ALTEND1X No. XXIV.
.11 a
The Greenwich anil Blackwall, though each a distinct railway, having independent traffic, areof so limited an extent and so entirely metropolitan in their traffic, that they may bo con-sidered as merely facilitating local communication between London and its suburbs, and aretherefore oxcluded from the calculations.
Returns of passengers who arrived by steam-packet, havo also been obtained from everyCompany possessing Steam Vessels for the conveyance of passengers from the ports of England,Scotland, Ireland, and tlio Continent, to the Thames .
The returns from the above sources give the total number of persons who arrived in London as follows:—
From the 1st of April to the 30tli September 1850 . 2,791,703
From the 1st of April to the 30th September 1851 . 4,237,240
but the increase in tho latter over the former period is not to bo considered as altogethercaused by tho attraction of tho Exhibition. Tho Report of the Commissioners of Railwaysfor the year ended 30tli Juno 1850 (the last report printed), shows that tho increase of trafficfor that year on all the Railways of England and Wales, compared with tho previous year, was14-37 per cent., it will therefore be necessary to add that rate of increaso before the excess ofpassengers in 1851 is compared with tho number in 1850. This reduces the increase to1,035,100, or at tho rate of 32- 3 per cent, abovo tho usual annual increase.
From inquiries I havo made as to tho duration of the visits of tho Working Classes , I amled to believe that, with tho exception of the “day excursionists,” it was seldom less thanthree days and frequently nearly a week. Tho visits of the middling classes certainly lasted aweek, and wore generally extended to the limits of their ticket (tho ticket varied on differentlines, from one to three weeks being allowed according to circumstances). If tho arrivalswere spread over the whole period of six months, they would amount to 23,540 per day, butthey wore much more numerous during tho last three months, and if tho whole of tho increasewere thrown upon these three months, tho arrivals would average 29,290 per day: assumingthis latter calculation to bo nearly correct, and that each passenger of tho extra number whoarrived in town (1,035,100) spent on tho average one week in London , tho permanent additionof visitors to the population of the Metropolis, during tho whole of those three months (thovrtliiian/ arrivals being equalized by tho departures) would amount to 80,000.
To those who were in tho habit of travelling by railway during the existence of the excursiontrains, it must bo very evident that unless the means of arrival and departure are increased,London can never be suddenly flooded by such an increase of travellers as to make tho slightestperceptible impression. The hindrances and delay caused by tho increaso of traffic of whichtho details are here, clearly demonstrate that the railways of tho Metropolis bringing to theirtermini an average of 18,000 passengers daily havo sufficient traffic for the regular andpunctual performance of their engagements.
Tho number of visits paid to the Exhibition amounting to upwards of 0,000,000, while theadditional number of travellers to London amounted to 1,035,100, is a most gratifying proofthat tho inspection of tho Exhibition was not a cursory one ; if it bo calculated that of thosewho entered tho building, 1,000,000 were residents in London , each person must, on tho average,havo paid threo visits to tho Exhibition.
A curious fact is shown in tho proportion of tho different classes (first, second, and third)by which tho visitors travelled to the Exhibition as compared with tho proportion of ordinaryyoars. It is, however, caused in somo measure by tho low chargo (tho effect of competition)of a journey from Yorkshire to London during tho latter months of the Exhibition; tho chargofor an excursion ticket from Leeds with three weeks leave in town was respectively for a first-class ticket 15s. ; for a second-class ticket 10s. ; and for a third-class ticket 5s. From thoclass of persons who travelled by these trains, it was evident that ordinary third-class passen-gers were found with second, and very frequently with first-class tickets, and although thoproportions vary in so extraordinary a degree, the class of travellers has not varied in likeproportion. Tho proportions for the year 1850 are extracted from the Report ol the Commis-sioners of Railways before quoted : tlioso for tho six months ended tho 30th of Septemberlast are calculated upon data furnished by two of the Railway Companies which distinguishedthe classes in their returns of traffic.
CENTESIMAL l'lfOl'OKTION.
- . V .
lu tho Your omled In tho Six Months omlotT
30th Juno, 30th September,
1850 1851
First ClassSecond ClassThird Class
12-300
38-078
49-(il<)
25-258
53-200
21-542
NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS.
There were few subjects upon which it was so difficult to form oven an approximate esti mate,as tho question of wliat would ho tho probable number of Foreigners who would visit theExhibition, and upon no ono point perhaps, has public expectation been so much tit fault. Onthe ono band, the excitement which existed for mouths on tho Continent amongst those