Genre:

Regular Feature, Proceedings, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Subjects:

Railways, Government, Environmentalism, Metrology, Progress, Futurism, Heat, Light, Telegraphy, Engineering, Military Technology, War, Nationalism, Cultural Geography

    Reports on the defeat of several proposals for new railways in London, an announcement made by a contented Granville G Leveson-Gower (2nd Earl Granville), and notes that railway companies are to be 'compelled to work together', thus reducing travel confusion. Later notes the acceptance of the 'London Railways Report', the contents of which were detailed by Thomas Milner-Gibson. Joseph Paxton gave 'strong reasons' for preferring some of the rejected lines to the accepted one, but the House of Lords agreed with Edward H Stanley (Lord Stanley) in supporting the recommendations of the report. (120) Later reports on the debate on a 'Bill permitting people to use the Metric System', and anticipates how 'Posterity' with its 'complete and scientific metric system will smile at the reluctance with which we listened' to those who ridiculed such innovations as gas, locomotives, penny postage, and the electric telegraph. Hopes posterity will not be harsh on Punch for its idea of a 'Tunnel to America' even though it has 'one to France'. Later notes the 'unsatisfactory' trials of William G Armstrong's 'monster' gun, although Lord Clarence E Paget insisted that Britain led France 'in the matter of guns'.