It appears that after we left the railway on Wednesday se'nnight, and took our departure for town, Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson intimated to the judges, that as the joints of "The Novelty" which had given way, could not be restored to a working state before the lapse of at least eight days, and the prolongation of the competition was likely to be attended with great inconvenience to many parties, they would withdraw their engine from any further trial, and "leave it to be judged of by the performances it had already exhibited." The manner in which this virtual conclusion to the proceedings has been an announced hy one of the Liverpool papers, is so distinguished by its fairness and liberality that we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of making the following quotation from it on the subject:—

"We may consider the trial of the Locomotive Engines as now virtually at an end. It is much to be regretted, that "The Novelty" was not built in time to have the same opportunity of exercising that Mr. Stephenson's engine had, or that there is not in London, or its vicinity, any railway where experiments with it could have been tried. It will evidently require several weeks to perfect the working of the machine and the proper fitting of the joints, and under this impression, Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson have acted wisely in withdrawing, us they have done, from the contest.

"The course is thus left clear for Mr Stephenson; and we congratulate him, with much sincerity, on the probability of his being about to receive the reward of £500. This is due to him for the perfection to which he has brought the old-fashioned locomotive engine, but the grand prize of public opinion is the one which has been gained by Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson, for their decided improvement in the arrangement, the safety, simplicity, and the smoothness and steadiness of a locomotive engine; and however imperfect the present works of the machine may be it is beyond a doubt - and we believe we speak the opinion of nine-tenths of the engineers and scientific men now in Liverpool — that it is the principle and arrangement of this London engine which will be followed in the construction of all future locomotives. The powerful introduction of a blast bellows, the position of the water tank below the body of the carriage, hy which means the centre of gravity is brought below the line of central motion, the beautiful mechanism of the connecting movement of the wheels, the absolute absence of all smell, smoke; noise, vibration, or unpleasant feeling of any kind, the elegance of the machinery, in short the tout ensemble proclaim the perfection of the principle.

"In withdrawing so honourably from the competition, Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson have done themselves the highest credit, and they may rest assured that the scientific world will do justice to their efforts, and look with anxiety to a speedy completion of their elegant and compact engine prepared to bear the fiercest "ordeal" which the judges may please to direct."

"The Novelty" still remains at Liverpool, and Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson have publicly announced that as soon as it is repaired, and the cement of the joints sufficiently hardened, they will (with the leave of the Directors) complete the exhibition of its powers; and show that but for the accidents which it unfortunately met with, it was more than equal to the accomplishment of the task this was last assigned to it.

The prize is not expected to bc positively awarded for some little time yet to come. It appears that the gentlemen who were appointed to act as judges, have had only the name and not the usual powers of judges conferred upon them. All that they have been required and permitted to do is to make an exact report to the Directors of the performances of the competing engines; the Directors reserving to themselves the power of deciding which is best entitled to the premium. From the manner in which such reserved powers have been exercised in other cases (witness the conduct of the New London Bridge Committee to Mr. Gwilt), we should not be inclined to indulge in any favourable anticipations on the present occasion: but it so happens, that this competition has taken a course which makes it difficult for the Directors to go far wrong in their decision. What all the tests were by which the comparative merits of the competing engines were to be tried, it would be hard to say neither the original "Conditions and Stipulations," nor the " Ordeal," which was subsequently substituted in their place, being separately considered, sufficiently full and explicit on thc subject; but this much is certain, that the performance of seventy miles, for a continuance, was one criterion of excellence to which all the competitors expressed a willing submission. "The Rocket" started on this understanding; and performed the distance at a rate of speed, which, for a continuance, stands as yet unrivalled in the annals of railway-racing. "The Sans Pareil" next made the attempt; but in consequence of part of its machinery giving way, only performed about half the distance. "The Novelty" followed; but had scarcely started, when it was brought by a similar accident to a dead stand. Now, though we are of opinion that "The Novelty" is the sort of engine that will be found best adapted to the purposes of the railway; and are inclined to think that "The Sans Pareil" is at 1east as good an engine as "The Rocket;" yet as neither the one nor the other has equalled "The Rocket" in a performance, which had the winning of the prize of £500 expressly for its object, we do not see how the Directors can in justice do otherwise than award that prize to Mr. Stephenson. Besides, whatever may be the merits of "The Rocket," as contrasted with either of its rivals, it is so much superior to all the old 1ocomotive engines in use, as to entitle Mr. Stephenson to the most marked and liberal consideration, for the skill and ingenuity displayed in its construction. If a Parliamentary reward of large amount was justly conferred on Harrison, for being the first to bring the measurement of time within certain desired limits of accuracy — or on Parry, for penetrating to a higher degree of northern latitude than any preceding navigator - the Directors of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway cannot do wrong in awarding to Mr. Stephenson a premium of £500 for producing an engine which has done what no locomotive engine ever before accomplished — gone seventy miles continuously, at an average rate of about twelve miles an hour, with a load of three times its weight attached to it: which has realized a degree of speed and power, which, though much desired, had scarcely been anticipated even by the most sanguine. As the timekeeper of Harrison has been excelled by others of more recent construction — and new discovery ships may he expected to penetrate still further than the Hecla and Fury — so may "The Rocket" be eclipsed by other locomotive engines, by the very engines against which it tried its powers on the present occasion; but probable though this be — nay, almost a matter of certainty — there is merit enough in what Mr. Stephenson has thus far effected, to cause the reward of the premium to him to be regarded with unmixed satisfaction by the whole scientific world.

The Proprietors of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway would be no losers were they to grant a liberal indemnity to the competitors, one and all, for the trouble and expense which they have incurred on the occasion. Such has been the good effect of this competition on the public mind, that the selling price of the Company's shares has advanced no less than l0 per cent. since the day on which it commenced. Now, 10 per cent. on a total capital of £650,000, makes the nett sum gained by this judicious scheme of competition, no less than £65,000; minus the £500 premium, and any further sum which may be awarded in gratuities to the unsuccessful competitors.

The account which we gave in our last Number of the origin of this undertaking, was, it seems, erroneous in one or two particulars. For the following more correct statement we are indebted to a gentleman intimately acquainted with all the circumstances of the case:—

"The railway was first projected by Mr. William James, who surveyed his own line, which ran very much on the level of the country, and had many turns and different inclinations. It was after the return of the Liverpool Deputation from the north, that Mr. George Stephenson was engaged to lay out another line, which was in a very different direction from that of Mr. James, and went on a different principle as respects the inclinations. With this line the Directors went to Parliament, and the Bill was lost, partly through the opposition of the canal proprietors, but principally from the great errors of the levels, which in some parts were erroneous, to the extent of forty feet! This fact is notorious, and will be well remembered by all those who attended to the parliamentary proceedings in 1825. It was in consequence of this, that the Directors engaged Messrs. Rennie, who immediately sent down Mr. Vignoles; and it was not until that engineer had explored the country between Liverpool aud Manchester for several months, that the present line of the Railway was determined on, differing totally from the routes surveyed by Mr. James and by Mr. Stephenson being some miles shorter than either, in fact only 3l miles from the Liverpool Docks to the River Irwell, at Manchester, and not 33, which was the length of Mr. Stephenson's line. In adopting the present line, the entrance into Liverpool by the tunnel, was for the first time projected; the route through the deep cuttings was changed from a slippery clay country, to the red sandstone rock district: the passage of the Sankey Valley and Newton Brook, by the present immense bridges was planned. and a totally different character given to the line in general. On the second application to the legislature, the Bill passed after a desperate struggle in both Houses of Parliament, but when the question of executing the work came to he discussed the Directors and Messrs. Rennie did not agree and Mr. Stephenson was called upon to lay down the railway on the line surveyed by Mr. Vignoles."

We took a passing glance in our last Number at the beneficial effects which would result from the extension of this system of communication over the whole kingdom. A writer in the Times has since offered some judicious suggestions on this head, which we shall take the liberty of transfer- ring to our pages:—

"It certainly is with propriety that a correspondent of the Times, of Friday Oct. 9th, has reminded the public that it is only on the hard and even surface of an iron railway, the wheels of a locomotive engine can run with proper effect. But there is another mode of introducing them on public roads, which is extremely simple and economical and one which, ere long, it requires little sagacity to predict, will be successfully introduced; viz. the laying down railways by the side of our turnpike-roads, on which locomotive engines can travel. A common stage coach, weighing, when fully loaded, one or two tons, is now drawn on a road by four horses, at the speed of 9 or 10 miles an hour, but could be conveyed at the rate of 20 miles an hour along a railway, following the undulating surface of a turnpike-road, whose inequalities were not very considerable. It is true that coaches could not travel up the steepest ascents with a load at a velocity equal to what might be effected along such a line as the Manchester and Liverpool Railway; but they would double the present speed and load, in conveying passengers and light goods at a comparative expense, which would be as a quarter of a cwt. of coals is to one day's keep of a horse, the capital being as the cost and wear and tear of one locomotive engine is to the cost and tear of 50 horses; the carriages being the same in both cases.

"It is therefore nothing problematical to expect in the course of the next ten years to see railways established by turnpike-roads from London, Liverpool, Hull, Edinburgh, &c. &c. &c. in every direction, each set of road-trustees bearing the cost of their own length of railway, (say £3000 per mile,) all under some general system. Many objections may be made to this idea, of which those resting on the inclination of the roads, the sharpness of the turns, and the liability of the rails to casual obstruction, are the only ones worth serious attention. But more than one engineer, well conversant with railways, has spoken confidently of easily obviating all these, by perfecting the locomotive engine and its appendages, by occasional alteration of the lines and levels of the roads, by slight lateral frames, and by other expedients which experience will point out.

"On railways laid down upon the high road from London to Liverpool, the mails drawn by a slight locomotive carriage might travel the distance, 294 miles, with facility in 12 hours, carrying double their present complement of passengers, and this at a cost of fuel not exceeding 10s. or scarcely one half-penny per mile, while 2½d. per mile would amply cover the interest of capital for engines, water, stations, &c. Much more may be said on this subject, which is now about to occupy the serious attention of many engineers and scientific men, and only wants the spur of wealthy patronage to break forth into something more than mere idle conjecture. In the mean time the experiment is well worth making; and the road-trustees from Liverpool to Manchester, who, between railroads and canals, will soon lose all their toll-payers, might set the example to the rest of the kingdom."

We do not believe there are many roads in the country on which railways mighlt not be laid down on the plan here suggested with decided advantage. Wherever there is a greater rise than a locomotive engine could by its own power overcome, there might be stationary engines to help them forward, and any expense which might be incurred for such stationary engines, would be amply compensated by the vast saving effected, in laying down the railway on a road already made, and on ground already paid for.

But though the old turnpike-roads might be saved by this means from a ruinous competition, what shall be said of the fate that awaits canals? We shall not say with a facetious friend that "the best thing the gentlemen of the canal interest can now do, is to fill up their canals and convert them into railways;" but we would seriously submit to them the propriety of adopting a course precisely similar to that recommended to the trustees of turnpike-roads. They have even still greater facilities for the purpose than these trustees. They are already in possession of all the best levels and some of the best lines of traffic in the country, and have only to lay down railways along the banks of their canals to combine together the peculiar advantages of both these modes of conveyance, canals and railways. There would be occasion for no more stationary engines than there are locks; and expedients might even be devised by which the latter might be made to serve in most cases all the purposes of the former.

[In our next we shall give a tabular view of the performances of the different engines, and offer some general remarks on the results which the present competition has furnished, with respect to the speed and economy of railway conveyance.]

Mr. Walker and Mr. Rastrick were employed in January last, jointly, by the Railway Company, to report upon the matters indicated in the title. In pursuance of this object, they visited all the principal railways in the North of England, made the most minute and careful inquiries as to the vehicles and species of moving power employed on them, and then gave the result of their investigation in separate reports. Mr. Rastrick's report we have not seen, but we understand it agrees in every essential circumstance with that of Mr. Walker, which gives the following general resorts:—

Capital necessary on the locomotive system	£91,000 0 0
Ditto, on the stationary system	101,000 0 0
Differences in favour of the locomotive	£10,000 0 0
Annual expense and interest of capital on locomotive system	43,000 0 0
Ditto, ditto, on stationary system	33,000 0 0
Difference in favour of stationary system	£10,000 0 0
Locomotive system — rate per mile	0.2787 of a penny
Stationary system — do	0.2134 do.
Difference 1-16th of a penny, or	0.0653 do

Or the rate by the two systems is as 7 to 9 in favour of the stationary engines.

Mr. Walker however candidly observes, that improvements are now making in the construction of locomotive engines, which may reduce the expense of employing them so as to alter the above results materially. In the stationary system, accidents, he thinks, will he less frequent; but when they occur, they will extend to the whole line. In the locomotive system, they will be confined to the single engine which goes wrong, and its train. In the stationary system, there must be a perfect sympathy and uniformity from end to end. In the locomotive system, one engine, with its train, by passing to the sidings, may stop any length of time it finds necessary, without preventing the others from pursuing their course. Messrs. Walker and Rastrick give the following joint opinion as to the two modes:— "Upon the consideration of the question in every point of view, taking the two lines of road as now forming, and having reference to economy, dispatch, safety, and convenience, our opinion is, that if it be resolved to make the Liverpool and Manchester Railway complete at once, so as to accommodate the traffic stated in your instructions, or a quantity approaching to it, the stationary reciprocating system is the best; but that if any circumstances should induce you to proceed by degrees and to proportion the power of conveyance to the demand, then we recommend locomotive engines upon the line generally, and two fixed engines upon Rainhill and Sutton Planes, to draw up the locomotive engines, as well as the goods and carriages."

Sir,—Permit me, through the medium of your excellent publication to suggest to your numerous readers the following alteration in the construction of railways, which are at this period so much in vogue.

The difference in the construction here proposed is to have the railways inverted (if I may be allowed the expression), that is, the wheels upon the ground and the rails upon the carriages. The wheels or rollers should be of small diameters, and of a proper breadth, moving upon axles of cast iron, and placed at certain distances in parallel lines similar to the present rails; the distance between each in a longitudinal direction to correspond with the length of the waggon, so that the carriage-rails may rest upon four or six of the wheels or rollers at one and the same time. If this mode be attended with less expense than the present roads, and as convenient, why not adopt it? Less iron will be required than for rails made upon the present system. It may be urged that the mode here suggested would only answer upon straight roads, but that may be obviated by a very simple piece of machinery, so that the carriages may travel along any curved or other circuitous rail-road whatever.

Merely giving this hint, which some of your scientific friends may improve upon, as the proposed alteration has not to my knowledge been thought of before,

I am, Sir, yours, &c.