CHAP. XVII. 



THE RAILWAY MANIA. 



377 



to be seen there ; and a still more interesting person, in 

 the estimation of many, was George Stephenson, dressed 

 in black, his coat of somewhat old-fashioned cut, with 

 square pockets in the tails. He wore a white neckcloth, 

 and a large bunch of seals was suspended from his 

 watch-ribbon. Altogether, he presented an appearance 

 of health, intelligence, and good humour, that rejoiced 

 one to look upon in that sordid, selfish, and eventually 

 ruinous saturnalia of railway speculation. 



Being still the consulting engineer of several of the 

 older companies, he necessarily appeared before Parlia- 

 ment in support of their tranches and extensions. In 

 1845 his name was associated with that of his son as the 

 engineer of the Southport and Preston Junction. In 

 the same session he gave evidence in favour of the 

 Syston and Peterborough branch of the Midland Rail- 

 way ; but his principal attention was confined to the 

 promotion of the line from Newcastle to Berwick, in 

 which he had never ceased to take the deepest interest. 

 At the same time he was engaged in examining and 

 reporting upon certain foreign lines of considerable 

 importance. 



Powers were granted by Parliament, in 1845, to 

 construct not less than 2883 miles of new railways in 

 Britain, at an expenditure of about forty-four millions 

 sterling ! Yet the mania was not appeased ; for in the 

 following session of 1846, applications were made to 

 Parliament for powers to raise 389,000,000^. sterling for 

 the construction of further lines ; and powers were 

 actually conceded for forming 4790 miles (including 60 

 miles of tunnels), at a cost of about 120,000,000^. ster- 

 ling. 1 During this session, Mr. Stephenson appeared as 

 engineer for only one new line, the Buxton, Maccles- 



2 On the 17th November, 1845, Mr. 

 Spackman published a list of the lines 

 projected (many of which were not 

 afterwards prosecuted), from which it 



appeared that there were then 620 

 new railway projects before the public, 

 requiring a capital of 563,203,0002. 



