To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives

of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Directors of the Boston and Worcester Rail-road Corporation respectfully report,

That since the date of their last annual report, they have extended the said Rail-road, in the city of Boston, from Washington-street across Front-street and through the South Cove, to Beach-street, and at the intersection of Beach-street with Lincoln-street, have erected a building for the reception of passenger cars, and the accommodation of passengers. This building is intended to constitute the permanent termination of the rail-road in Boston, and from it the trains of passenger cars regularly take their departure. They have also erected another building in the South Cove, near the navigable waters of the harbor, from which it is intended the freight trains shall take their departure, as soon as the store houses, to be erected near it, shall be completed. The building of these store houses is commenced, and it is proposed to proceed in the work early in the approaching spring, and as soon as they are completed, to transfer to them the business of receiving and discharging merchandize, transported on the rail-road. The vicinity of these stores to navigable water, and to a wharf belonging to the corporation, will render the situation a very convenient depot, for many descriptions of merchandize transported on the road. During the past season, some further work has been done, along the rail-road, for the purpose of com

pleting and preserving the drains, supporting the banks, and ensuring greater durability to the road.

The road is at present in good condition, and it has sustained no material injury, or interruption, the present winter, from frost or snow. A branch rail-road, to lead from the main road in Grafton, near the New-England village, to Millbury, has been located, and is partly graded, and it is expected to be in readiness, for laying down the rails, early in the ensuing summer. It will terminate in a central part of the village of Millbury, near the Blackstone Canal.

The passenger and freight cars, drawn by locomotive engines, have been running regularly, for the conveyance of passengers and freight, through the past year.

The passenger cars have made two trips daily from Boston to Worcester, and the same number returning, through the year, and during the summer three trips, stopping at each trip, for the convenience of the public, in the reception and discharge of passengers at ten places between Boston and Worcester. The freight trains have usually made one or more trips each way daily, and are despatched as often as the quantity of merchandize to be transported requires.

It is now two years and nine months, since the Railroad was first partially opened for the conveyance of passengers, and a year and a half since it was opened from Boston to Worcester. Within the first named period, there have been transported on the road nearly three hundred thousand passengers. The directors, feeling the responsibility of being entrusted temporarily with the care of so many human lives, have felt it to be their duty to adopt every precaution which the novelty of the mode of conveyance would admit of, for the safety of the persons

so confided to them, as well as of persons travelling on the common roads. They had to this end adopted, substantially, all the regulations which have been prescribed by law, before they had been exacted by the Legislature, as well as such others as experience has suggested to be useful; and they have endeavored to give efficacy to these regulations, by entrusting the execution of them to skilful, discreet, and prudent agents, and by maintaining a system of constant and careful supervision. They have the satisfaction to state, that, during the whole period above mentioned, no passenger on the road has, by any accident or negligence, sustained any personal injury, and no traveller on the public roads has sustained personal injury by being brought in contact with any of the trains on the road, except in consequence of a want of care on the part of the person injured. These facts the directors conceive to be deserving of notice, as tending to show that this mode of travelling notwithstanding the inexperience under which it was recently commenced, and notwithstanding the rapid speed attained by it, is entitled to the confidence of the public, as being equal at least, in point of safety, to any other mode which has yet been practised.

The amount of receipts for the fare of passengers from January 1 to December 31, 1836, was $120,792 24. The amount received for freight in the same period was $59,781 42. These sums, with $2,612 37 received for rents and interest, constitute the gross income for the year, amounting to $183,286 03. To this is to be added, $1,272 67, the amount of surplus over the dividend of January 5, 1836, making the sum of $184,558 70.

The current expenses during the year, including the cost of transportation, the wear and repairs of engines and

cars, and the repairs of the road, amount to $103,673 70. The whole receipts of the corporation to the present time, exclusive of income, amount to $1,577,546 23.

The expenditures to the present date, exclusive of expenses of transportation, repairs and wear of cars and engines, and repairs of road, amount to $1,582,793 58.

A dividend of five per cent. for the year 1836, on the capital stock, has been declared, payable on the 20th inst. amounting to $75,000.

As soon as the freight depot, in Boston, shall be transferred to the situation designed for it in the south cove, and the depots of the Western and Norwich rail-roads, in Worcester, adjoining this road, shall be definitely established, the corporation will have a considerable tract of surplus land, both in Boston and in Worcester, to be disposed of, the proceeds of which will be applied to liquidating the debts now due, and defraying the expenses yet to be incurred, in completing the works now in contemplation.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

Boston, Jan. 17, 1837.

NATHAN HALE,

DAVID HENSHAW,

JOHN BRYANT,

ELIPHALET WILLIAMS,

GEORGE MOREY,

DANIEL DENNY,

NATH'L HAMMOND.

SUFFOLK SS. CITY OF BOSTON, JAN. 24, 1837.-Personally appeared the above named Nathan Hale, David Henshaw, John Bryant, Eliphalet Williams, George Morey, Daniel Denny and Nathaniel Hainmond, and made oath to the truth of the foregoing report, by them severally subscribed, before me,

ZEBEDEE COOK, JR.

Justice of the Peace.