“I can readily understand, sir,” replied the other, “why my friend is so anxious to get rid of this inquiry—simple and short as it will be; but I trust, sir, that you will consider it of sufficient importance to allow it to proceed. I purpose to put only a few questions more on this extraordinary petition against the Bill (the bare meaning of the name of which the petitioner does not seem to understand) for the purpose of eliciting some further information respecting it.” The Committee being thus appealed to by both parties, inclined their heads for a few moments in order to facilitate a communication in whispers, and then decided that the inquiry might proceed. It was evident that the matter had excited an interest in the minds and breasts of the honourable members of the Committee; created as much perhaps by the extreme mean and poverty-stricken appearance of the witness—a miserable, dirty, and decrepit old man—as by the disclosures he had already made. “Well, Snooks, I was about to ask you (when my friend interrupted me) who got you to sign the petition, or that zummit as you call it?” “Some genelmen, zur.” “Who were they—do you know their names?” “Noa, zur, co’ant say I do nar ’em a’, zur.” “But do you know any of them, was that gentleman behind you one?” [The gentleman referred to was the fine benevolent-looking individual who had previously kindly endeavoured to assist the witness in his answers, and who stood the present scrutiny with marked composure and complaisance]. “Yees, zur, he war one on ’em.” “Do you know his name?” “Noa, zur, I doant; but he be one of the railway genelmen.” “What did he say to you, when he requested you to sign the petition?” “He said I ware to zine (pointing to the petition) that zummit.” “When and where, pray, did you sign it?” “A lot o’ railway genelmen kum to me on Sunday night last; and they wo’ make me do it, zur.” “On Sunday night last, aye!” “What, on Sunday night!” exclaimed one honourable member on the extreme right of the Chairman, with horror depicted on his countenance; “are you sure, witness, that it was done in the evening of a Sabbath?” “The honourable member asks you, whether you are certain that you were called upon by the railway gentlemen to sign the petition on a Sunday evening? I think you told me last Sunday evening.” “Oa, yees, zur; they kum just as we war a garing to chapel.” “Disgraceful, and wrong in the extreme!” ejaculated the honourable member. “And did not that gentleman” (continued the Agent for the Bill), “nor any of the railway gentlemen, as you call them, when they requested you to sign, explain the nature and contents of the petition?” “Noa, zur.” “Then you don’t know at this moment what it’s for?” “Noa, zur.” “Of course, therefore, it’s not your petition as set forth?” “I doant nar, zur. I zined zummit.” “Now, answer me, do you object to this line of railway? Have you any dislike to it?” “O, noa, zur. I shud loak to zee it kum.”