The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-29 00:00:00

TRAINS VOR WokKINO MEN ON THE
NORTH LONDON RAILWAY.

A private bill is generally only a leaf out of the
statutes at large applied to the uses of individuals.
The motive of the bill may be to grant power for
private objects ; but the power conferred springs
from ascertained principles of legislation, the
enactments of parliament, the definitions of the
judge. Within this limit legislation for the private
suitor operates safely. This boundary overpassed,
Wm, danger arises, and when this occurs, when the
operation 0; the bill exempts individuals from laws
inirmse..l on the public, when its provisions run
counter to the main principles of national juris-
prudence, then such en operation should be closely
iscruziesetl. It may create a " liberty" like to the
s of the past. where the Queen's writ deer not
tins ; :he private act becomes oasis in the rs gi.ns
of the common law. Such an easis, though
p;eavait the suitor. may act injuriously on
the world at large. These titivate privileges
may . in, a woni, invade public rights. And
this is sought by the North London Valle ay
Company. They propose in a bill now rar-
liament not only to alter_ in their own fa.-our the
pidicy -•f English law, but to tauipix with its
machinery. They propose also to restrict inju-
riously provisions touching public welfare that par-
haulms... in latil imposed upon them. By their act
of len this company is required to run " one train
daily, at Luvs of one fanny, for the accommoda-
tion of the labouring classes." The company was
bound to this provision in return fur the conces-
sion of the railway.

It will be seen that the expression "labouring
classes" is one of ample scope : that it has not
yet hardened by use into a special signification
like the words " a daily labourer." The Prince
of Wales, or a pedlar, might assert the position of
labourer, and might claim his penny ticket. The
words labouring chases" have evidentivioneaning
more liberal than pleases the company. The latter do
not, however, touch these w. Tits : a narrowing
definition is gained by implication. To this end
a clause is inserted in the bill, "for ascertaining
rights of applicants for cheap ti,:lo.ts. It declares
that the company is not to issue such a ticket
except to an artisan, mechanic, or daily
labourer." It is to this limit that the " labouring
class "isto be shrunk. Nor is the aim ..f the com-
pany unintelligible. The tribes of clerks, in legal
and mercantile offices, are excluded. They are
among the worst paid section of the great army
of workers. They are pinched upward by their
position on the social scale, and downward by the
narrowest of incomes. That position denies to
them many an economical expedient that is open
to the workmen. They are expected to clothe
themselves in black cloth on pay that many a
fustian jacket would despise. Yet these men
are to obtain these cheap tickets, if they can get
them, at the sufferance of the company.
The gauge of pecuniary ability is a teat that
legislation should never adopt, for equitable appli-
cation is impossible ; this test escapes both line
and rule. What is one man's wealth is destitution
to his neighbour. Yet, even according to this most
unmanageable test, clerks are a labouring class,
fully entitled to the relief of the penny train. As
certainly, they are not "artisans or inechanica ;'
nor are they • daily labourers " in the ordinary
acceptation of the term.
The company also openly try to check demand
upon the penny trains. The tickets in future are
to be " weekly ;" they are not to be issued except
for a six or seven days' term ; also they are not
to be granted till the company has had sufficient
time to ascertain by "inquiry whether the per-
son so applying for a ticket is," in its opinion, an
artisan, mechanic, or daily labourer." To facili-
tate this inquiry, the applicant " shall be bound"
to give the name and address of his employer.
Thus, according to the letter of the clause, a
mechanic out of work might be denied a ticket. In
the case of a strike, this provision might be made
productive of much vexation. And even if he
were a veritable artisan, in regular employ, this
reference to the master is exactly what many work-
men would not endure.
Such are the restrictions which the North Lon-
don Railway Company would impose on the issue
of these tickets. The penalty they seek to impose
upon the users of them may cause more hardship
though perhaps not so much petty irritation. It
is proposed that no passenger by the workman's
tram shall be entitled to make claim for injury by
the company above 100/. This provision has two
objects, both miichievous. One is to frighten the
general public from entering these trains ' • the
other, its more direct operation, the limitation of
pecuniary responsibility in case of accident. A
legislative declaration that one person's life
is less valuable than anther's, that protection
granted to the gentleman is to be denied to the
labourer, acts in direct opposition to the spirit of
English jurisprudence. We prefer, however, to
judge the clause according to the spirit of common
metros and common humanity. Parliament desired
by these trains to benefit the labouring clue ; if
this provision becomes law social injury would
be inflicted far exceeding the material benefit
thus conferred. That the legislature should
set a price upon the head of the labourer must
strike him as offensive. Even if done in the hand-
somest manner, if the value assessed were rated at
a much higher figure, the idea would wound the
feelings of the class thus appraised by parliament.
Nor is sensitiveness thus aroused, though perhaps
sentimental, to be wondered at. Again, accidents
to these trains would soon cause an impression that
this diminished responsibility for damage had
tempted the company into carelessness. And par-
liament would be accused for affording the tempta-
tion.

In conclusion, the company, having tampered
with the spirit of English law, proposes to alter its
course of action. Compensation for accidents
arising to these passengers is to be assessed by
arbitrators appointed by the Board of Trade, " and
not otherwise." The obvious impropriety of such
a scheme needs no comment. Even the bare ma-
chinery of the new tribunal is left unestablished—
even the payment of the arbitrator is unprovided
for. But it is the moral aspect of the arrangement
that we prefer to regard ; for what may seem sub-
stattially just may be in reality most inexpedient;
and desirable as it is that justice should be done
the working classes, it is nut less desirable
that they should feel that it is justice.
This feeling will not attend the decisions of such
an arbitrator ; it cannot be looked fur if labourers
find that in their case the ordinary course of justice
is diverted, and that they are to be sent to some
unknown man, appointed by an unknown board.
Class legislation, alwayaundesirable, never assumed
an aspect more offensive than it wears in these
clauses in the North London Railway Bill. They
will asmoy the feelings of one section of society ;
they wail press unduly on another ; they will make
the workmen's trains unpleasant to those for whom
they are designed, and penal to everybody else.
The diganction between • public and a private
act is unknown to labourers, they will think that
parliament has framed these provisions as an in-
sult; they will not see that they were intended
to be a boon. And as the House of Commons has
passed the bill it has stamped its approval upon
these clauses : it may be hoped that the House of
Unlit will net concur in this approval.

PA P.TNERAIIIIII or InoveraT.,--There are now
betwcen 2.000 and 3,000 shareholdert in companies based
upon the principle of uniting the interests of the capitalist.
with the interests of the workers, and there are at least
8,000 to 10,000 wookpeople employed lw these companies.
neer numbers Ase4aily increasing. We may add to this
constituency a cage number of eommerend men, friends of
racial progress, invest's*, and other., who, though not yet
actual participators in the work, are watching the move-
ment with great inteitast.—Thc Industrie Partnerships'
.Ree,,rd fur March.

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