The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 15, 1853.

ever of their sincerity of purpose. These were the two
things, and the two things only, to which the resolutions
applied. First, they wished to prevent the amalgama-
tion of companies hitherto incorporated, because it was
not yet determined on what conditions the house would
permit those amalgamations to take place ; and, secondly,
they advised the houss not to allow any bill to
go forward, which had existence merely on paper, and
had no existence in reality for the benefit of the neigh-
bourhood which it professed to serve. It would be
seen, however, that there was'a, territory, so to speak,
to which these two principles could not be applied.
They did not intend to prevent the construction of new
works which were promoted by united companies, and
which the wants of certain districts required, and they
had come to the conclusion that that was a particular class
of cases which should not be included. A great number of
bills of this description was before the house, and they
would be excepted from the first resolution. The committee
had treated Ireland as an exceptional case, owing to the
peculiar circumstances of that country, and to the diffi-
culty in obtaining capital there to construct railways,
and they had thought proper to exempt Ireland from
the operation of the second resolution.
Mr, WHALLEY said whatever might be the merits
of the resolutions, they would operate as a serious check
to public enterprise it) regard to railways. He thought
that neither the house nor the committees of the house
were efficient tribunals to try railway matters, and did not
give ceinfidence to those havingcapital in railways.
In his opinion, the only remedy for the present state of
things was the appointment of aboard, specially consti-
tuted, for the purpose of making local inquiries as to the
necessity of different railway schemes.
Mr. J. MACGREGOR entirely agreed with the hon.
member, that select committees were not the proper
tribunals to deal with such great questions. For the
last nine years he had been connected with the promo-
tion or the opposition of 85 railway bills in this house,
which directly bore on the interests of the company
with which he was connected, and the difficulty which
existed in all those cases was that of the committees act-
ing without any particular instructions from the house.
He hoped the time would come when the proceedings of
the house would be dignified by giving to every committee
special instructions which should combine within them a
sufficient amount of information as to the principles
which the committee should adopt. While railway pro-
perty in this country had of late years greatly depre-
ciated in value, it had increased in France at the
rate of ninety per cent., and he thought it was
not advisable to take any steps which would have the
effect of checking in England enterprise, and of sending
our capital elsewhere.

Mr. RICARDO said it was an entirely new
principle to delay legislation until some parti-
cular change was effected in the law. He thought
it rather hard that no amalgamation was to
be permitted, because in the case of a railway with which
he was connected, he was prepared to show that an
amalgamation would be of great benefit to the public.
The company had made arrangements with its share-
holders and the public for completing that amalgama-
tion, and it was somewhat unjust that these resolutions
should be proposed to prevent its being carried out.
(Hear.)

Mr..LABOUCHERE said these/resolutions had been
most carefully considered by the amalgamation commit-
tee, bylwhom they were unanimously adopted, and as,
upon the whole, they appeared to be satisfactory to the
railway interest, the house should have no difficulty in
passing them. We had arrived at a great crisis in
the matter of railways, and, inasmuch, as there
was every prospect of all the lines falling into
one management, if nothing of this sort was done, it
was for the benefit of the public that these resolutions,
which would have the effect of suspending amalgamation
bills, should be passed.

Mr. WADDiNGTON believed that, in reference to
the railway interest, these resolutions were of a highly
conservative character, and he had no doubt that their
adoption would alike benefit the public and the share-
holders. They would have the effect of preventing the
proposal of speculative schemes ; and although at the
first blush the resolution might appear to be exceedingly
objectionable, he yet thought that on reflection they
would be found to be the best adopted for promoting the
prosperity of the public, as well as the railway interest.
Mr. LAING must say that the committee in this
case had arrived at a sound and sensible conclusion in
recommending the postponement of these amalgamation
bills. The railway interest at stake was too vast to be
hurriedly disposed of, and since of late years the legisla-
tion of the house in reference to railways had been ex-
tremely short-sighted, he thought the house could not
do better now than adopt these resolutions.

After a few words from Mr. M`CARTNEY,
Mr. GLYN viewed these resolutions in a very
favourable light, but the immediate object of his rising
was to ask the right hon. gentleman the President of the
Board of Trade if the committee had taken up the ques-
tion of the mixed guage. All the railway engineers of
the country were agreed in this that nothing so much
retarded the safety of railway travelling as the mixed
guage ; and as several bills for extending that system
were now before the house, he hoped the matter would
not be lost sight of.
Mr. CARDWELL could only say, that the commit-
tee had not as yet sufficiently investigated the guage
question as to justify them remarking any recommenda-
tion to the house upon it.
The resolutions were then agreed to.
TYNEMOUTH ELECTION.

Sir B. HALL brought up the report of this commit-
U.,ee appointed to try and determine the Tynemouth
Election Committee, declaring the member to be un-
seated on the ground of bribery and treating. The hon.
member gave notice that on a future day he should
move an address to the Crown for a commission of en-
quiry into the state of the borough.