Lord Broughampresented a petition from the inhabitants of the ancient town of Perth, complaining of the invasion of the South Inch by a proposed line of railway. Their Lordships were aware that in the immediate vicinity of the town, in fact abutting upon it, was a very spacious and beautiful piece of ground, encircled by the river Tay, called the South Inch; this piece of ground the inhabitants believed to be very conducive to their health, from the facilities it afforded for walking, riding, and driving. It had also an historical interest; for it was recorded that when the Roman soldiers came in sight of the river at this spot, they exclaimed, Ecce Tiber! and, pointing to the plain, Ecce Campus Martius! This ground had been opened to the inhabitants for five centuries; but now they, like all their fellow men, were about to "suffer a land change;" a third part of this fine ground being about to be taken by railroad speculators, who were, of course, quite certain that the Report of the Board of Trade would be in their favour. The magistrates and rich inhabitants of Perth had shares in this railway as directors; and he, therefore, appeared for the poorer and middle classes, who were thrown for protection upon their Lordships. Sir R. Walpole, when asked by the Sovereign what it would cost to enclose the parks in the vicinity of London, was reported to have answered that it would not cost much—only "three crowns;" and the King of that day gave up the attempt. If the strongest Ministry and the strongest Government were to attempt to shut up the parks, over which, by the courtesy of the Crown, the people had a right of way, the attempt would fail in the hands of that strong Ministry and that strong Government; and if this could not be done here, merely because 1435 they happened to be on the spot, he thought they were bound to protect the people of Perth, who were not able to protect themselves.