68 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



night in the House of Commons, than to make a single 

 remark that could be construed as having any per- 

 sonal allusion to yourself, and I am confident no one 

 who heard me could regard what I said as having any 

 such bearing. When I said that I concurred with 

 Lord Palmerston's opinion, I referred to his state- 

 ment, that money might overcome almost any physical 

 difficulties, however great, and that the undertaking, 

 if ever finished, would not be commercially advan- 

 tageous. 



"The first study which I made of the subject, in 

 1847, led me to this opinion, and nothing which has 

 come to my knowledge since that period has tended 

 to alter my view. 



" Yours faithfully, 



" BOB. STEPHENSON." 



To Mr. Charles Manby, Secretary of the Society of Civil 

 Engineers, London. 



"LONDON, July 29, 1857. 



" I have received your letter of yesterday, together 

 with that of Mr. Stephenson. While satisfied with 

 his explanations, so far as regards myself, 1 am still 

 very much astonished that an engineer should have 

 allowed himself to express himself in the House of 

 Commons so dogmatically with regard to an enter- 

 prise which he has not been in a position to examine 

 either upon the spot or in his study, especially when 

 he fails to give at the same time the grounds upon 



