The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-15 00:00:00

BRITANNIA..

TRW rwtolgO, THP. OCl.7lrarigTUß WINDING SHEET.
31r. Reynolds, ; DIsOOON. Mies & Coranoy.—CHEßßY AND
FAIR OMAR. Resort Bigwond, Leslie, & Elton Sirs. S. Low!
Macs Edwin, Booth, and Macartity.—And BLUE BEARD,

HUM SIAM AT LONDON BRIDGE.
TWA DAY —Kongo& Ob. Om Afternoos, Ob. tro.
Ifolloahow—llornlmig, ob. ms..— Attereoca, Oh. 66)t0.

LONDON, WP:DNESDA Y, MAY 15.

Ma. Rom WasoN, who appears to be a gentle-
man of considerable leisure, cannot endure that
the newspapers should publish correct reports of
-what passes in Parliament, when by his own seek-
ing his words and acts are discussed there. A
few weeks ago he applied to the magistrates at
Guildhall for a summons against the proprietors of
the TirneA, on account of an admittedly cermet report,
which our contemporary had published, of some
speeches delivered in the House of Lords on the
12th of February, when Mr. Riese WASON'S own
petition, in which he had brought very grave charges
against the Loan CHIEF BARON, was under dis-
cussion. Yesterday he appeared at Bow-street to ask
for a summons against the proprietors of the Morning
Post for the publication of a truthful report of the
mine proceedings in Parliament, and as he was
not successful , we presume we shall soon hear of
him again at some other police-office. Mr. RIGBY
WA.4ON thinks he did not get justice at Guildhall,
because Sir JOHN MUMGROVE and Alderman SIDNICY
could not see the distinction between " the slander
" which a member of either House of Parliament
" is privileged to utter and the conversion of that
" slander into libel by publication in a newspaper
" which is not privileged." Mr. RIGBY WASON i■
a barrister, and has a keen eye on privilege.
We will not, however, trouble the public with
this part of the case. It is true that we are
all liable to actions at law fur anything in our
parliamentary reports which anybody may think
to be libellous iu its published form ; nevertheless
every newspaper publishes the best report it can
get, and must continue to do so. The " "lan-
" derers" in this cue, whose reported words are
assumed to be libellous, are Earl Russ Eu., the
LORD CHANCELLOR., and Lord ST. LRONARDB, and
their accuser is a gentleman who admits that his
own published counter statement is " libellous if
" not true." The Magistrate, having heard Mr.
RIGBY WASON at great length yesterday, and
having taken time to consider the case, declared
himself satisfied that the criminal law could
not be put in motion against the Morning Post,
and declined to grant a summons which he was
sure must on investigation be dismissed. That Mr.
RIGBY WASON is still unconvinced is but too pro-
bable. On the other hand, the very unreasonable-
ness of his application may have prevented the
public carrying forward its thoughts so far as to
consider what would be the consequence if his
views of law and justice were correct. Parlia-
ment is not only visibly and rapidly drawing to
itself a larger proportion of the business of the
country, which, to a great extent, involves the
discussion of personal conduct, but is the
great court of appeal for the whole nation, in
which character, by the way, Mr. RIGBY Wasps
regarded it when he brought charges against the
Loan CHIEF BARoN by his petition. It is right
that Parliament should hear complaints of all
kinds, even when they are most libellous, if not
most true. Is the country, however, to know
what takes place in Parliament ? And if so, is
it to know all or only part? Suppose a private
person to induce a member of either House to
present a petition, declaring that one of the highest
judges of the land a few years before pledged his
honour as a gentleman to the truth of a statement
for the purpose of deceiving a committee of the
House of Commons, and praying that that judge
may be dismissed from the bench—is the report
of that petition, containing charges so grave, to be
suppressed ? Suppose, again, that the member
of Parliament who has thought it his duty
to present such a petition declines to support its
prayer ; suppose the Loan CHANCELLOR to
declare that the petition will remain a perpetual
record of the falsehood and malignity of its
author ; suppose the Psalms to denounce it as
scandalous and calumnious—would it not be rea-
sonable to infer that a matter which bad moved so
many persons to the use of strong language was of
considerable importance, and that their proceed-
ings in the question should be fully and im-
partially reported ? Surh we conceive would be
the judgment of the public. The country would
not be satisfied, we suspect, to have the conduct of
the most eminent judges of the land impugned
without the fullest discussion of the charges against
them, nor would think that justice had been
done if the opinion of Parliament upon those
charges were not folly expressed and fully re-
ported. Mr. RIGBY WARW.( would do well to
acquiesce in the judgment of the public.

THE belief is becoming sironger that good iril:
come out of the ordeal through which the railway
interest of this country is now passing, and from
day to day remedial suggestions acquire better
form and greater consistency. As one point, it is
becoming recognised that a government audit in
some form would be a great boon. Such an audit
need not be compulsory—need not be forced upon

any company whose pileprietors are repugnant to
it. Little doubt can be entertained, however, that
shareholders would be very glad to avail them-
selves of the advantages it would offer, both
as conveying an assurance that the debenture
and other imams are in the legal form, and as
tending to check financial irregularities in every
way. The argument that there is no occasion for
parliament to step out of its way to relieve the
railway interest is perfectly untenable, for our
whole system of railway legislation is admitted to
be a national disgrace. Tho interference of par-
liament has been incessant, and for the most part
highly mischievous. Parliamentary proceedings
from first to last have cost the companies an im-
mense amount of money, while, as regards all the
financial arrangements, parliament has been ab-
solutely despotic. Now that railway affairs are
falling into a chaotic state, parliament must do its
duty by coming to the rescue. As a first
step, it must modify its despotic edicts
with respect to railway finance. The restric-
tions under which the companies now labour
with regard to the mode of borrowing and the rates
of interest at which they may raise money must
be relaxed, and the companies must be allowed to
make such terms with their debenture holders as
may seem best to both parties. It is quite impos-
sible that the debenture holders can be paid off,
for these debts represent railway capital, and to
demand that railway incense shall pay off capital
is obviously unjust. Such an arrangement would
entail an almost indefinite postponement of
dividend on the ordinary stocks. With the de-
bentureliabilities capitalised or otherwise arranged
for, it would be easy to deal with the comparatively
limited amount of fimit;og indebtedness, and then,
with all outlets, leaks, and extensions stopped,
and with the power of the board-rooms curtailed,
railway property ought to be placed upon
stronger basis than it has ever held yet.

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 15, 1867.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(LAST NIGHT.)
CLERICAL VESTMENTS (No. 2) BILL.
Moved—That the further debate on the motion for second
reading be adjourned to this day two months—(The Lord
Archbishop of Canterbury): On question" Contents,
61 ; not-contents, 46.