — and from tin "eligible mansion 1 ' he falls to a •• dm. able jod»ia a '," at a luw shillings per wrek. Hi- likci tbo Suirey side of the 'liiame.s best. — His life is now a constant {>arne of hide and set-k. He is never "at home," especially to tup biota and Juiu-al m nc-es, that biings letters and wnii (or aiibWers in .he passage. Ht glows neivouo. Eveiy knock at the door throws him back, and he rings the hell violently two or three times, whispers to the servant through the door, turns the key, aud crouches down wub his ear to the key hole, lie look^ out of window bifoie he veniures in the ttreet. lie o.ily w.hd when iy cannof afford t> |iay for a cab. Omnibuses are ddiigeioui, : ii is not so easy to avoid a creditor inside He se'ects the dreariest tho'uughlaics, a, id never penetrates into a cul de-sac, or approaches within a mile of Chancerylane. His impudence, boivtvpr, does not desejt nim. He never recollects are bill whateve., and if slopped and questioned about his lu.ne, he tliicateus m the

grandest manner to call the police. When pressed for money, he it lure the account wni paid long ago, and that he has got the recript somewhere at home. He it most faithful in excuses, and lavish in promises. He generally expects " a good round sum in a day or two." He can never get hit accounts in, and wm disappointed only last week of a large balance he had relied upon for paying your little " trifle." As he falls lower in the world lie gets merker. He would pay if be could. All he askt for is time. Business in very bad — never was worse. He only wants to look round him. He hopes you won't be hard upon him ; but if pros'cu'ed, if goaded to deith in this wav, sooner than lead the life he does, he will go into the Gazette, and thtn h's creditors must not blame him if they don't eet a farthing. He means well, if they will only let him alone. He will be happy to Rive you a bill. He has a wife and three children. In fact he is a most affection parent, and the sacrifices he has made for hit family no one can tell but himself— which he doe» upon every possible opportunity. He grows tired of answering letters, and as for giving the name of his solicitor, he bates the law too much to do it, He merts a bill and a bailiff with equal horror ; but dors not care much for either, if he can only be sure of a "g^od lung run." He is very sensitive about the left shoulder, going off, like a hair trigger, at the slightest touch. His great day is Sunday. He is then everywhere — in the Park especially— and any one to see him wou'd imagine "he could look the whole world in the face, and defy any one to say he owed him a shilling." He is brave, too, during vaca'ion. He is very intimate with the law, and has a profound respect for the Sta tute of Limitation; but thinks England not worth living in since the County Courts Act. He carries his antipathy, indeed, so far as to run over some fine morning to Boulonge and never coming back and again, leaving all his property, though, behind him in a carpet bag replete with bricks. There his first cure is to cultivate a moustache, and to procure new clothes, new dinners, fresh victims. He is always expecting a remittance by the next post. His bankers, however, are lery remits, and he it lodged at lust bv his landlord in the Hotel d'Angleterrc—m plain English, the prison. He only ask* for time, and at last he gets more of it than he likes, for he is locked up for two or three years in gaol, unless he is very lucky and it liberated by a Revolution. He disappears no one knows where. His friends wonder what has become of him, till there is a vague report that he hni bean seen rs an attrche to one of the gaming-houses about Leic iter-square, or, if be is tolerably well off, that be bra been recognised on the road to Epsom, driving a cib, with a large number (say 2,584) painted upon it. The Model Debtor is honest at last, for he has arrived at that stage of life at which no man will put any trust in him. He pays his way— turnpikes in. eluded — and does not overcharge more than what is perfectly Hansom. He pays ready money for everything, even down to the waterman on the cabstand, and gives himself out as a " gentleman who hat seen better diys." His great boast, however, is that through all the ups and downs of his racketty career, he never left unpaid a single debt of honour. Doubtless this is a great source of consolation to the.numerous tradesmen to whom he never paid a penny !

From Persun Gulf .. .. From Bjmbay From Calcutta From Singapore From Canton From Shanghae From Jeddo (Japaii) From New Guinea From North- weit Point of New ILill.nd .. .. Fom Nor h-east do. do. . . From New Zealand To England. Miles. 11,3)0 11,500 1<2,2')0 12,300 13,700 14,400 15,200 14,000 11,800 13 500 J 3,500 lo ports ol California, Mile*. 10,400 9, 4 8;)0 9,30) 7,400 6,100 5,490 4 5)0 6,000 7,800 6 900 5,(500

The following is a table of comparative distances to England and California, from various places m the Eastern aaU Southern Seaa :—