An incautious writer on the subject of Irish Railways in
the Courier, assumed that Mr. William Bald, the well-known engineer, was author of certain letters published in the Times, and exposing some of the blunders of the Irish Railway Commission ; and insinuated that dis- appointinent was the cause of Mr. Bald's hostility—that he wished to have been etnployed by the Commissioners himself, but was not. In reply to this attack, Mr. Bald sent a letter to the courier; of which this is the pith- " I perceive that you have taken the liberty of connecting my name with some state- ments aide,' are quite untrue; may I le-k, sir, what authordy have you for stating that I am the author of the letters signed a • British Engineer.' As you no doubt have been mishal in these matters, I therefore deem It necessary to say that I really never did expect any kind of employment under the Irish Railway' Commissioners; for the following reasons. At the commencement of their labours in Ireland, I was so deeply engaged in making surseys, plans, sections, mid estimates, as engineer for the Dublin and Armagh Inland Railway Company ; also for the Dublin and Limerick Railway Company ; the harbour of Belfast, nod various other works in Ireland, that I could tiot lime undertaken any iovestigations for u hem at that period, had I been even willing to do so; besides, when otw of the in ish Rail- way Commissioners nuele inquiry fibund my undertaking to report on an inland Rail- way from Dublin to Armagh, I immediately stated to hina that I was already employed by the Dublin ;furl Armagh Inland Railway Company, and of course could not be en- gaged by a second party ; but above all, it appeared clear to me, that it was not to be expected any engineer connected with the lush railway projects conducted by private enterprise in Ireland, and who had a due regard for his own character. C011ifi even harbour the thought of being employed in it quarter which might be perhaps quite adverse and ruinous to the interests of his employers; and more particularly again, as the duties and decisions of the Royal Irish Railway Commissioners required unusual care and caution in keeping themselves quite free from all kind of suspicion of parti- ality and favouritism as to the employment of engiueers already engaged by any exist- ing railway companies."
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