MOTIVE POWER ON

30 ()

greater, and a much heavier load can be con-veyed on a Rail-road,, with the same intensityof motive power, than can be done on a canal.

If, therefore, the rate of tonnage on acanal, arising from the cost of forming andkeeping in a state of active use, together withthe cost of boats, be not greater than the ton-nage required to form and keep a Rail-road inrepair, and also the carriages by which thegoods are conveyed ; then the relative economyat different rates of speed, in the transit ofgoods upon canals and Rail-roads, will be re-presented by column 9 of the preceding Table.But as, in general, the formation of a canalcosts about three times as much as the forma-tion of a Rail-way, and the annual charges ofkeeping the boats, towing-paths and bridges,&c. in repair, is also considerable, if those ex-pellees be as much greater with a canal thanupon a. Rail-vnad, so that they will compensatefor the extra advantage of the canal in thegreater quantity of goods conveyed at a slowrate, then their relative utility will assume adifferent appearance, and the Rail-way, as re-quiring a less investment of capital, and lessannual charges, may be superior even at thelowest and most advantageous rate of motionupon canals; and, where facility or expedition