The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-11 00:00:00

TART 11.

romtertn. In C minor, Phutoiort;. Herr Jaen.... Beethoven.
Len. " guanto amore" iI, 11114 re d' Amore)

Hine. ',manias Sherrington and Signor Ciampi Dontsettl.
Polonaise ;Struennee)

?NE ROYAL COMMISSION OR RAILWAYS.

The Royal Commissioners on Railways have at
length made their report, which has been anticipated with
considerable anxiety by those concerned in tho railway
interest. The document sums up in great detail the re-
sults arrived at from the mass of evidence adduced before
the commission, and gives judgment against the proposi-
tion that the railway system should be taken under the
control of the state. The general conclusion of the com-
missioners is, in short, than no comprehensive plan shall
be undertaken, and that the dealing with the railway sys-
tem shall be confined to modifications in private bill legis-
lation, and in the management by the companies. The
report says :

We are of opinion that it is inexpedient at present to
subvert the policy which has hitherto been adopted of
leaving the construction and management of railways to the
free enterprise of the people, under such conditions as par-
liament may think fit to impose for the general welfare of
the public.
We consider that there is not sufficient reason for ex-
cepting Ireland from this general conclusion ; but, as it has
been the established policy to assist railways and other
public works in Ireland-, we recommend that, when parlia-
ment thinks fit to make advances to Irish railway companies,
the money should be lent for a fixed period of considerable
length, so as to enable the company to develop its resources
before it is called on for repayment. We are, however, of
opinion that advances should not be made to the Irish rail-
way companies as a condition of reducing their rates and
fares ; but that as the railway companies have the best
opportunities of judging whether rates can be reduced so
as to be recuperative within a reasonable tune, Cuiy should
be left to carry out such experiments at their own risk.
We recommend that parliament should relieve itself
from all interference with the incorporation and the finan-
cial affairs of railway companies, leaving each matters to
be dealt with under the Joint Stock Companies Act, and
should limit its own action to regulating the construction
of the line, the relations between the public and
joint stock companies so incorporated; requiring such
guarantees as may be necessary for the purpose of securing
the due performance of the conditions upon the faith of
which the parliamentary powers of the company have been
granted.
We do not consider that it would be expedient, even if
it were practicable, to ado;:t any legislation which would
abolish the freedom railway companies enjoy of charging
what sum they deem expedient within their maximum rates,
when properly defined, limited as that freedom is by the
toeditions of the Traffic Act; but we are of opinion that
railway companies should be required to give a reasonable
notice of their intention to raise their rates of charge.
We are unable to see any method of ensuring punctu-
ality in passenger trains by means of legiatitive enact-
ments, except that proposed by the committee of the
House of Commons in 1858, viz., that punctuality should
be guaranteed, and that passengers injured by delay should
be enabled to recover summarily a fixed sum; but we have
already referred to the *nations to this proposal.
We are of opinion the railway companies should be
Found, under adequate penalties, to give at least a week's
notice of any alterations of time of their regular passenger
trains.

e do not consider that any direct legislative enact-
ments would cause greater economy in the working of
railways; but we are of opinion that with the object of
affording a more accurate view of the operations of the rail-
way companies, and of making any undue extravagance
apparent, and thus stimulating economy, it is desirable
that the several railway companies should render their
accountsto the Beard of Trade, showing receipts from traffic
and the detailed cost of working the line, upon a uniform
plan ; and that, after consultation with the railway com-
panies, the Board of Trade should not only prescribe the
form of such returns and accounts, but lay down the heals
on which they are to be computed.
Parliament has relied, for the safe working of railways,
upon the efficiency of the common law and of bord:Caunp-
bell's Act, which give persons injured and near relatives
of persons killed a right to compensation. We consider
that this course has been more conducive to the protection
of the public than if the Beard of Trade had been em-
powered to interfere in the detailed arrangements for
working the traffic.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOW-
LEDOL—A meeting in furtherance of the designs of this
society was held yesterday afternoon,•Limes's-hall,
under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Amongst those piesent were—Lord Lyttelton, Mr. Acland,
M.P., the Bishops of Oxford, Llandaff, Chester, Lich-
field St. Amish, rind Antigua, Archdeacon Bickersteth,
Canon Hawkins, Rev. Dr. Miller, Rev. Dr. Currey, Rev.
Dr. Bihar, Rev. Daniel Moore, lc. It appears from the
statement respecting the society's operations that during
the past year upwards of 837,000 copies of the Bible and
Pnsyerbook have been circulated at • charge upon the
charitable funds of the society of not less than 14,0001.,
•id religious books and tracts of an instructive and enter-
taining, tbongh not of • directly religious character, have
been distributartothi numbs of 6,097,52 d. Frequent grants
of books have been made for the use of English soldiers.
The militia, too, in Dorset, Manta, Herta, Middlesex, /ix.,
have received books ; while English troops abroad
not been neglected, whether in India, Malta, Canada, or
the Mauritius. Many books have also been granted for the
use of sailors ; and provision has been continued for the
visitation of emigrants at several seaport towns. Though
the society has been most reluctantly obliged to refuse all
applications for money grants for building churches ands,
schools in the colonies during the past year, it
has still been able to make grants of Bibles and
Common Prayers, books and tracts, and other publi-
citions. Some of these have been sent in greater or
smaller numbers to almost every colonial diocese, and the
society's publications have been circulated in India, Borneo,
South and Central Africa, Sierra Leone. and Liberia ; in
Australia, New Zealand, and British North America ; in
the West Indies, the Mediterranean, At. Parochial
libraries have been assisted in very many parts of England,
and there is scarcely any kind of institution or asylum for
the benefit of the poor that does not find its place in the
list of objects helped by special grants of books made
during the last l_ months. Hospitals, asylums, homes,
reformatories, penitentiaries, ragged schools, young men's
associations, working men's institutes, and many others,
are among the number. Addresses in furtherance of the
objects of the meeting and appealing far increased support
having been delivered by the Bishop of Oxford, Lord
Lyttelton, Mr. Acland, M.P., and others, the proceedings
terminated.

OPERATIVE. .JEWISH CONVERTS' INSTITUTION.—
The annual meeting of this institution was held last even-
ing, in the London Tavern, the Hon. W. Ashley in the
chair. The report, which was read by the Rev. Mr. Gray, the
secretary, stated that the sear commenced with fifteen in-
itiates. and within the twelve months twenty-five more
were admitted, some on probation and others for the regu-
lar time of three years. Of the forty persons who, more
or less, partook of the privileges which the institution
offered, thirteen had left, five of whom were unbaptised.
During the past year the number of applicants for ad-
mission had been large. Seven were refused by the com-
mittee for various reasons— some on account of age, others
because they deemed them unfit to enter, and others
again because they seemed unlikely to remain or to derive
profit from the training which the institution afforded.
During the year fourteen of the inmates had
been confirmed and had become communicants. Re-
ferring to the secular benefits conferred, which embrace
food, clothing, and all other necessaries, together with
industrial occupation for present advantege,and the know-
ledge of a respectable trade for future support, the report
stated that considerable progress had been made, and that
the gross receipts for work done in the printing and book-
binding trades during the last year had amounted to
4.721/. 12s. fid. This sum represented the largest amount
of work hitherto executed. Further assistance in this
respect was earnestly desired. The contributions of last
year, including special contributions to the steam press,
amounted to 1,1511. 211. ; and the committee solicited an
increase of income, with the view of enabling them to ex-
tend their expenditure to 1,0001. per annum. The re-
port, on the motion of the Rev. Mr. Bruce, seconded by
the Rev. L. White, was unanimously adopted.