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

CHAP, xxvn.] RAPID EXTENSION OF RAILWAYS. 327
to do with.'' In the session of 1836 alone, powers were obtained
to construct 214 miles of new railway after Mr. Stephenson's
designs, at an expenditure of upwards of five millions sterling.
Numerous other companies obtained their acts during the same
session. The Midland Counties Act authorized the formation of
a line from Rugby (on the London and Birmingham line) to
Derby, there to join the North Midland, which, in conjunction
with the Great North of England Railway, from York to Dar-
lington, and the Durham Junction, and Branding Junction, al-
ready authorized, would complete the line of railway communica-
tion from London to Newcastle. At the same time, powers had
been obtained to construct lines from London to Bristol, to South-
ampton, to Dover, and to Colchester ; so that already measures
had been adopted to place the metropolis in direct communica-
tion with the most important districts of the kingdom.
The rapidity with which railways were carried out, when the
spirit of the country was fairly up, was indeed remarkable. This
was doubtless in some measure owing to the increased force of
the current of speculation, but chiefly to the desire which the
public now entertained for the general extension of the system.
Railways became the topic of conversation in all circles ; they
were felt to give a new value to time ;
their vast capabilities for
" business " peculiarly recommended them to the trading classes
whilst the friends of " progress " dilated on the great benefits
they would eventually confer upon mankind at large. It began
to be seen that Mr. Edward Pease had not been exaggerating
when he said, " Let the country but make the railroads, and the
railroads will make the country !" They also came to be re-
garded as inviting objects of investment to the thrifty, and a safe
outlet for the accumulations of inert men of capital. Thus new
avenues of iron road were soon in course of construction in all
directions, branching north, south, east, and west, so that the
country promised in a wonderfully short space of time to become
wrapped in one vast network of iron.
Although occasionally employed to survey lines and give
evidence in favour of railways projected in the south of Eng-
land, Mr. Stephenson's principal attention was directed to the
development of the system in the northern counties, leaving the
;