GEORGE STEPHENSON. 93 



altogether, it can hardly be considered that Mr. Edward Pease, 

 who was the chief promoter of the line, had it in view to use 

 anything else than horse-power, or that he was much moved by 

 Sir Richard Phillips's recommendation that they should use 

 ' Blenkinsop's steam-engine." 



The Stockton and Darlington scheme had to run the gauntlet 

 of a fierce opposition in three successive sessions of Parliament. 

 The application of 1818 was defeated by the Duke of Cleveland, 

 who afterwards profited so largely by the construction of the 

 railway. The ground of his opposition was that the line would 

 interfere with one of his fox covers, and through his influence 

 the Bill was thrown out. 



Several energetic men, however, were now at the head of the 

 scheme, and they determined to persevere with it. Amongst 

 these, Edward Pease might be regarded as the backbone of the 

 concern. Opposition did not daunt him, nor failure defeat him. 

 When apparently overthrown, he rose again, like Antaeus, 

 stronger than before, and made another and stronger effort. 

 He had in him the energy and patient perseverance of many men. 



The next year, 1S19, an amended survey of the line was 

 made ; and, the Duke of Cleveland's fox cover being avoided, 

 his opposition was thus averted. But as Parliament was 

 dissolved on the death of George III., the Bill was necessarily 

 suspended until another session. 



The principal opposition now came from the road trustees, 

 who spread it abroad that the mortgages of the tolls arising 

 from the turnpike road leading from Darlington to West Auckland 

 would be seriously injured by the formation of the proposed 

 railway. On this, Mr. Edward Pease issued a printed notice 

 requesting any alarmed mortgages to apply to the company's 

 solicitors at Darlington, who were authorised to purchase tlieir 



