The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

CHAP. XV.] LIVERPOOL PROJECT POSTPONED. 173
be completed in eighteen months, on a capital not exceeding
100,000^., but the parliamentary survey and estimates will state
the sums at which contractors will be found to execute the work."
Mr. James was repeatedly pressed to supply the necessary plans
and estimates ; but though he made many promises, he failed to
perform any of them. And . thus the parliamentary session of
1824 was also lost.
Indeed, the time seems to have been not yet fuUy come for
the adoption of the railway. The projectors found that the line,
as laid out, would provoke a powerful opposition in Parliament
and the local support which they had received was not such as
to justify them in proceeding in the face of such opposition.
The project therefore slept for a time, but it was not lost sight
of. Mr. Sandars continued to agitate the question, and he
shortly found the number of his supporters was such as to en-
able him again to take the field with a better prospect of suc-
cess.
;