The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-16 00:00:00

RAILWAY AMALGAMATIONS.

Mr. CARDWELL moved—" That no railway bills con-
taining any powers of amalgamation, lease, working arrange-
ment*, or other combination of interests between different
companies, be read • second time before the 14th day of
March next." Re said it was the object of the committee
now sitting on the subject of railway amalgamations
to ensure to the house the greatest possible bene-
fit from the inquiry they had been appointed
to conduct, and at the suss time to inflict on them per-
sons whose bills would, in consequence of their inquiry, be
delayed for • short time, the smallest possible amount of
inconvenience. For alit purpose, they had summoned be-
fore them two exptrieseed parliamentary agents—the chair-
man and late chairman of that body—and bad examined
them as to the inconvenient* which might arise from any
such resolution as this. Upon the malt of that examine-
tion the committee had come to the cosselusion that, if they
permitted the promoters to read their bills a second time
before Easter SO keg before SS to allow time for presenting
petitions against them also before the Easter recess, the in-
convenience would be limited to the smallest possible
amount; and, as regarded the proceedings of that house,
it would be scarcely appreciable at all. Another source of
inconvenience had been anticipated, bat that was not a ma-
terial consideration. The committee felt that they
had no alternative but to ask for some limited

postponement of the second readings of the bills,
and that the proposal now made was the smallest
amount of inconvenience that could be inflicted on the par-
ties promoting the bills. This wen the unanimous deci-
sion of the committee. Since coming into the house he
bad been requested to add some words to the motion,
whioh he thought might be safely done. Some bills con-
tained clauses for amalgamation in conjunction with other
clauses, which formed by far the most important portion of
the bills; and the promoters would be willing to abandon
the amalgamation clauses rather than incur any risk as to
the more saleable part of the bills. He thought it would
be right to permit them to do so. It hail a'so been stag-
nated that there was the possibility of a technical distinc-
tion being made as to bills including both canals and rail-
ways. He would, therefore, propose the motion in the
following form That no railway or canal bills
containing any powers of amalgamation, lease, work-
ing arrangement, or other combination of in-
terest between different companies be read a second time
before the lith day of March next ; unless the parties in-
terested in promoting such bills shall elect to proceed
with the tame upon the terms of striking out all such
elutes as contain any powers of amalgamation, lease,
working arrangement, or combination of interests as afore-
sad."
Mr. F. MACKENZIE asked whether this resolution
would apply t, bills brought in to form new companies—as,
where a rompany was formed to establish a branch line,
which was afterwards to be amalgamated with some other
line.

Mr. CARDWELL said it was intended so to apply.
Mr. J. WOREGOR expressed his entire concurrence in
what had fallen tram Mr. Cardwell, and his belief that the
greatest benefit would result to the railway Interest from
the labours of the proposed committee. That interest had
now become so complicated, that it could only be dealt
with by imperial legislation.
After a conversation the motion was agreed to.