ailway was
thrown out of Parliament in 1837 owing to the strong opposition raised
against it. In 1838, however, the bill was reintroduced, and
passed--Lord Wm. Bentinck, the then member for Glasgow, being chairman
of the committee. Ultimately Mr. Watson relinquished the office of
railway secretary, but he continued to be associated in the management
of the Edinburgh and Glasgow and Glasgow and South-Western lines with
such men as the late Mr. M'Call, of Daldowie, chairman of the Ayrshire
company; Mr. Fleming, of Claremont; Mr. T. D. Douglas, Mr. Leadbetter,
and Mr. A. Smith, who now lives on the Gareloch, and who, we believe, is
the sole survivor of the original directorate, with the exception of our
townsman, Sir James Campbell. Prior to the establishment of the direct
railway communication with England, Mr. Watson was concerned with the
projection of a line of steamers between Ardrossan and Fleetwood--the
railway only having been carried the length of Sir Hesketh Fleetwood's
estate at that time. By means of this arrangement, in which Mr. Watson
had the cordial co-operation of the directors of the Ayrshire Railway,
passengers leaving London at 10 o'clock forenoon could break the
journey, and obtain the relief of a night's rest in the boat, arriving
in Glasgow at 12 o'clock next day. The vessels on this station were Her
Majesty and the Royal Consort, but they were discontinued when the
direct line to Carlisle was opened up.

The first model lodging-houses established in Glasgow, about 25 years
ago, owe their existence to the efforts of Mr. Watson, assisted by
ex-Provost Blackie, who, with a number of other directors, have since
carried on these establishments, very much to the benefit of the
community at large. There are altogether three of these model
lodging-houses, situated respectively in Carrick Street, M'Alpine
Street, and Greendyke Street, and the very large extent to which they
have been taken advantage of by those for whose benefit they were built
is the best possible justification of their origin.

Mr. Watson's services in connection with the various charitable
institutions in the city are too well known to require comment or
eulogium at our hands. Both in season and out of season he has always
been ready to aid the dissemination of charity and philanthropy, and
perhaps no gentleman in the city is more closely or more generally
identified with institutions of this kind.

In 1863 Mr. Watson commenced his mun