The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-27 00:00:00

RAILWAY AND CANAL BILLS.

The fifth report of Mr. Cardwell's committee, appointed
to consider the principle of amalgamation as applied to
railway or railway and canal bills, has just been issued.
It states that it appears to the committee to have been
established in evidence that competition fails to afford
the public the same security in respect of railway accom-
modation which it gives in the transactions of ordinary
trade. The report reviews at considerable length the
evidence given before the committee on various subjects
relating to the management and working of the railway
system, and concludes by stating the general views of
the committee thereon. For the purpose of carrying
into effect these views the committee recommend :

" 1. That the mode in which railway bills are now dealt
with in the House of Commons should be revised with the
view of securing, by the institution of a committee of a
character more permanent than has heretofore been the
practice, a comprehensive review of all schemes submitted
to Parliament in every session. That to this committee
the railway department of the Government should afford
all the advice and assistance which the committee may
desire.

" 2. That, for the investigation of contested bills, the
committee should divide the whole country into districts ;
should decide questions of principle, and make arrange-
ments for the decision of questions in which more than
one district might be interested and should so direct the
investigation of schemes within the several districts as to
secure for the public, within each of them, the utmostpul-
vantage which might be derived from a judicious combina-
tion of new lines with those which already exist ; they
should also make provision for facilitating the passing of
unopposed bills.
" 3. That no scheme should be investigated without
security being taken that, in the even of its passing into a
law, the works will be actually made.
" 4. That the practice of locus standi should be adapted
to the necessity which exists for trying in a direct manner,
and with a comprehensive regard to the general advantage,
the public issue involved in any scheme ; and that provi-
sion should be made for the payment of costs in cases where
the proceedings of any party shall appear to have been Mu-
sory, vexatious, or unwarranted.
" 5. That working arrangements between different com-
panies, for the regulation of traffic and the division of pro-
fits should be sanctioned under proper conditions and for
limited periods ; but that amalgamation of companies
should not be sanctioned, except in minor or special cases,
where it clearly appears to the standing committee that
the true and only object of such amalgamation is improved
economy of management, and consequent advantage to the
public.
" 6. That running powers should generally be discouraged
on the score of danger, and conceded only in cases where
the public object of free transit from one system to another
cannot practically be insured by other means.
" 7. That every railway company should be compelled to
afford to the public, in respect both of goods and of passen-
gers, the full ahvantage of convenient interchange from one
system to another : to afford to every class of traffic, in-
chiding postal communication, just facilities ; and to ob-
serve all statutory provisions, especially those requiring
equal charges under the same circumstances ; and that
where complaint arises that any company has violated any
of these obligations, provision should be made for the hear-
ing and decision of such complaint in open court, with
power to make use of the interference of the railway de-
partment, for the purpose of ascertaining by what specific
and detailed arrangements such complaint may be effectu-
ally redressed.
8. That where any dispute arises between two or more
railway or canal companies, and the companies agree to
refer it to the Board of Trade, that board should be em-
powered, if it think fit, with a view to the public interest,
to entertain the reference, and its decision should be valid
and binding on the companies.
" Since the general principle of increasing the stringency
of the criminal law in England, so as to render liable to
prosecution persons guilty of culpable negligence tending to
the risk of human life, even in the cases in which no fatal
consequences ensue, is under consideration in a select com-
mittee of the House of Peers, to which bill, embodying such
a provision, has been referred, your committee having
already stated that their views upon this subject, now re-
commend that for the better management of railways it
will be desirable,—
. "9. That every board of directors should be required to
register with the Railway Department some one person, to
whom should be delegated the chief authority over all the
external discipline of the company and its servants ; also,
for every part of the line, some person should be registered
as resident engineer ; and for every portion of the locomo-
tive stock, some person as locomotive engineer.
" 10. That the general regulations of each company, from.
' time to time in force, should be transmitted to the Rail-
way Department, and that the inspectors of that depart-
ment should have pewer at all times to examine the books
• in which the arrival and departure of the trains from the
several stations are registered, and the books in which the

particulars of the moving stock of the company are re-
corded ; also, iu cases of inquiry into the causes of accident,
to examine the servants of the company.
" 11. That provision should be made for enforcing the
moans of constant communication between all the servants,
to whom the safety of the passengers in any train is in-
trusted."

AMERICAN SLAVERY.