companies to which the broad gauge railways belong can be called upon to incur such an expense themselves (having made all their works with the authority of Parliament), nor even the more limited expense of laying down intermediate rails for narrow gauge traffic. Still less can we propose, for any advantage that has been suggested, the alteration of the whole of the railways of Great Britain, with their carrying stock and engines, to some intermediate gauge. The outlay in this case would be very much more considerable than the sum above mentioned; and the evil, inconvenience, and danger to the traveller, and the interruption to the whole traffic of the country for a considerable period, and almost at one and the same time, would be such, that this change cannot be seriously entertained.

Guided by the foregoing considerations, we most dutifully submit to your Majesty the following recommendations:

1. That the gauge of 4 feet 8 inches be declared by the Legislature to be the gauge to be used in all public railways now under construction, or hereafter to be constructed, in Great Britain.

2. That, unless by the consent of the Legislature, it should not be permitted to the directors of any

railway company to alter the gauge of such railway.

3. That in order to complete the general chain of narrow gauge communication from the north of England to the southern coast, any suitable measure should be promoted to form a narrow gauge link from Oxford to Reading, and thence to Basingstoke, or by any shorter route connecting the proposed Rugby and Oxford line with the South Western railway.

4. That as any junction to be formed with a broad gauge line would involve a break of gauge, provided our first recommendation be adopted, great commercial inconvenience would be obtained by reducing the gauge of the present broad gauge lines to the narrow gauge of 4 feet 8 inches ; and we, therefore, think it desirable that some equitable means should be found of producing such entire uniformity of gauge, or of adopting such other course would admit of the narrow gauge carriages passing, without interruption or danger, along the broad gauge lines.

(Signed)

as

J. M. FREDERIC SMITH, (L.S.)
Lieut.-Col. Royal Engineers.
G. B. AIRY,
Astronomer Royal. vis

(L.S.)

(L.S.)

Broad and Narrow Gauges C.

H

ER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, deeming it to be desirable, for the future welfare of both countries, that the state of doubt and uncertainty which has hitherto prevailed respecting the Sovereignty and Government of the Territory on the North-west coast of America, lying westward of the Rocky or Stony Mountains, should be finally terminated by an amicable compromise of the rights mutually asserted by the two parties over the said territory, have respectively named Plenipotentiaries to treat and agree concerning the terms of such settlement, that is to say :

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has, on her part, appointed the Right Honourable Richard Pakenham, a Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United

States; and the President of the United States of America has, on his part, furnished with full powers James Buchanan, Secretary of State of the United States; who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and duc form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles :

I. From the point on the fortyninth parallel of north latitude, where the boundary laid down in existing Treaties and Conventions between Great Britain and the United States terminates, the line of boundary between the territories of Her Britannic Majesty and those of the United States shall be continued westward, along the said forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island; and thence southerly, through the middle of said channel, and of Fuca's Straits, to the Pacific Ocean: provided, however, that the navigation of the whole of the said channel and

companies to which the broad gauge railways belong can be called upon to incur such an expense themselves (having made all their works with the authority of Parliament), nor even the more limited expense of laying down intermediate rails for narrow gauge traffic. Still less can we propose, for any advantage that has been suggested, the alteration of the whole of the railways of Great Britain, with their carrying stock and engines, to some intermediate gauge. The outlay in this case would be very much more considerable than the sum above mentioned; and the evil, inconvenience, and danger to the traveller, and the interruption to the whole traffic of the country for a considerable period, and almost at one and the same time, would be such, that this change cannot be seriously entertained.

Guided by the foregoing considerations, we most dutifully submit to your Majesty the following recommendations:

1. That the gauge of 4 feet 8 inches be declared by the Legislature to be the gauge to be used in all public railways now under construction, or hereafter to be constructed, in Great Britain.

2. That, unless by the consent of the Legislature, it should not be permitted to the directors of any

railway company to alter the gauge of such railway.

3. That in order to complete the general chain of narrow gauge communication from the north of England to the southern coast, any suitable measure should be promoted to form a narrow gauge link from Oxford to Reading, and thence to Basingstoke, or by any shorter route connecting the proposed Rugby and Oxford line with the South Western railway.

4. That as any junction to be formed with a broad gauge line would involve a break of gauge, provided our first recommendation be adopted, great commercial inconvenience would be obtained by reducing the gauge of the present broad gauge lines to the narrow gauge of 4 feet 8 inches; and we, therefore, think it desirable that some equitable means should be found of producing such entire uniformity of gauge, or of adopting such other course would admit of the narrow gauge carriages passing, without interruption or danger, along the broad gauge lines.

(Signed)

as

J. M. FREDERIC SMITH, (L.S.) Lieut.-Col. Royal Engineers. G. B. AIRY,

(L.S.)

Astronomer Royal.

PETER BARLOW,

(L.S.)

Broad and Narrow Gauges C.

H'

ER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, deeming it to be desirable, for the future welfare of both countries, that the state of doubt and uncertainty which has hitherto prevailed respecting the Sovereignty and Government of the Territory on the North-west coast of America, lying westward of the Rocky or Stony Mountains, should be finally terminated by an amicable compromise of the rights mutually asserted by the two parties over the said territory, have respectively named Plenipotentiaries to treat and agree concerning the terms of such settlement, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has, on her part, appointed the Right Honourable Richard Pakenham, a Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United

States; and the President of the United States of America has, on his part, furnished with full powers James Buchanan, Secretary of State of the United States; who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles :

I. From the point on the fortyninth parallel of north latitude, where the boundary laid down in existing Treaties and Conventions between Great Britain and the United States terminates, the line of boundary between the territories of Her Britannic Majesty and those of the United States shall be continued westward, along the said forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island; and thence. southerly, through the middle of said channel, and of Fuca's Straits, to the Pacific Ocean: provided, however, that the navigation of the whole of the said channel and

companies to which the broad gauge railways belong can be called upon to incur such an expense themselves (having made all their works with the authority of Parliament), nor even the more limited expense of laying down intermediate rails for narrow gauge traffic. Still less can we propose, for any advantage that has been suggested, the alteration of the whole of the railways of Great Britain, with their carrying stock and engines, to some intermediate gauge. The outlay in this case would be very much more considerable than the sum above mentioned; and the evil, inconvenience, and danger to the traveller, and the interruption to the whole traffic of the country for a considerable period, and almost at one and the same time, would be such, that this change cannot be seriously entertained.

Guided by the foregoing considerations, we most dutifully submit to your Majesty the following recommendations:

1. That the gauge of 4 feet 8 inches be declared by the Legislature to be the gauge to be used in all public railways now under construction, or hereafter to be constructed, in Great Britain.

2. That, unless by the consent of the Legislature, it should not be permitted to the directors of any

railway company to alter the gauge of such railway.

3. That in order to complete the general chain of narrow gauge communication from the north of England to the southern coast, any suitable measure should be promoted to form a narrow gauge link from Oxford to Reading, and thence to Basingstoke, or by any shorter route connecting the proposed Rugby and Oxford line with the South Western railway.

4. That as any junction to be formed with a broad gauge line would involve a break of gauge, provided our first recommendation be adopted, great commercial inconvenience would be obtained by reducing the gauge of the present broad gauge lines to the narrow gauge of 4 feet 8 inches ; and we, therefore, think it desirable that some equitable means should be found of producing such entire uniformity of gauge, or of adopting such other course as would admit of the narrow gauge carriages passing, without interruption or danger, along the broad gauge lines.

(Signed)

J. M. FREDERIC SMITH, (L.S.)
Lieut.-Col. Royal Engineers.
G. B. AIRY,
(L.S.)

Astronomer Royal.

PETER BARLOW,

(L.S.)

Broad and Narrow Gauges C.