New Overhead Railway.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 12

New Overhead Railway.

The Marquis of Salisbury, who had been the guest of Sir William Forwood since the previous evening, drove in to Liverpool on February 4th, to inaugurate the overhead electric railway, the first of its kind in Eng-

land as a street overhead line, and the first in the world as an overhead line propelled by electricity. On arriving at the gener-

ating station his lordship was presented with a massive silver inkstand, and having touched a button started the machinery.

In the course of a brief address, he said he was glad to be associated with an enterprise which he hoped would carry still further prosperity and power of Liverpool, and carry its name down to posterity as the place where a great and splendid mechanical invention first found its home. His. lordship and a number of invited gue3t3 then went for a brip along the line, and afterwards drove to the Town Hall, where his lordship was presented with an address from the Chamber of Commerce, in which he waa thanked for the services he had rendered bo commerce by the defence and advancement of British interests abroad, as well as by the promotion of eound commercial legislation at home. In view of the increased difficulties that British mer-

chants had bo contend with, owing to foreign competition and restrictive tariffs, it was more than ever necessary that the functions of Governments should be exer-

cisecl in sympathetic operation with tho needs of the mercantile community. Lord Salisbury, iv reply, said he had^ been accuaed of being desirous to re-impose a duty on corn. He thought a dufcy on corn was absolutely outside the dreams of any politician, and he wa3 sure if it could be reimposed no sane man would invest a farthing in wheat. Referring to what ha termed the very curious and remarkable fiscal problems that were now being worked out for their benetib by other nations, he said the main question in regard to fiscal legislation was whether, if lawful, it was expedient to use their tariffs a3 a weapon. The fiscal war between France and Italy and France and Switzerland was being waged with disastrous results to all concerned. They must watch that campaign with the deepest attention, for it was oi great interest to England. Alluding to colonial extension he said they musb nol forget that other nations might desire ( colonial possessions, and might not nsß {« them in the same generous manner as the | English did, bub might fence them round with a wall of brass againsb English commerce and English goods. At the close of the Chamber of Commerce proceedings the Mayor entertained Lord Salisbury and a large company to luncheon. Replying to the toast of his health, Low Salisbury said the opening of the new railway was a matter of great interest to Liverpool citizens, and would probably conduce j to the future prosperity of the city, -t' introd need one of the most mysterious, m? 8' promising, and most powerful forces wi'B ■■ which the age waa acquainted, to a ne«J sphere of activity and energy. He believea electricity was destined to do enormous things, but as yet they could hardly expl*l" ita most elementary phonomena. He» «» pleased to think that in this matter W land was nob behindhand. In their pWj / gress along the new railway tbev. * evidence of the adaptability of electricity to locomotion. It was true they wereM' hind some other nations in electric lightingi bub that he believed was probably owing » a certain foolish Act of Parliament. . At the conclusion of the luncheon j>» lordship drove to Lime-street and left)l London, amid the cheers of a large crow which had assembled.