Proceedings of the Committee of the House of Commons on the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad Bill. Sessions, 1825.

LIVERPOOL & MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

Published by [London: Printed by Thomas Davison? 1825.], 1825

About this Item

Small folio, pp. xi, (i), 772, and 15 lithographed plates (of which 12 hand-coloured and 11 folding), errata slip. Some leaves lightly browned but generally very clean, folding plate at p. 592 torn and repaired from behind at an early date, folding plate at p. 501 dampstained at top. Contemporary green half morocco, raised bands ruled and tooled in gilt, marbled endpapers and edges. FIRST EDITION. The Liverpool & Manchester Railway was the first passenger railway operated solely by steam locomotives. This substantial volume documents the evidence for and against the railway and is the first printed parliamentary proceedings for a railway. The committee sat for 37 days and took evidence from such important figures as John Rastrick, Nicholas Wood, William Cubitt, and George Stephenson. The Bill, opposed largely by canal and land owners, failed, principally owing to Stephenson?s evidence, not on his locomotive engineering but on his uncertainty as to the line and its civil engineering works. The summing up slated Stephenson, referring to ?this trash and confusion of Mr. Stephenson? (p. 727). However, a new Bill was passed the following year largely thanks to George Rennie, and the railway company appointed Stephenson as the consulting engineer. This important, pioneering line was opened on 15th September 1830.

Seller Inventory # 4113

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Proceedings of the Committee of the House of Commons on the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad Bill. Sessions, 1825.
• Publisher: [London: Printed by Thomas Davison? 1825.]
• Publication Date: 1825
• Condition: Very Good