LETTER FROM A RAILWAY WITNESS IN LONDON.

MY DEAR BOGLE, - In the words snap my fingers in derision at protecof the venerable Joe Grimaldi, tion in all its shapes.

Would you “Here I am again!" swearing away believe it, Bogle? I was giving evibefore the committees at no allow. dence yesterday on behalf of the ance. The trade is not quite so good Clachandean railway--part of whichi, a one as it was two years ago, when I am sorry to observe, has sunk any intelligent and thorough-going cal. into the centre of a bog – against culator of traffic commanded his own a thick-headed proprietor, who has price, and therefore invariably stood absolutely been insane enough to at an exorbitant premium. Still it oppose, for three successive sessions, a would be very wrong in me to grum- branch line, which is to run through ble. Though there is a woful defal- his estate for the purpose of commucation of new lines, there is still a good nicating with some bathing-machines. deal to be done in the way of Exten- The property has been in his family for sions and Amalgamations; and I am some four or five hundred years. The happy to tell you that I am presently mansion-house is an ordinary kind of in the pay of no less than three com- tumble-down old affair, with turrets panies, who are driving branch lines like pepper-boxes on the corners, and through the pleasure-grounds of dif- the fragment of an abbey behind it. ferent proprietors. I recollect the day There is no timber worth speaking of when, in the exuberance of my green- in the policy, except half-a-dozen ness, I used to feel a sort of idiotical great useless yew-trees, beneath which compassion for the situation of the they show you a carved stone, that men of land. I used to picture to covers the dust of stout old Lord myself the hardship of having your Alexander, whose body was brought nice green policy cut into shreds by home from the bloody field of Flodden; the forks of some confounded Junction and yet this absurd agriculturist has

of seeing your ancestral trees go the coolness to propose to the company down like ninepins, before the axe of that they shall make a deviation of a callous engineer of having sleep nearly half-a-mile, for the sake of banished from your eyes by the roar avoiding this remnant of the darker of the engine, which sweeps past ages! Three times, Bogle, has that might and day, with disgusting puno.. man come up to London, at a most tuality, within fifty paces of your enormous expense, for the purpose of threshold—and of beholding some fine defending his property. The first forenoon your first-born son conveyed time he was successful in his opposia mangled corpse from the rail, tion before the committee of the House because the company, out of sheer par- of Commons, because the chairman simony, have neglected to fence in happened to be a person imbued with their line, which goes slick through the the same ridiculous prejudices as the centre of your garden; and the poor proprietor, and was what these foolish little innocent, in the absence of Protectionists call a man of birth and Girzy, then flirting among the goose- connexion. He had on his own berries with the gardener, has been grounds a mausoleum with some rubtempted to stray upon the irons in bishy remains of his ancestors, who pursuit of an occasional butterfly! had been out with Harry Hotspur; But I am thankful to say that I have and the moment he heard of the old now got rid of all such visionary tomb-stone and the yew-trees, lic

les. Thanks to Sir Robert Peel, began to rave about desecration, and I have learned a new lesson in politi- made such a row that the projectors cal economy. I have become a con- were fain to give it up. That job cost vert to the doctrine, that land is the Protectionist proprietor at least a nothing else than manufactures; and I cool thousand; however, he was

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pleased to say, that he did not mind never professed to have a grandfather, the expense, since he had succeeded hated the agriculturists like the pestiin saving the mansion of his fathers. lence, and had made a large fortune Bat we did not by any means intend by the railways. He was perfectly to let him off so easily. My friend delighted at the way in which our Switches, the engineer, laid out two friend the Sergeant had put down Sir new branches — if possible Pertinax M'Sycophant a nickname annoying than the first, for they were suggested by our solicitor, and emto intersect one another at the yew- ployed in the learned counsel's reply trees. We tipped the parliamentary with very considerable effect; and as notices; and, though the venerable there were two other members of the Cincinnatus came with tears in his League on the committee, we had it eyes to our directors, and offered all our own way. The preamble was them the land for nothing if they declared to be proven, and no clauses would only consent to a very slight of compensation were allowed. But, and practicable deviation, we deter- if we were obstinate in our purpose, mined to make him pay for his whistle. so was Pertinax. He fought us in Accordingly, next year we had the House of Lords, and there, to bo him up again, all right and tight, sure, he got what he termed justicebefore a fresh committee. Lord! that is, our bill was thrown out, and what fun it was to hear him cross- some rather harsh expressions used examined by Sergeant Squashers ! with respect to the company's That's the counsel for my money ! - behaviour. We were ten days before no feeling, or delicacy, or nonsense of each committee – for Squashers is that kind about him. I wish you had rather fond of spinning out a case, seen the rage of the proprietor when and none of us who are paid for he was asked about his buried ances- attendance by the day, are in the tor ; whether his name was Sawney, habit of objecting to the same or Sandy -- and whether he was em- that Pertinax must have been out of balmed with sulphur! We all roared pocket at least two thousand pounds with laughter. “Don't attempt to by this second silly opposition. And bully me, sir!" said the Sergeant,- considering that the fortunes of the for the red spot began to glow upon family are not so flourishing as they the old man's cheek, and I believe once were, and that the old fellow that at that moment, if he had a can barely afford to give his son a weapon, he could have driven it hilt- university education, you will admit deep into the body of the facetious that this must have been a tolerable barrister. “Don't attempt to bully pull at his purse-strings. However me, sir ! thank Heaven, we are in a we were determined to keep it up. civilised country, where people wear The wisdom of the legislature in rebreeches, and live under the protection fusing, under any circumstances whatof the law. Answer me, sir-and try ever, to give costs against the railto do it in something like intelligible ways, has put it in the power of a English - that fellow, Lord company to drive any individual, by Saunders or Sawney, or whatever you unremitting perseverance, to the wall. call him, pickled up in brimstone or We set Switches to work again, and in pitch ?" Squaretoes could not this time we propose to metamorphose stand this; so he gathered himself up, the mansion into a station-house. I I must say rather grandly-muttered don't know how the thing will go. something about scorn, and Squashers Old Pertinax is fighting like a Trojan; being a disgrace to the gown he wore, and I rather fear that he made a little and marched out of the committee impression on the committee yesterroom amidst the guffaws of a group of day, by telling them that he has been us who were brought up to testify that obliged to borrow money upon his the house was falling to pieces, and estate at a ruinous rate of interest, that no Christian, of ordinary intellect, and to endanger the portions of his would trust his carcass beneath its three pretty and motherless daughters roof.

solely to defend his patrimony from That time we had a capital chair- the wanton aggressions of the com

a regular man of calico, who pany. But -- as Sergeant Squashers

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well observed, when he saw a tear head, would increase the income of stealing down the furrowed cheek of the company by about £37,800 per the Protectionist - this is not the age

Such was one item of my nor the place for such imbecile snivel- evidence yesterday, for the clearness ling. We have been tanght a new and accuracy of which I was politely lesson with regard to the sacredness of complimented by the chairman. I rights and of property; and the sooner must say, however, that I think those antiquated hereditary notions Switches went rather too far when are kicked out of the minds of the he valued poor Pertinax's garden landowners, the better.

land at less than half-a-crown per When I said, in the commence

I can make every allowance ment of this letter, that I was swear- for enthusiasm ; but surely, surely ing before the committees, I made this was pushing the principle a little use of a wrong term. We are not to the extreme. One ought always sworn-not even examined on soul, to preserve, even for the sake of our or on conscience, or on honour; and employers and paymasters, some little I must say that the recollection of semblance of probability. I do not that circumstance is sometimes a object to an engineer stating in evigreat comfort when I lie in bed awake dence that he is ready to tunnel of nights. What is technically termed Ben Nevis, throw a suspension bridge at Westminster, engineering evi- over the Queensferry, or convert dence, would, I am afraid, were an Lochlomond into a green and fertile oath to be interposed, become very meadow. All these -- as Switches like the thing called perjury ; which, once observed with consummate coolnot to mention its effects on a future ness when badgered about the drainstate of existence, is popularly sup- ing of a quicksand-are mere matters posed in Scotland to bring one under of estimate ; but I like facts when we the unpleasant but especial atten- can have them ; and had I been question of the High Court of Justiciary. tioned on the subject, I think I should The beauty of the present system is, have been inclined to have allowed an that it gives ample scope and rein additional shilling for the land. to the imagination without imposing Between ourselves, Bogle, I begin any restrictive fetters upon the con- to suspect that this kind of work is science. It allows a fair latitude for not altogether conducive to the that difference of opinion which growth of a healthy state of morality always must prevail amongst profes- amongst us. I would not say it in sional gentlemen, and relieves them the hearing of our chairman ; but I from whatever qualms they might really do suspect that we have otherwise have felt in replying with- stretched a point or two exorbitantly out any hesitation—the leading quality far in our attempts to bolster up the of a witness-to questions upon sub- bill. I know a lad who was brought jects of which they are utterly and up here, two years ago, to speak to entirely ignorant. I have found this the amount of minerals in a district advantage in my own case.

I am

which at present shall be nameless. positive that I could not, had I been He was then a good green creature, on oath, bave given any satisfactory fresh from the superintendence of his evidence as to the amount of the mother, who-poor old body-had bathing traffic on the line ; though I done her best to train him up in the certainly admit that I have sometimes ways of truth, and to instil into his of a Saturday afternoon sauntered mind a sound moral and religious along the shore with a cigar, to enjoy principle. And she had so far sucthe posés plastiques of our northern ceeded. I do not believe that, at aquatic Nereids. But as all such that time, he would have told a formality was dispensed with, I had lie or injured a human being for the no hesitation in stating the numbers world; but evil was the day on which of the amphibious animals, male and he was brought up to London in order female, at eight hundred per hour to testify before a committee. He during seven months of the year ; was delivered into the hands of a which, on an average of nine hours á big-boned Aberdonian engineer, noday, and at the rate of sixpence a torious for his pawkiness and the

adroit manner in which he always or railways-nothing came amiss to contrived to evade a direct answer to Jock. Through habit he had become any hostile question whatever. The a quick study, and could satisfactorily training proceeded, and in less than master the details of the most intricate a month the youth was pronounced case in the course of a single evening, to be tolerably perfect in his paces. provided he was liberally, but not too But he broke down upon cross-ex- exorbitantly, supplied with liquor. amination. He could not point out He is now a blackguard of the first upon the map the locality of certain water. I firmly believe that he has coal-fields which he had averred to be not spoken one word of truth for the in existence; and a rigid heckling last eighteen months, nor could he do elicited the fact that a seam of black- so by any possibility even were you band, valued at some annual thou- to pay him for it. sands, was neither more nor less than Such is the career of a true child of a dyke of ordinary whinstone. It the railway committee system ; nor was clear that Jock was not yet en- can it well be otherwise, so long as tirely qualified for his vocation. He witnesses are allowed to depone withstammered too much-got red in the out reference to oath, and without face when closely pressed, and was the pains of perjury before their apt to potter with the compasses, in- eyes. Don't think me, my dear stead of boldly measuring out his quota Bogle, unnecessarily strict in my of imaginary furlongs. So he was re- censures. I make no pretence of mitted to his studies, and underwent having a conscience much less elastic another fortnight's purification at the than those of my fellow mortals; but Coalhole and the Cyder cellars. A. I have a kind of indistinct feeling that natural propensity for drink which it would be better for all of us if, lurked in his constitution, was care- somehow or another, we could be fully fostered, until his thirst became brought to speak the truth, or at least absolutely unappeasable.

He was

to make some sort of approximation drunk from morning to night, or more towards it. The very first question strictly speaking, from night till morn- which used to be asked of a witness ing. His face broke out in blotches; in a court of law, was the remarkably a dark rim gathered beneath his eyes; suggestive one, -" Has any body paid his nose gave token of the coming you any thing, or promised you any pimple, and his lips were baked and thing, for giving your testimony ?" bulging. A more disgusting object And even yet, when a bribe can be you never saw ; and I only hope that established, it is held to disqualify, when he was sent down after the ses- or at least to cast discredit upon a sion to Scotland, he had the common witness. Now, although I do not humanity not to visit the mother that like to confess that we are bribed in bore him, for the spectacle would the strictest acceptation of the term, have broken her heart. Jock, how- we have, all of us, more or less inteever, had now risen in value, for he rest in the success of the companies was ready to testify to any thing. To who are judicious enough to secure swear that black is white was nothing: our services. The leading engineer he had no hesitation to depone in has the prospect of a large and profitfavour of the whole colours of the able job. The contractor expects a rainbow. When questioned for his slice; the surveyor constant employ. employers, he was as acute and active ment; and the capability-man and as an eel ; when under cross, he took the calculator of traffic know very refuge either in a stolid dulness of well that a break-down in evidence apprehension, which was extremely will effectually debar them from a aggravating to his inquisitor, or had future visit to London on the occasion recourse to the safe and convenient of the next extension, which exclusion operation of the non mi recordo sys- is equivalent to a loss of five guineas tem. In short, he was voted the a-day with all expenses paid. So prince of surveyor's assistants, and that, on the whole, I think it is abunhis services were eagerly sought be- dantly clear, that we are not altogefore every species of committee. ther patriots of the highest and most Roads, canals, harbours, waterworks, exalted breed. Why, then, should we

be exempted from that species of pu- Scotland, who have all some locak rification to which even the peerage knowledge of the place, than if inof the realm are subjected in a court trusted to the tender mercies of five of law? Of this I am certain, that gentlemen, not one of whom has ever larger interests are arbitrarily disposed crossed the Border, and who, during

, of every session by committees of the whole period of their sitting, are the House of Commons, than are impressed with a strong idea that painfully and laboriously adjudicated Rutherglen is the same place as on, with all the formalities of law, by Rugby? Would you consider yourthe judges of the Court of Session. self, and our mutual friends Walter And if the safeguard of an oath is Sheddon, Steenie Provan, Tammy deemed indispensable in the one case, Gilkison, and Ephraim Cansh, a I cannot for the life of me understand proper or a competent committee to on what principle it should entirely try the merits of a line which was to be omitted in the other.

intersect the heart of Bristol ? Not But perhaps you think that a good one of you ever set foot in that resdeal may safely be left to the dis- pectable metropolis of spar; and it cretion, discrimination, and prudence baffles my imagination to conceive of those honourable members who are how your aggregate wisdom could virtually the judges between the manage to detect and discriminate the merits of the invading company and truth amidst the conflicting evidence the rights of the invaded proprietor. of a cloud of witnesses. Is it not a You think that exaggerated or per- mere matter of toss-up, whether your verted testimony would be of no avail decision would be right or wrong? before a tribunal of such exalted in- Would you not be apt to abide by the: telligence; and that it would be as testimony of the most plausible and impossible to get up a fictitious case practised witness, simply because you of traffic, as it would be to persuade have no means of testing the accua Birmingham trader that a metallic racy of his deposition ? But if the basis to the currency is the foundation Rutherglen Junction were referred to of our national prosperity. Bless the decision of you five, I warrant you, my dear friend ! you know me we should have the business connothing at all about the matter. You ducted in a very different kind of manhave not the smallest idea of the ner. I think I see Gilkison's expression extent of swallow of the Sassenach. of face, at hearing a herring-curer In nine cases out of ten, they are as brought up to speak to the value of ignorant of the points at issue, as that the salmon fisheries at the Green ; unclean Whig Mr Gisborne is of the or the mute ire of Cansh at being nation which he had the impudent told that the Trongate is a mere lane, audacity to revile. I shall put the and the buildings of no earthly value ! case to you in a clear and intelligible I think I hear the obstreperous roar of point of view. Suppose that a com- Provan, consequent on the testimony pany were proposing to run a line from of an intoxicated brass-founder, that Rutherglen across the Clyde, the Green the substratum of the Green is black of Glasgow, and, through the very band! Would not the oleaginous chceks heart of the city to the terminus near of Sheddon glisten with indignant dew, George Square. You will not deny if he heard the Clyde described as a that there are tolerably weighty inte- positive nuisance to the community? rests involved in such a project as --and would not you, O Bogle, annithat, and I presume you would like to bilate with a terrific frown, the rufhave the whole matter thoroughly fian who should aver that the finest expounded, before a locomotive train square in Glasgow is evidently inwas permitted to shoot over a skew, tended by nature for the purposes of bridge in the middle of the Trongate. a railway station ? My life upon it, Now, apart from evidence, who do that you five would soon bring the you think would be the best judges of witnesses to their senses. But, as the the expediency of such a measure ? business is conducted at present, neiAre you not of opinion that the inte- ther the judges--that is, the members rests of Glasgow would be safer in the of the committee-nor the counsel hands of the members for the West of who are examining, know any thing.