The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JULY 21.
(From our Second Edition of Saturday.)
MAILS ON RAILWAYS BILL
Sir JAMES GRAHAM, in continuation from our First Edition,
proceeded to say—After that award had been made, the proprietors
of one of the Railway Companies had given notice to the Govern-
ment that after a certain period they would give up their contract,
and no doubt that course would be followed by the other Com-
panies. It therefore became necessary that the subject should be
brought under the consideration of the House. He thought it unfair
that those Companies, which had met with the greatest obstruction from
natural causes, and who were compelled to make tunnels through
mountains, and bridges over rivers, should only receive the same remu.
aeration as those undertakings which had been constructed upon a
level plain. According to the evidence of Mr. Lewis, the Grand Junction
Company had been conducting the business of the country at a loss.
Was it, therefore, to be said that after so great an outlay parties were
to be taxed for carrying on the business of the public. He was clearly
of opinion that the Bill was right in submitting the whole sum in ques-
tion to a reference, and if, upon consideration, ulterior and stronger
measures should be required, he would advocate them ; but, in his
opinion, the Government had done perfectly right in withdrawing the
stronger provisions and commencing upon mild ones. As the matter,
however, now stood, it was impossible to leave the clause in its present
state. It was impossible that the measures of the House could be carried
practically into operation unless it was decided one way or the otber
whether the original cost of the railway or not should be the criterion
upon which the remuneration should be founded. He had stated shortly
his views upon the subject. He would exclude all ornamental work—
he would include no expense except that which was absolutely neces-
sary for the purpose of carrying goods and passengers with safety, and he
thought that 25,0001. a-mile was a fair allowance, including the original
cost of the purchase of land. He therefore moved that there be inserted
in the 15th clause, words instructing all arbitrators should take into con-
sideration the original cost of the construction of railways, and the main-
tenance thereof, for the service of the Post-office.
Mr. L ABOUC HERE would indeed be sorry to propose any measure
that would not secure ample remuneration for every service per-
formed for the public. He called upon the House to recollect
that the Post-office had always been a favoured service, but if
they were to agree to the amendment of the Right Honourable
Baronet, they would take away all the revenue of the Post-office, not
for a public benefit, but in order to put it into the pockets of the Railroad
Proprietors.—(Hear, hear.) Surely no one could possibly complain of
the formation of the arbitration which had already given its decision.
On the part of the Government there was Lieutenant Harkness of the
Engineers—on the part of the Company there was appointed Mr. Ste-
venson ; and they appointed an ueright and independent man, his
Hon. Friend the Member for the Northern Burghs, Mr. Loch. The
two arbitrators, without any appeal to the umpire at all, at once excluded
from their consideration the expenses of carrying the Bill through Par-
liament, the mistakes ofengineers, as well as the original purchase of the
land.—(Hear.) He (Mr. Labouchere) would not fur a moment al:ow any
Railway Company to be one shilling out of pccket, by any service done
for the Post-office. He said they should have a profit, which would be
not only for the public interest, but it was also required by public justice.
But when he had done that, he thought he had done enough. He could
not for a moment suppose that any of the Companies would attempt to
pursue the course suggested by the Right Honourable Baronet—
he could not believe that any of them would refuse to appoint
arbitrators unless they were pledged to their own views, or that they
would instruct that arbitrator to object to the appointment of an um-
pire, until they had ascertained his views with respect to that subject.
If any of thorn did so, it would be the strongest and the best evidence of
the necessity of a more stringent Bill, during the next Session of Par-
liament. They had bound the country in iron chains—( A laugh)—
/ without having taken any security in their own defence—a
course which had not been pursued in any other country.
France had taken specific securities, while in America, the
same thing had been provided for, by the State being the largest
proprietor of the lines.—(Hear, bear.) According to the evidence of
Mr. Harkness, the charge would be more than doubled if the calculations
of his Right Hon. Friend would be carried into effect, and he for one
could not consent to make over to those Companies the revenues of the
Post-office. If those revenues were to be abolished, or to be given
away, let them be applied for the reduction of taxation.—(Cheers.) If
they were called upon to pay those large sums of money to the various
Companies, the consequence would be most disastrous. As that was but
ae experimental Bill, he thought it would be better to leave the question
open for the c msideration of the arbitrators appointed, than to fetter
them in any way
Lord SAN DON trusted the House would agree to the amendment of
his Right Hon. Friend.
Mr. HA WES said an arbitration clause was proposed, and the object
was to allow the arbitrator a full opportunity of considering every
matter in dispute. What possible objection could there be to that ?
He believed, if they worked harmoniously with the Railway Companies,
there would be no difficulty. They were going to create a fair tribunal,
and to do ample justice to both parties. Why should they, there-
fore, exclude one single element which one of those parties thought
ought to be considered as the ground work of the arbitration ? He
thought if they did anything that tended to dissatisfy either of the par-
ties, thee sv, uld be a great practical difficulty to any harmonious set-
tlement
The CHANCELJLOR of the EXCHEQUER had very little to say
after the very conclusive speech of his Right. Hon. Friend the Vice
President of the Board of Trade. The question was, not as the lion.
Member for Lambeth had said, whether an element of arbitration
alma] be exeraled ; but the question was whether it shou'd be campu'-
sorily introduced. The amendment was that the arbi:rator should take
into consideration the original cost of railways, and the maintenance
thei test, as far as the same is applicable to the Post.olfice service. What
could be more untenable than such a proposition ? This would include
every extortion, anti they were many, which had beets practised at the
time these railways were first promoted ; the parties would
have been ready to submit to any terms Parliament imposed —(No.) At
all events let these Companies recollect that if they refused to accede to
fair terms, Parliament had full power to deal with the question—espe-
cially„when they came to have their Bills renewed, or to ask treats powers
—(Hear)—and if the experiment now about to be tried should fail, more
stringent measures must he adopted.
iii R PEEL said Parliament should have reflected when they passed
these Railway Bills that they were giving practical monopolies—that
if the railroads were successful, other moles of internal c immuni.
c.tion must be disused; and Parliament should have at that time,
as it was easy to do, stipulated certain conditions for the public service.
Parliament, however, had not taken these precautions, and the
railways had been established. He apprehended the public now stood to
these Companies in much the same situation as the railway Companies, at
their first formation, occupied with respect to the owners of private pro-
perty. The Legislature had t:ten said to those owners, .` you must, far a
great public benefit, forego your own will and d:scretian, and tlispcLe
cif your lands to these Companies ;" and just the same right had Parlia.
ment now to say to the rainy; ly proprietors, " for a great public
benefit you must to some extent give up your rights of private
property."—(Hear, hear.) In both cases the principle was arbitra-
tion.--( Hear.) He could not agree to the words proposed by his Hon,
Friend, nor to the absolute exclusion of them. If they went into the
original cost, they must also take into consideration the profits of
the Company.—(Hear, hear.) To the Bill, as it originally stood, he
did not object. He thought it ought to be left to the discretion
of the arbitrators what rule they should adopt; and he could not
consent to tie them to take into consideration certain circumstances. If
his Hon. Friend had an assurance that the words as they originally
stood were not prejudiced by ally thing which had taken place, but that
they were to he construed according to their proper construction—
nameiy, that the two persons appointed should have full power to make
any award which they might deem proper—he should recommend him to
withdraw the amendment, and permit the clause to remain as it origi-
nally stood.—(Hear.)
Sir .1. GRA il A M said lie had only brought forward the amendment
in consequenee of the prejudice creat dby that award. If his Hon. Friend
on the part of her Majesty's Government would adopt the opinions of the
the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Temworth, and declared that
notwithstanding all that hal passed, the arbitration should be left to the
discretion of the arbitrators, he would, with the permission of true
House withdraw his amendment —(Hear.)
Mr. I.ABOUCIIEItE had no hesitation in admitting that it was the
intention of Government that the arbitrators should be 'eft perfectly free.
The wish of the Government was that the question should be left to fair
and honourable men.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM begne l it tr. be un lerstood, if anything he
had said was consioered in the nature of a threat, that he with_
drew it. He was quite satisfied with what had been stated by
his Right Honourable Friend, and he hoped that arrangements
would be made to prevent the necessity of any further Parliamentary
interference. lf, however, further interference was necessary, he
would be the first to come forward to advocate the strongest meaaures,
W.% LLACF, hoped there would be no further necessity for Par-
liamentary interference.
The clause was then agreed to, as were the other clauses, and tie
Report was ordered to be received on Monday.
PRISONS BILL.
This Bill was read a third time.
Mr. F. M AUL E moved three new clauses, when
The SPEAKER deprecated the growing practice of bringing up
clauses at that stage of the Bill, it must lead to confusion and inaccuracy.
The clauses were then a ithdrawn.
After a short conversation between Captain Pakington, Mr. Lang.
dale, Mr. Fox Maule, and Mr. O'Connell, the debate on Mr. Lengdale's
clause in the Prisons Bill relative to the appointment of Catholic chaplains
was adjourned till Monday.
COURT OF CHANCERY (IRELAND) BILL.
The Bill was read a third time and passed.
POSTAGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
Lord SEYMOUR gave notice that on Monday he would a Committee
- of the whole House on the Postage to places in the Mediterranean.
COMBINATION OF WORKMEN.
Mr. L A BOUCHERE moved, in compliance with a resolution of the
Committee, that leave be given to the Chairman of the Select Cominittee
on Combination of Workmen, to communicate such parts of the evi-
dence taken before them, and to such persons as he may deem necessary.
The SPEAKER said this was one among many other cases in which
precedents were established without due consideration, and he wished to
impress it upon the House that precedents ought not be set, on the
convenience of particular cases, but on mature deliberation, and with
the sanction of the House.
Sir R. PEEL expressed doubts as to the propriety of allowing cx parse
evidence to be published.
The SPEAKER said the subject imperatively demanded the atten-
tion of the House.—(Hear.)
Mr. LABOUC HERE withdrew his motion.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House
adjourned at Half-past Four;

OUTRAGE AND MURDER.—About three o'clock
on the afternoon of Monday, the 18th ult., a female child, Oi years old,
belonging to Mr. Tonge, farmer, of Blyton Car, disappeared in a very
mysterious manner from its father's house, since which time, until Tues-
day, the 10th instant, no tidings had been heard of it, when at noon on
the latter day a boy went in search of some strayed pigs, and on going
round a field of rye adjoining his master's farm, he discovered in a dry
ditch the remains of the lost child, in a very mutilated and decomposed
state. The spot where the body was found is about a mile from its
father's house, and it is a matter of impossibility that it could have
strayed thither alone, as it must have opened a
This, t least half
other circum..
a dozen five.
barred gates betel e arriving at that place. with
stances, tends strongly to suspect that the life of the poor infant has been
sacrificed by some monster, for the purpose of hiding another offence,
which, if disclosed, would in all probability have brought him to the g
edal-
lows, but, in order to avoid immediate detection (which undoubtedly
must have been the case had the child been permitted again to see its
parents), it seems as if the brutal being had resolved, after the commis.
sion of the horrible offence, to deprive it of life, and afterwards to secrete
it, where it might not be discovered until decomposition had so far en-
sued as to prevent the skill of the medical profession to swear positively
to the precise cause of death. An inquest was held on Thursday last,
when the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against some per.
son or persons unknown." The man Amos Bell, who had been taken
into custody on suspicion of committing a rape and murder, was then
set at liberty.—Lincoln Gazette.
One morning lately, according to the Nouvelliste,
about 10 o'clock, a lady, apparently 30 years of age, and evidently of
deranged intellects, was observed walking quietly along the Boulevard
ir.leine, Paris, attired simply in a chemise, a superb Cachemere
. . • I.—.,„fir.rn straw hat, black aiik stockings, and white.atio
• .. unusual spectacle collected a crowd, which followed the lady,

t,ii Arriviog near the Marche d'Agnesseao, he W;IR met by a livery
.1 Vat, a..Li a jedone de chambrc, who had been apparently on the
watch, and who, forcing her into a hackney coach, conveyed her home-
wards, in the direction of the Chaussee d'Antln.