Report from the Select Committee on the Thames Tunnel; with the Minutes of Evidence - 10 July 1837
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Object number2014.03718
TitleReport from the Select Committee on the Thames Tunnel; with the Minutes of Evidence - 10 July 1837
CreatorHouse of Commons (creator)
DescriptionA slim blue hardback volume containing the report from the select committee on the Thames Tunnel with the minutes of evidence. Printed 10 July 1837 by order of the House of Commons; iv, 28 pages.
On 29th June 1837 it was ordered that a Select Committee be appointed 'to consider the Papers laid before this House [of Commons] relating to the Thames Tunnel.'
The volume lists the sixteen members of the committee: the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Viscount Morpeth, Mr Walter, Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Mr Hume, Mr Alderman Wood, Captain Alsager, Mr Grote, Mr Branston, Mr Baring, Mr Warburton, Mr Goulbourn, Sir Thomas Fremantle, Lord Viscount Sandon, Mr Thornley, and Mr [Benjamin?] Hawes. It also lists the witnesses present on the 4th, 6th and 7th July, including Marc Isambard Brunel, as well as Mr Thomas Page, Joseph Charlier, John Barker, Mr George Powell, Samuel George Bowler, James Walker, Joseph John Saunders, and Caleb Pearce. The report itself is one page (p. iii), and the minutes of evidence run from pp. 1-28.
The report states that the committee considered the evidence about the 'engineering difficulties' regarding the Thames Tunnel, and references 'Mr Walker's report' (presumably the James Walker, civil engineer, among the witnesses listed above) which discusses these difficulties. The committee also considered whether the eventual traffic through the completed tunnel would raise enough revenue to cover the 'Exchequer Bill Interest on the Capital of £. 374,600 proposed to be expended upon it.' They concluded that any estimate of revenue would be 'conjectural' and would therefore not 'give any decided opinion' on it. However, the committee did conclude that 'it will be expedient to authorize the Treasury to continue the advances to the Thames Tunnel Company according to the Act of Parliament'. They give the reasons that the Thames Tunnel would be a significant benefit 'as a means of fixed communication in situations where no other, of an equally permanent nature, may be available', as well as citing the sums of money already committed to the project (£180,000 by the 'Proprietors' and £72,000 by the public). The minutes then summarise the exchanges between the committee members and the witnesses.
Production placeLondon
Production date 1837-07-10 - 1837-07-10
Production period19th century
Object namereport
Object categoryreporting
Materialpaper
Techniqueprinted
Dimensions
- height: 33.7 mm
width: 21.3 mm
Credit line“Accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from Clive Richards OBE DL and allocated to the ss Great Britain Trust, 2017”