To these objections there were very sufficient answers. The bill provided for full compensation being made to the owners of lands through which the canal passed, and, in addition, it was provided that all sorts of manure should be carried for them without charge. It was also shown that the Duke's canal could not abstract water from either the Mersey or the Irwell, as the level of both rivers was considerably below that of the intended canal, which would be supplied almost entirely from the drainage of his own coal-mines at Worsley; and with respect to the plea of vested rights set up, it was shown that Parliament, in granting certain powers to the old navigators, had regard mainly to the convenience and advantage of the public; and they were not precluded from empowering a new navigation to be formed if it could be proved to present a more convenient and advantageous mode of conveyance.

On these grounds the Duke was strongly supported by the inhabitants of the localities proposed to be served by the intended canal. The "Junto of Old Navigators of the Mersey and Irwell Company" had for many years carried things with a very high hand, extorted the highest rates, and, in cases of loss by delay or damage to goods in transit, refused all redress. A feeling very hostile to them and their monopoly had accordingly grown up, which now exhibited itself in a powerful array of petitions to Parliament in favour of the Duke's bill.

On the 17th of February, 1762, the bill came before the Committee of the House of Commons, and Brindley was examined in its support. We regret that no copy of his evidence now exists from which we might have · formed an opinion of the engineer's abilities as a witness. Some curious anecdotes have, however, been

*Search has been made at the Bridgewater Estate Offices at Manchester, and in the archives of the Houses of Parliament, but no copy can be found. It is probable that

the Parliamentary papers connected with this application to Parliament were destroyed by the fire which consumed so many similar documents about twenty-five years ago.

preserved of his demeanour and evidence on canal bills before Parliament. When asked, on one occasion, to produce a drawing of an intended bridge, he replied that he had no plan of it on paper, but he would illustrate it by a model. He went out and bought a large cheese, which he brought into the room and cut into two equal parts, saying, "Here is my model." The two halves of the cheese represented the semicircular arches of his bridge; and by laying over them some long rectangular object, he could thus readily communicate to the Committee the position of the river flowing underneath and the canal passing over it.*

On another occasion, when giving his evidence, he spoke so frequently about "puddling," describing its uses and advantages, that some of the members expressed a desire to know what this extraordinary mixture was, that could be applied to such important purposes. Preferring a practical illustration to a verbal description, Brindley caused a mass of clay to be brought into the committeeroom, and, moulding it in its raw untempered state into the form of a trough, he poured into it some water, which speedily ran through and disappeared. He then worked the clay up with water to imitate the process of puddling, and again forming it into a trough, filled it with water, which was now held in without a particle of leakage. “Thus it is,” said Brindley, "that I form a water-tight trunk to carry water over rivers and valleys, wherever they cross the path of the canal.” †

Again, when Brindley was giving evidence before a Committee of the House of Peers as to the lockage of his proposed canal, one of their Lordships asked him, “But what is a lock?" on which the engineer took a piece of chalk from his pocket and proceeded to explain it by

*Stated by Mr. Hughes, in his 'Memoir of Brindley,' as having been communicated to him by James Loch, Esq., M.P., formerly

agent for the Duke's Trustees.

·

†Memoir of Brindley,' by S. Hughes, C.E., in Weale's Papers on Civil Engineering.'

means of a diagram which he drew upon the floor, and made the matter clear at once.* He used to be so ready

with his chalk for purposes of illustration, that it became a common saying in Lancashire, that "Brindley and chalk would go through the world." He was never so eloquent as when with his chalk in hand, it stood him in lieu of tongue.

On the day following Brindley's examination before the Committee on the Duke's bill, that is, on the 18th of February, we find him entering in his note-book that the Duke sent out "200 leators" to members--possible friends of the measure; containing his statement of reasons in favour of the bill. On the 20th Mr. Tomkinson, the Duke's solicitor, was under examination for four hours and a half. Sunday intervened, on which day Brindley records that he was "at Lord Harrington's." On the following day, the 22nd, the evidence for the bill was finished, and the Duke followed this up by sending out 250 more letters to members, with an abstract of the evidence given in favour of the measure. On the 26th there was a debate of eight hours on the bill, followed by a division, in Committee of the whole House, thus recorded by Brindley :

"ad a grate Division of 127 fort Duk

But the bill had still other discussions and divisions to encounter before it was safe. worked with great assiduity.

to the lower level. The greater the lift or the lowering, the more water is consumed in the process of exchange from one level to another; and where the traffic of the canal is great, a large supply of water is required to carry it on, which is usually provided by capacious reservoirs situated above the summit level. Various expedients are adopted for economising water:

The Duke and his agents
On the 3rd of March he

thus, when the width of the canal will admit of it, the lock is made in two compartments, communicating with each other by a valve, which can be opened and shut at pleasure; and by this means onehalf of the water which it would. otherwise be necessary to discharge to the lower level may be trans-. ferred to the other compartment,

caused 250 more letters to be distributed amongst the members; and on the day after we find the House wholly occupied with the bill. We quote again from Brindley's record: "4 [March] ade bate at the Hous with grate vigor 3 divisons the Duke carred by Numbers evory time a 4 division moved but Noos yelded." On the next day we read "wont thro the closos; from which we learn that the clauses were settled and passed. Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Tomkinson then set out for Lancashire: the bill was safe. It passed the third reading, Brindley making mention that "Lord Strange" was "sick with geef [grief] onthat affair Mr. Wellbron want Rong god,"—which latter expression we do not clearly understand, unless it was that Mr. Wilbraham wanted to wrong God. The bill was carried to the Lords, Brindley on the 10th March making the entry, "Touk the Lords oath." But the bill passed the Upper House "without opposishin," and received the Royal Assent on the 24th of the same month.

On the day following the passage of the bill through the House of Lords (of which Brindley makes the triumphant entry, "Lord Strange defetted"), he set out for Lancashire, after nine weary weeks' stay in London. To hang about the lobbies of the House and haunt the office of the Parliamentary agent, must have been excessively irksome to a man like Brindley, accustomed to incessant occupation and to see works growing under his hands. During this time we find him frequently at the office of the Duke's solicitor in 'Mary Axs;" sometimes with Mr. Tomkinson, who paid him his guinea a-week during the latter part of his stay; and on several occasions he is engaged with gentlemen from the country, advising them about "saltworks at Droitwitch" and mill-arrangements in Cheshire.

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Many things had fallen behind during his absence and required his attention, so he at once set out home; but the first day, on reaching Dunstable, he was alarmed to find that his mare, so long unaccustomed to the road, had