e into, in the course of which the
counsel indulged in strong vituperation against the witnesses for the
bill. One of them spoke of the utter impossiblity of making a railway
upon so treacherous a material as Chat Moss, which was declared to be an
immense mass of pulp, and nothing else. "It actually," said Mr.
Harrison, "rises in height, from the rain swelling it like a sponge, and
sinks again in dry weather; and if a boring instrument is put into it, it
sinks immediately by its own weight. The making of an embankment out of
this pulpy, wet moss, is no very easy task. Who but Mr. Stephenson would
have thought of entering into Chat Moss, carrying it out almost like wet
dung? It is ignorance almost inconceivable. It is perfect madness, in a
person called upon to speak on a scientific subject, to propose such a
plan. Every part of this scheme shows that this man has applied himself
to a subject of which he has no knowledge, and to which he has no science
to apply." Then adverting to the proposal to work the intended line by
means of locomotives, the learned gentleman proceeded: "When we set out
with the original prospectus, we were to gallop, I know not at what rate;
I believe it was at the rate of 12 miles an hour. My learned friend, Mr.
Adam, contemplated--possibly alluding to Ireland--that some of the Irish
members would arrive in the waggons to a division. My learned friend
says that they would go at the rate of 12 miles an hour with the aid of
the devil in the form of a locomotive, sitting as postilion on the fore
horse, and an honourable member sitting behind him to stir up the fire,
and keep it at full speed. But the speed at which these locomotive
engines are to go has slackened: Mr. Adam does not go faster now than 5
miles an hour. The learned serjeant (Spankie) says he should like to
have 7, but he would be content to go 6. I will show he cannot go 6; and
probably, for any practical purposes, I may be able to show that I can
keep up with him _by the canal_. . . . Locomotive engines are liable to
be operated upon by the weather. You are told they are affected by rain,
and an attempt has been made to cover them; but the wind will affect
them; and any gale of wind which would affect the traffic on the Mersey
would render it _impossible_ to set off a locomotive engine, either by
poking of the fire, or keeping up the pressure of the steam till the
boiler was ready to burst." How amusing it now is to read