EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAYS. 431 



a modest and limited scheme it originated, and tlie 

 battles it had to fight before a victory was secured. 



The first application to Parliament by the Com- 

 pany was made in 1834, but without success. It, 

 was then confined to the construction of a line 

 between Bristol and Bath, and London and Eeading. 



In the following Session, considering it was not 

 advisable to go to Parliament with what appeared to 

 be an imperfect scheme, application was made for 

 the entire line from London to Bristol. To this,, 

 however, there were several very strong opponents 

 — one being a company for constructing a line from 

 the Southampton Kail way at Basingstoke to Bath, 

 the Southampton Railway Company urging in sup- 

 port of their case that Parliament had already, in 

 the previous Session (1834), passed the Act for the 

 line from London to Southampton, by which forty- 

 four miles in a westerly direction would be made to. 

 Basingstoke. 



The Kennet and Avon Canal Company opposed 

 the Bill, as did also the Commissioners of the Thames 

 Navigation, who contended that the Thames would 

 be choked up for want of trafl&c, the drainage of the 

 county destroyed, and Windsor Castle left without a 

 water-supply — and that the railway would interfere 

 with the drainage so far as to occasion floods, and 

 prevent the convenient occupation of farms adjacent 



