Stephenson was left out. A known man must be had. They meant to get surveyors and engineers with well-established reputation to back them up. Stephenson was too little known. He had no fame beyond a little circle in one corner of the kingdom. How did he feel to be thus thrown in the back-ground? George was not a man to grumble; he was too noble to complain. In fact, you see, he was ahead of the times; too far ahead to be understood and appreciated. He could afford to wait.
Two brothers of the name of Rennie were appointed in his stead. In time the new survey was finished; the plans drawn, and the expenses reckoned up. Changes were made in the route. Ill-tempered landowners were left on one side, and every ground of complaint avoided that could be.
The new Bill was then carried to Parliament, and went before the Committee in March the next year. The opposition was strong, indeed, but less furious. Much of its bitterness was gone. It made a great show of fears, which the advocates of the Bill felt it was not worth while to waste words in answering. They left it to the road to answer them. Build it, and see.
Mr. Huskisson and others supported it in a strong and manly tone; and after a third reading, the Bill passed in the House of Commons. So far, so good. It then had to go to the House of Lords. What would befall it there? The same array of evidence on both sides was put forward. The poor locomotive engine, which had proved such a bugbear in the House of Commons, was regarded as quite a harmless affair by most of the lords; and the opposition made such poor work in showing off its dangers, that no plea in its behalf was called for. They were satisfied, they said; and the Bill passed almost unanimously. Victory! victory!
The victory cost more than twenty thousand pounds! For a first cost it looked large. But nothing worth doing can be done without effort, and effort made in faith. Nothing done, nothing have.
CHAPTER VII.
GRAPPLING WITH DIFFICULTIES—THE BOG—A
PUZZLE—THE PRIZE OFFER.
The real work was now to be done. Hopes and fears had yet to be verified.
At the first meeting of the directors, a man to put the enterprise through was to be chosen. Who? The Rennies were anxious to get the appointment. They naturally expected it. They had made the survey, and their name had had weight in getting the Act of Parliament. But they could not superintend the details of the work. They had other enterprises on foot.