The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-21 00:00:00

THE REGULATION OF RAILWAY&

The Duke of Richmond's bill to amend the law
' relating to railways was published this morning. This
bill provide* that every incorporated company shell, seven
days at least before each ordinary half-yearly meeting, pre-
pare and print a full statement of the accounts of the pre-
ceding half-year, and estimate of the expenditure of the
half-year to follow, this provision being enforced by the
imposition of a penalty of 51. for every day during which it
Is not complied with ; and the document as printed is to be
distributed, on application, to every person who holds any
ordinary or preference share or stock in the compeer, or
any mortgage, bond, debenture, or debenture stock of the
company; end any company acting in contravention of
this order shall be liable for each offence to •
penalty not exceeding 501. In the case of any falai-
nostion of the accounts, the auditor or officer
of the company who signs them shall, unless he satisfies
the court that he was ignorant of such falseness, be liable
to indictment, and on conviction thereof to fine or impri-
sonment, or, on summary conviction, to • penalty of 501. It
is proposed to empower the Board of Trade to appointone or
more competent inspectors to examine into the affairs of
an incorporated company and the conditions of ill under-
taking, upon application made in pursuance of • resolu-
tion passed at • meeting of directors ; upon applica-
tion by holders of not less then two-fifths of the
&irrigate amount of the ordinary shares or stock of
the company ; upon the application by holders of not leas
than one half of the mortgages, bonds, debentures, and
debenture stook ; and upon the application of holders of
not less than two-fifths of the guaranteed preferenceshares
or stock, provided that the preference capital issued
amounts to not lees than one-third of the whole share
ospitarof the company ; such applications being supported
by evidence showing that good reasons exist for requiring ,
the examination to be made. The expenses, however,
incidental to such an examination, are to be defrayed by
the parties upon whose application it is made, unless the
Board of Trade should see fit to charge the same
or any part thereof to the company. Any oom-
pany may, moreover, by resolution at an extraordinary
meeting, appoint inspectors for the same purpose, and
they shall have the same powers as the inspectors
appointed by the Board of Trade. It is also pro-
posed that the Board shall, upon application, have
power to appoint an auditor in addition to the
usual auditors of the company. In these cases the min-
pony may declare • dividend on the report of the majority
of the auditors ; but where there is • difference of opinion
amongst them any auditor may, at the cost of the company,
kale • statement explaining the grounds upon which he
' differs from his colleagues.

With nisi to the transit of live stock or goods partly
by railway and partly by sea, it is proposed that • con-
dition exempting the company from liability for any loss
or damage which may aria' therefrom shall, if pub-
lished in a conspicuous manner in the oßioe where
the through-booking is effected, and printed in • legible
manner on the receipt or freight note, be valid as part of
the contract between the consignor and the company. An
important clause is introduoed into the bill relating to
what is popularly known ea the " packed parcels" mode
of conveyance. The Duke of Richmond proposes
to repeal the acts affecting this question, and to substi-
tute • clause declaring that the rate of toll prescribed for
small parcels shall not extend to goods of the Name de-
scription sent in Imp aggregate quantities (although they
are by the usages of the tads divided into separate pack-
ages or parcels), when they are sent by &dealer in such
goods to cae person who is the real consignee, and not
merely an agent for their distribution amongst different
consignee'. The burden of proving that goods are sent
within the meaning of this provision shall, moreover, lie
on the eassiguor.
Another feature of the bill is the introduction of a
clause rendering it compulsory for all railway companies
(under • penalty of 101. for each rase in default thereof)
to provide and maintain in good working order efficient
means of communication between the passengers and the
servants of the company employed in every train which
travels more than Mem miles with stopping. In cams
of injury or death arising from accident, the gristle's of
sompensation may, upon the application of the parties in-
terested, he left to the declaim of an arbitrator to be ap-
pointed by the Board of Trade. Provision is ►lso made for
an Independent medical examination of personsinjured, by
disclaim of the' court or arbitrator before whom the quo.
tics of damages may be tried.

The other elaessein the bill relate, for the most part, to
matters of detail.

The " Haagen "of the forthcoming Royal Aca-
demy Exldbiten will be Msaws. liaclias, Sydney Cooper,
mad Calderas.

Mr. Holman Hunt's new picture, illustrating
Bootactiob novel of " Isabella and the Pot of Beall," will
be displayed, for private view, on the 16th, 17th, and 18th
of April next, and to the pablio on the Monday next fol-
lowing, the 20th al that month.

*. P. Osalo has in hand for the forthcoming
IMO A•Sairw Sibibition two pictures which deal with
111•1Mod111•1141a it apposed points: 1. The PuriAce-
Ilbaddier 1b 11Oft 61 Christ. She is reprossatod as
—tow WM* with dowse in her Irma. In the hook-
assooll Is the aslosaso is the Temple. 2. Mazy, sitar
the Orwell:ion, in the oireots in Jorasaisia, Wain
naiad a slam wall sad awing her hands in midair%
pis/.
Mr. Eyre Crows has neatly finished a piotaro
soprossating that aftorosoao of the oxosation of Nary
Queen at Seine wherein the shall a/ Sartiropluaohfrt
showed tits body of the Qom to the (AM Imps&

dvagfkor trio iv-lifted iv
,aiipi All bus ..41 ai ;$3:1414. .244orrirs. ?lot

FOREIGN NEWS.

(THIS DAY.)

(amrrn's Tumults.)
PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, DIARCR 21.
The Cesarewitch arrived here this morning, and
will be present at the review of a portion of the
garrison of this city, which takes place to•day,