nt what would be our position if they were taken from us. The
present business of the country could not be carried on, the present
population could not be maintained, property would sink to half its
value--(hear, hear)--and instead of prosperity and progress we should
have collapse and retrogression on all sides. (Cheers.) What would
Newcastle be if it ceased to be a focus of railways? How would London be
supplied if it had to fall back upon turnpike roads and horse traffic?
In short, England as it is could not exist without railways and
locomotives; and it is only our familiarity with them that blunts our
sense of their prodigious importance. As to the future effects of
railways, it is easy to see that they are destined to diffuse industrial
populations over those vast unoccupied areas of the globe that abound in
natural resources, and only wait for facilities of access and transport
to become available for the wants of man. There is yet scope for an
enormous extension of railways all over the world, and the fame of
Stephenson will continue to grow as railways continue to spread. (Loud
cheers.) But I should do scant justice to the memory of George
Stephenson if I dwelt only on the results of his achievements. Many a
great reputation has been marred by faults of character, but this was not
the case with George Stephenson. His manly simplicity and frankness, and
his kindly nature won for him the respect and esteem of all who knew him
both in the earlier and later periods of his career--(cheers)--but the
prominent feature in his character was his indomitable perseverance,
which broke down all obstacles, and converted even his failures and
disappointments into stepping stones to success. It was not the desire
for wealth that actuated him in the pursuit of his objects, but it was a
noble enthusiasm, far more conducive to great ends than the hope of gain,
that carried him forward to his goal. Unselfish enthusiasm such as his
always gives a tone of heroism to a character, and heroism above all
things commands the homage of mankind. Newcastle may well be proud of
its connection with George Stephenson, and the proceedings of this day
testify how much his memory is cherished in this his native district.
Any memorial dedicated to him would be appropriate to this occasion, and
if such memorial were connected with scientific instruction it would be
in harmony with his well-known appreciation of the value of scientific
ed