EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAYS. 433 



its support occupied eighteen days, while the open- 

 ing speech of the opposing counsel occupied no 

 less than four. Some five or six of the leading 

 engineers of the day, including the Stephensons, and 

 Mr. Brunei, the Company's own engineer, were called 

 as witnesses in support of the Company's case ; while, 

 to their surprise, only the engineer of the Southamp- 

 ton line and the proposed line from Basingstoke to 

 Bath was called on behalf of the opponents. 



After this very severe struggle the Company at 

 length emerged triumphant, the Royal assent being 

 given on the 31st of August, 1835 ; the battle, how- 

 ever, had occupied the Committee of the House of 

 Commons no less than fifty-seven days in the Session 

 of 1834, and six months in the Session of the follow- 

 ing year. The public estimate of the undertaking 

 may be judged of from the circumstance that on the 

 passing of the Act it became necessary to advertise for 

 subscriptions for the additional capital of half a 

 million, and in less than a fortnight applications to 

 the extent of a million and a half were made. The 

 Act, as then passed, was for the construction of the 

 line to Bristol, joining the London and Birmingham 

 about four miles from London. The estimate of the 

 expense of constructing the whole line, including two 

 branches to Bradford and Trowbridge, making the 

 total length one hundred and twenty-seven miles, 



28 



