THE IRISH CENSUS OF 1851.

The Irish Census Commission of 1851 has completed its task, and the sixth part and tenth volume of the series of publications, which began with the record of the population, presented to the Lord-Lieutenant in 1851 and 1852, has been laid before the Earl of Carlisle. In reference to the famine and emigration of 1845 and the following disastrous years, the Commissioners set down the total decrease of the rural population from that double cause at 19.85 per cent, or exactly at 1,622,739; but of course this enormous figure does not truly represent the havoc then made by death and voluntary exile. There being no general measure for the registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Ireland, the Commissioners had no data whereby to ascertain what should have been the normal increase of the population between 1841 and 1851. The total loss of population from 1841 to 1851 was not less than 2,466,414. It appears that in 1851 there was a net decrease of 271,006 houses below 1841. Yet, notwithstanding this decline, there was "more houses by a considerable number in 1851 than the wants of the diminished population required."

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.

COMMERCE OF THE OHIO CANAL AT CLEVELAND.

Our esteemed correspondent, Mr. Barry, of the Commercial Gazette, has furnished to our hands the following tabular statement of the leading articles arrived and cleared at the port of Cleveland on the Ohio Canal, during the years 1853, 1854, 1855, and 1856, in barrels, bushels, pounds, feet. &c., with the amount of money received at the Collector's office for tolls, water rents, fines, and penalties:

THE RAILWAYS CONNECTED WITH MONTREAL.

In another part of the present number of the Merchants' Magazine will be found an article on "Montreal its Trade and Commerce." In this connection we give, from the same reliable sources, a statement of the facilities possessed by Montreal as regards railway communication. The intimate and growing commercial intercourse between Canada and the United States render it peculiarly proper that a magazine which has a wide circulation in both countries should note the industrial progress of each. A great chain of railways now links the East with the West, but space is only at our disposal to review those lines with which Montreal directly connects. The first claiming notice, in order of time, is

THE CHAMPLAIN AND ST. LAWRENCE RAILROAD, Which is constructed between the St. Lawrence, at St. Lambert, or South Montreal and Rouse's Point, on Lake Champlain. It was chartered from Laprairie to St. John's in 1831, commenced in 1835, and was open for traffic in 1836. The charter authorizing an extension from St. John's to Rouse's Point and the branch to St. Lambert, was granted in 1851; it was opened for traffic throughout in 1852. Its total length, including the Laprairie branch, is fortynine miles, and the cost of road, wharves, stations, and equipment, amounted to £381,195.

This, the oldest railroad in Canada, connects at Rouse's Point with the Ver mont and Canada Railroad, and with all the lines of railroad to Boston, New York, and all parts of the New England States, and also with the Ogdensburgh Railroad and with the Lake Champlain steamers, thus affording the greatest facilities for communication with New York, Boston, Albany, Troy, Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Canada West, and the Western States, and being a direct and uninterrupted railroad route to the cities above named. Goods are conveyed be tween Montreal and Boston, New York and intermediate places, without transhipment; and by this route passengers reach Boston in 13 hours, New York in 15 hours, Buffalo in 24 hours, and Chicago in 48 hours. The next road claiming notice, in order of seniority, is

THE MONTREAL AND NEW YORK RAILROAD,

Which comprises, firstly-the Lachine Division, extending from Montreal to Lachine, a distance of 8 miles. It was commenced in 1846, and opened for traffic in 1847. A prominent feature in this road is the steam ferry, between Lachine and Caughnawaga, running directly across the St. Lawrence, a distance of about three-fourths of a mile, but which is increased by the course of the navigation to nearly 2 miles.

This, it may be remembered by the way, is the only steam ferry in Canada East which is open every day in the year. The crossing is made with a powerful steamer, which has been built with a railroad track on its deck, for the purpose of connecting the two divisions of the Montreal and New York Railroad without breaking bulk. The Iroquois crosses the St. Lawrence with a locomotive and tender, and three loaded cars at one time; and this work it is capable of repeating every 15 minutes, if necessity requires it. And, secondly, the Caughnawaga Division, extending from Caughnawaga to the Province Line, a distance of 29 miles. It was commenced in 1851, and opened for traffic in 1852. The total length of the Montreal and New York Railroad, including the ferry, (of say miles,) is 39 miles, and its cost, including superstructure, locomotives, cars, buildings, steamer, wharves, ferry slips, extra land, and general equipment, was £238,229 2s. 9d. currency.

2

Its connections are, firstly, with the various steamers at Lachine; and, seoondly, with the Plattsburgh and Montreal Railroad at the Province Line to Plattsburgh, a distance of 23 miles-making in all 62 miles from Montreal. It crosses and connects with the Ogdensburgh Railroad at Mooer's Junction for

Ogdensburgh, and then with steamers for the West, as also at Potsdam on the Ogdensburgh Line, with the Potsdam and Watertown Railroad-thus forming a continuous line on the south shore of Lake Ontario. It connects also eastward with Rouse's Point, and thence via the Vermont and Canada Railroad, &c., at Plattsburgh, by steam, direct with Burlington and Whitehall, &c, &c.; at either of which points it connects with the various American railroads leading to Boston, New York, Troy, Albany, Schenectady, and the West. The advantages of this railway are its unequaled steam ferry, the fact of there being no dust, from its being ballasted with heavy gravel; the speed that can be attained from its direct course and easy grades, and also the comfort afforded by steady cars, owing to the use of superior iron. It is, in fact, equal to a continuous rail, and lands passengers in the city itself. This line forms part of the nearest direct railway route from Montreal to New York, and is, it is stated, the nearest practicable air line. When the remaining link from Plattsburgh to Whitehall shall be completed, the route may be then easily traveled between the two cities in ten hours. The Montreal and New York Railroad offers the advantage for freight, of the avoidance of the necessity of twice handling previous to delivery. This road has, from a series of unfortunate circumstances, been prevented from obtaining that share of public patronage which its positive advantages would entitle it to; but notwithstanding the consequent want of through business from which it has suffered hitherto, it is gratifying to state that the road has more than paid all its working expenses from the local business alone, thus clearly establishing the fact that with any ordinary amount of through business, the road would give fair returns upon the capital invested in its construction.

We now come to that great undertaking, whose opening is this day being celebrated

THE GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

In the fall of 1852, the Grand Trunk Railway scheme was fairly launched into existence, and embraced in its ramifications the construction of a continuous line of railway from Trois Pistoles-about 150 miles below Quebec, on the southern side of the River St. Lawrence, the point at which a junction with the proposed Halifax Railway is looked forward to-and Port Sarnia, on Lake Huron, a distance of upward of 800 miles; also a branch line, of 50 miles in length, from Belleville to Peterborough; and the leasing of the railroad then already built between Montreal and Portland, so that the products of the western points of the Province might be conveyed through Canada to the Atlantic seaboard, without break of gauge or bulk. The total length of unbroken railway communication which will thus be obtained, when the St. Lawrence River is spanned by the Victoria Bridge, a structure unequaled in the history of engineering, either in size or in massive proportions-is upward of 1,100 miles. The original capital of the company was £9,500,000, but this being found insufficient, it has been determined to increase this amount to £12,000,000 sterling, or $60,000,000. Of this sum, the Province has an interest in the undertaking, in the shape of a guaranty, to an amount of upwards of £3,000,000 sterling, or $15,000,000. Of the works proposed, however, it was found necessary, from several causes, to place in abeyance the prosecution of three different sections of the work, viz.: the distance between St. Thomas to Trois Pistoles, 100 miles; from Belleville to Peterborough, 50 miles; and from St. Mary's to Sarnia, 68 miles. But these sections will, doubtless, ere long be proceeded with-in the first case, because the Lower Provinces, in all probability, assisted by the Imperial government, will complete their railway communication to Trois Pistoles, in order to connect it with the Canadian railway system; and in the two latter cases, simply because the traffic of the country vill very speedily demand the construction of these lines.

With these curtailments, and they are but temporary, the Grand Trunk Railway is now composed of the following sections, viz.: Montreal to Portland, 292 miles; Richmond to Point Levi, opposite Quebec, St. Thomas, 137 miles; Montreal to Toronto, 333 miles; Toronto to Stratford, 88 miles-making a total mileage of 850 miles of when the Victoria Bridge is completed-an unbroken railway communication.

It is understood that the Victoria Bridge will be completed in the fall of 1859, or early in 1860. The cost of this structure was originally estimated at £1,450,000, but this sum has since been reduced, and the present calculation of its probable cost is about £1,250,000. It is supposed that in its erection 250,000 tons of stone and 7,500 tons of iron have been used. The iron superstructure is supported on 24 piers and 2 abutments. The center span being 330 feet, there are 12 spans on each side of the center, 242 feet each. The length of the abutments is 242 feet each; the extreme length, including abutments, is 7,000 feet. The height above summer water-level in the center opening is 60 feet, descending to either end at the rate of 1 in 130. The contents of the masonry will be 3,000,000 of cubic feet; the weight of iron in the tubes, 8,000 tons. The following are the dimensions of tube through which the trains pass in the middle span, viz., 22 feet high, 16 feet wide; at the extreme ends, 19 feet high, 16 feet wide. The total length from river bank to river bank will be 10,284 feet, or about 50 yards less than 2 English miles. This gigantic structure is in progress, and when in successful operation, will prove a world's wonder. The works throughout the whole of this great length of line have been pronounced by competent authorities, both English and American, to be altogether unequaled by any railway on this continent, and reflect much credit not only on the engineer of the company, but also on the several agents of the contractors, Messrs. Peto, Brassey, Betts & Co., who have conducted them to so successful a completion. On an average, there is a station to every 6 miles, 2 men to every 3 miles, and a locomotive to every 4 miles.

The average running time between Montreal and Toronto, next season, will be about 11 hours, and from Montreal to Portland about 10 hours, and from Montreal to Quebec 5 hours; so that the journey between Montreal and Chicago can be easily accomplished in a day-and-a-half. Apart from the through travel between the East and the West, which must be very large, the junctions between other railways and the Grand Trunk Railway throughout the Province are very numerous, and will provide a heavy traffic. They are as follows:

Starting from Montreal, a line is to run to Ottawa City, 120 miles in length. There have been opened 12 miles from Greenville to Carillon, but the rest of the works have for some time been stopped. And about 25 miles west of Montreal, at Vaudreuil, it is proposed to run a line on the south bank of the Ottawa to that city, bearing its name, and thence in a westerly direction to Lake Huron. These lines, in all probability, will become a part of the North Shore Railway Scheme, which is designed to run from the northeast of Lake Huron to Quebec via Ottawa City and Montreal, for the accomplishment of which the Provincial Legislature, in its last session, voted 4,000,000 acres of wild lands.

At Prescott, 112 miles from Montreal, it connects with the Ottawa and Prescott Railway, 50 miles in length to Ottawa City, affording by the junction there the benefit of a continuous railway connection from east and west thereto.

At Brockville, 12 miles west of Prescott, with the Perth, Ottawa, and Pembroke Railroad. This line, about 120 miles long, will be completely opened, it is expected, in about 2 years from the present time.

At Belleville, with the Grand Trunk Branch, of 50 miles in length to Peterborough. The works on this line are, however, delayed for the present.

At Cobourg, with the Cobourg and Peterborough Railway, 28 miles in length to the town of Peterborough.

At Port Hope, with the Port Hope and Lindsay Railway, 36 miles in length. At Toronto, with the Ontario, Simcoe, and Huron Railroad to Barrie and Collingwood, 94 miles. From Collingwood, 5 steamers ply regularly between Chicago and that port, and arrangements are now making for a regular line of propellers between the two places, calling at intermediate ports on Lake Michigan, and also at Toronto, with the Toronto and Hamilton branch of the Great Western Railway to Hamilton.

At Guelph, with the Galt and Guelph branch of the Great Western Railway. At Stratford, with the Buffalo, Brantford, and Goderich Railway, from which line the Grand Trunk will collect at this point all the traffic intended for Canada