Parliament. After seeming to be momentarily stunned by the unprecedented boldness and magnitude of the scheme, Parliament and the country gave an unmistakable response in its support. The obviously resolute purpose of the Government had the very best effect. They had declared emphatically, that all the patchings of past years, whether by Boards of Works or various private enterprises, were but child's play with the large evils that confronted them, and that only increased year by year, and day by day. In the highest interests of society, and even in the purely economic interests of the case, and as a question of mere commercial profit and loss, they must go forward to a radical and comprehensive cure.
The opposition, although happily in a decided minority, was not the less determined. It was led, in the Commons, by Sir Peter Periwig, one of the City members, and head of the old respected and wealthy City house of Peter Periwig & Co. Sir Peter himself, now well up in years, was one of the "Old Whigs." But although he still gloried in what those, in their day, had done for the country, he would have no hand in the further and upsetting schemes, as he described them, of radicals and revolutionaries. The country, he would say, needed rest and quiet. The modern pace was altogether too fast; and now it was proposed that the Government themselves should, in effect, turn builders and speculators; and thus open up a further and endless scene of dust and noise and national disturbance. He would forbid, deny, arrest
