f the
English promoters, though the competition had compelled them to reduce
their price by a thousand pounds a mile, and to accept a guarantee of
L3000 per mile instead of half the cost. At the same time the Brassey
firm secured a charter for the Grand Trunk of Canada East, to run from
Quebec to Trois Pistoles--Canada's first section of the Halifax to
Quebec route. The same aggressive firm had already secured a contract
for the Quebec and Richmond, which was to join the St Lawrence and
Atlantic at Richmond, and, as has been seen, for New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia roads. With these contracts seemingly secure, Jackson sailed
for {76} home. But Canadian promoters were quick to learn. Galt had
another card to play. As president of the St Lawrence and Atlantic he
proposed to amalgamate this road with the Montreal and Kingston, and to
build a bridge at Montreal, thus securing an essential part of the
trunk line. Hincks became alarmed at the Montreal interests thus
arrayed against him, and proposed as a compromise that the Grand Trunk
should absorb the St Lawrence road and build the bridge at Montreal on
the condition that the opposition to its westward plans should be
abandoned. Upon this all parties agreed, and the English and Canadian
promoters joined forces.

Negotiations were completed in England early in 1853. As yet the Grand
Trunk Company was but a name. The real parties to the bargain were
many. First came John Ross, a member of the Canadian Cabinet, but
representing the future Grand Trunk, of which he was elected president.
The Barings and Glyns, eminent banking houses, had a twofold part to
play, as they were closely connected with the contractors and were also
the London agents of the Canadian government. The contractors
themselves, Peto, Brassey, Betts and Jackson, of whom Jackson,
accompanied {77} by the company's engineer, A. M. Ross, had spent a
year studying the Canadian situation, put in anxious weeks hammering
out the details of the agreement and the prospectus to follow it. Galt
represented the St Lawrence and Atlantic and the Atlantic and St
Lawrence, while Rhodes and Forsythe of Quebec had charge of the
interests of the Quebec and Richmond. An agreement was reached to
amalgamate all the Canadian roads and to lease the Maine road for 999
years. This left Toronto the western terminus. An attempt to absorb
the Great Western and thus secure an extension to Windsor came to
nothing. This fail