Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

was made the most of by Mr. Harrison, when summing up the case of the canal companies. "At length," he said, "we have come to this,—having first set out at twelve miles an hour, the speed of these locomotives is reduced to six, and now comes down to two or two and a half. They must be content to be pulled along by horses and donkeys; and all those fine promises of galloping along at the rate of twelve miles an hour are melted down to a total failure - the foundation on which their case stood is cut from under them completely; for the Act of Parliament, the Committee will recollect, prohibits any person using any animal power, of any sort, kind, or description, except the projectors of the railway themselves; therefore, I say, that the whole foundation on which this project exists is gone." After further personal abuse of Mr. Stephenson, whose evidence he spoke of as "trash and confusion," he closed the case of the canal companies on the 30th of May. Afterwards Mr. Adam replied for the promoters, recapitulating the principal points of their case, and vindicating Mr. Stephenson and the evidence which he had given before the Committee. Even Mr. Adam himself, however, seemed to have fears of the railway formation across Chat Moss, after the positive evidence given by Mr. Giles. "Supposing that Mr. Stephenson is rash," said he, "and I do not deny it, I say his error is an error from want of caution, and not from want of knowledge; and he ought not to be reproached with his want of knowledge of railways, being a man of great practical experience," which Mr. Giles was not, as respected railways. "Will you now,” he said to the Committee, in winding up his speech, "will you now—when this experiment is brought before you and discussed so fully for the first time, while we are in the infancy of the application of this most powerful agent for the purpose of forming a communication for goods throughout the country -will you reject it because my learned friend, by some

R

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

ingenious objections, has endeavoured to throw discredit upon it? All I ask you is, not to crush it in its infancy. Let not this country have the disgrace of putting a stop to that which, if cherished, may ultimately prove of the greatest advantage to our trade and commerce, and which, if we do not adopt it, will be adopted by our rivals. My learned friends appeal to the Committee on the ground of private rights, all of which will be recognised. I appeal to you in the name of the two largest towns in England, the one as a commercial port and the other as a commercial town; I appeal to you in the name of the country at large; and I implore you not to blast the hopes that this powerful agent-steam - - may be called in aid for the purpose of land communication; only let it have a fair trial, and these little objections and private prejudices will, I am quite sure, be instantly dispelled."

The Committee then divided on the preamble, which was carried by a majority of only one,- thirty-seven voting for it, and thirty-six against it. The clauses were next considered; and on a division, the first clause, empowering the Company to make the railway, was lost by a majority of nineteen to thirteen. In like manner, the next clause, empowering the company to take land, was lost; on which Mr. Adam, on the part of the promoters, withdrew the bill.

Thus ended this memorable contest, which had extended over two months—carried on throughout with great pertinacity and skill, especially on the part of the opposition, who left no stone unturned to defeat the measure. The want of a third line of communication between Liverpool and Manchester had been clearly proved; but the engineering evidence in support of the proposed railway, having been thrown almost entirely upon Mr. Stephenson, who fought this, the most important part of the battle, single-handed, was not brought out so clearly as it would have been had he secured more efficient engineering assistance, which he

was not able to do, as all the engineers of eminence of that day were against the locomotive railway. The obstacles thrown in the way of the survey by the landowners and canal companies also in a great measure tended to defeat the bill. From this temporary failure, however, the projectors drew a valuable lesson for the future; and when they next appeared before Parliament, they were better prepared to meet the obstinate opposition both of the canal companies and the landowners.

CHAP. XX.

THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY BILL CARRIED, AND MR. STEPHENSON APPOINTED ENGINEER.

THE result of this first application to Parliament was so far discouraging. Mr. Stephenson had been so terribly abused by the leading counsel for the opposition in the course of the proceedings before the Committee,-stigmatised by them as an ignoramus, a fool, and a maniac,—that even his friends seem for a time to have lost faith in him and in the locomotive system, whose efficiency he continued to uphold. Things never looked blacker for the success of the railway system than at the close of this great parliamentary struggle. And yet it was on the very eve of its triumph. The absolute necessity for a new line of communication between Liverpool and Manchester had been proved beyond all doubt; and the Committee of Directors appointed to watch the measure in Parliament were so determined to press on the project of a railway, even though it should have to be worked merely by horse-power, that the bill had scarcely been defeated ere they met, in London, to consider their next step.

They called their parliamentary friends together to consult as to their future proceedings. Among those who attended the meeting of gentlemen with this object, in the Royal Hotel, St. James' Street, on the 4th of June, were Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Spring Rice, and General Gascoyne. Mr. Huskisson urged the promoters to renew their application to Parliament. They had secured the first step by the

passing of their preamble; the measure was of great public importance; and whatever temporary opposition it might meet with, he conceived that Parliament must ultimately give its sanction to the undertaking. Similar views were expressed by other speakers; and the deputation went back to Liverpool determined to renew their application to Parliament in the ensuing session.

It was not considered desirable to employ Mr. Stephenson in making the new survey. He had not as yet established his reputation as an engineer beyond the boundaries of his own county; and the promoters of the bill had doubtless felt the disadvantages of this in the course of their parliamentary struggle. They therefore resolved now to employ engineers of the highest established reputation, as well as the best surveyors that could be obtained. In accordance with these views, they engaged Messrs. George and John Rennie to be the engineers of the railway; and Mr. Charles Vignolles, on their behalf, was appointed to prepare the plans and sections. The line which was eventually adopted differed somewhat from that surveyed by Mr. James and Mr. Stephenson, entirely avoiding Lord Sefton's property, and passing through only a few detached fields of Lord Derby's at a considerable distance from the Knowsley domain. The principal game preserves of the district were carefully avoided. The promoters thus hoped to get rid of the opposition of the most influential of the resident landowners. The crossing of certain of the streets of Liverpool was also avoided, and the entrance contrived by means of a tunnel and an inclined plane. The new line stopped short of the river Irwell at the Manchester end, and thus in some measure removed the objections grounded on an illegal interruption to the canal or river traffic. With reference to the use of the locomotive engine, the promoters, remembering with what effect the objections to it had been urged by the oppo

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »