The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-18 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

interests of the public, and obtaining such information as
Parliament may require.
With this view the Committee of last Session recom-
mended that some system of superintendence should be
adopted, and your Committee concurring with them in that
recommendation, have applied them.elves to consider
what should be the nature of that superintendence, and
they have come to the following Resolutions:-
1. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that Rail-
way Companies using locomotive power, possess a prac-
tical monopoly for the conveyance of passengers on the
several lines of Railway, and that under existing circum-
stances this monopoly is inseparable from the nature of.
their establishments, and from the conduct of their bus:-
ness, with due regard to the safety and convenience of the
public.
2. That in the absence of any effectual check from the
operation of free competition on their respective lines, this
Committee think it is advisable to subject this monopoly
to some general superintendence and control.
3. That it is the opinion of this Committee that this
control will be most r.dvantar,eously entrusted to some de-
partment of the Executive Government.
4. That is the opinion of this Committee, that this de-
partment should have 'authority to send an engineer or
other person to visit and examine the works of any Rail-
way ; and no new Railway or portion of Railway should
be opened for the conveyance of passengers until after a
month's notice at the least had been given to this depart-
ment.

5. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that it
should be the especial duty of this department to see that
the several provisions contained in all Acts of Parliament
having reference to railways, arc duly observed, so far as
the public interests are concerned ; and this department
shall be authorised to institute legal proceedings, at the
public expense, in cases where such provisions have not
been complied with
G. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that every
e.law, which may be enacted under the powers con-
tained in the several Railway Acts, should be submitted
to this Department two months at the least before it is
proposed that it shall be obligatory ; but at the expiration
of that period it shall come into operation, unless the
Board shall have previously signified their disallowance of it.
7. That it is the opinion of this Compittee, that this de-
partment should have power to call for any Returns,
cial or statistical, which, in the judgment of this depart-
ment, may be necessary for the performance of its duties.
Your Committee, in framing these resolutions, have
been guided by this consideration, that however improvi-
dently Parliament may in the first instance have granted to
the Railway Companies such extensive powers, it is now
advisable to interfere with them as little as pos.ible, and to
limit their recommendations to a plan which may ensure
the effectual administration of the laws by which each'
Railway Company is incorporated. Your Committee fee),
moreover, that in adopting this course they are more likely
to carry along with them the good feelings and the support
of the Railway Companies and their Directors, thereby
exciting their continued exertions to meet the wants and
remedy toe complaints of the public. Trusting, therefore,
to the salutary influence which they conceive a superin-
tending authority will exercise over these bodies, Your
Committee have, in their recommendations, mainly had in
view the means of enforcing the law and the power of ob-
taining such returns as may be required, with the view 01
observing in what manner these powerful bodies continue
to execute the important trusts committed to them, and to
enable such superintending authority to recommend to
Parliament additional measures, if hereafter they shoulti
be deemed requisite.
Your Committee have taken much evidence upon "Lb'
jccts connected with the convenience and safety of Ps'
sengers on Railways, and also with regard to the probable
eff:ct of Railway communication on the interests of the
poorer classes of society ; to those they do not now colsie
der it necessary to advert, because they feel confident thatwhen a Board shall have been appointed, far more satis-
factory information on these points will be obtained than
any which could be procured by a Parliamentary Commit'.
tee, and they are most desirous that those questions
itt
which the interests of the public and of Railway Prwrie.
tors may appear to be adverse to each other, should. not 60
decided upon by Parliament until the practical effect
the proposed superintendence shall have been tried.
Much will of course depend upon the constitution, a ere
superintending authority ; but your Committee heliroo
that
the details of the necessary arrangements will be best WI
to the Executive Government, and they will, tberefure•
only suggest that this superintendence should be entrusted
to some department which may be immediately responsible
to Parliament for its proceedings, and may
serve as the
channel of communication, whereby Parliament may at all'
times obtain such further information as may be required Your Committee believe that the establishment of 4,144
superintendence will guard the interests of the pubrees
without injuring the owners of Railway property; and Ebel
believe that with this security, the public will no 'longer
view w.th jealousy the extensive powers which it %las been
found necessary to confer on Railway Compap',g.
CARRIAGE OF CATTLE AND GOODS By RA:iLwAys.
The Committee of last Session collet* ad a
of evidence on this subject ; and in fr..
rtuerance of the ',arcinquiry, inquiry, your Committee have car-`fully considered the pe-
titions which have been refe-
.red to them by the, House'
and have examined maw,
carriers and other r, inte-
rested in the earryi.:,g trade. e„oas
Your Cornin'tcee have shown that Railway-ompanieS
have obtainer a complete monopoly for the conveyance of
passengers on their several lines ; great varisty
and it has been recom-
mended that under a proper supervision this monopoly
should be protected and confirmed. Upon this
admission
three further questions immediately arise ; first, whether
these companies will probably obtain similar monopoly
for the conveyance of goods ; Ida!
p supposing such
monopoly to be established, wouldcitobre advantageous or
convenient to the public ; and lastly, should Parliament in-
, terfere, and to what extent.
. The subject is one of importar.o.e, not merely as it Oats
the interest of the carriers, bu'.. as it involves the trarisPcirt
ply of markets, thereby
mate-
of merchandize, and the sup
rialiy concerning the accommodation of the public, and ex..
ercising an influence over the internal and
external com-
merce of the country,
Whenever a line railway is opened for the carriage of
goods, it enters into competition with the means of convey-•
.
ante previously existing, whether by roads or by canals. It-
appears from the evidence that carriers using waggons Or
vans on rot.ds cannot successfully compete with a Railway.:
On the longest line of railroad communication as Ye:.
complotediin this country, namely, from London to Liver-'
pool and Manchester, it is stated that the carriers,
have been obliged to abandon their former mode of trans-'
mitting goods by conveyance on the turnpike roads, and,
seek assistance from the Railway Companies. The
canals, however, still retain their business ; and having•
reduced their charges, continue to be used for the car-
riage of goods in cases especially where the weight gives
them some advantage over the Railway. As far as re-'
gards the heavy merchandize, it appears probable that the'
canals will always secure the public against any
unrea-
sonable demands en the part of the Railway Companies;
but your Committee are nware that instances are not;
uefrallueet where Companies anti large capitalists, in
stead of competing with each other, and acting in roe
salty, has ecombined, and entered into agreements, whereby;
the public have suffered. In proportion as the carriage of
goods by turnpike roads is gradually abandoned, and the
i
capital now employed in this means of conveyance g
transferred into other trades, the opportunity of a corn-
bination between canal and railway proprietors will be
facilitated, and the whole internal
commerce of the
country may be under such an arrangement disadvanta-
geously influenced and controlled.
Your Committee have consequently endeavoured to as-
certain in what mariner the carriage of goods by Railway
may be most advantageously eonductrfel so as to secure the
public against the evils incident to monopoly. The car"
nei-s in most of their petitions sue,geest that the only mea-
sure by which their trade can be pie)tected, is by prohibit-
ing Railway Companies from acting as carriers on their
own line of Railway, and in supper t of this opinion, they
have brought a number of witness( s before your Commit-
tee, and numerous cases have been stated in
whicir the car-
riers considered themselves to have been seriously injured
by the regulations of the Railway Directors. It appears
that, even as fegards the carriage of goods, a Railway
Company must have certain powers of regulating the trade
on their orie line. The Company must supply the loco-
motive power, fix the speed of conveyance, the weight to
conveyed, the hours of arrival and departure, and such
other matters of detail as are essential to the due manage`
went of their Rail% ay , many ne3SCS contend that thei,',
duties should here cease, and that the Companies shot
nut be allowed to carry good; 'in their own behalf, other-
wise they will by indirect as well as by direct means drive
all private carriers front their line.
On the three undermentioned Railways three different
systems are in operation. The London and Birmingbat:
Railway Company do not act as carriers on their own
line, but admit all private carriers on certain t„erf-.
•to make use of their Railroad; the Grand Junction
ta°'-i-
-piny, from Birmingham to Manchester and Livery 13°
admit private carriers on their line, but they themselvat
es °
the same time undertake the carriage of goods, and coin-.
pete,l.lierefere, with the private carriers whom they Omit
on their line. The Liverp°c: and Manchester llailwaY
Company are required by their Act to undertake the car-
riage
of all goods between these two towns, whet eby pri-
vate carriers are vir:uafly excluded from
this business.

--•
Your Committee have examined into each of these difr‘
ferent systems.
The system adopted by the London and Birmingham
Company allows all carriers who choose to avail them-
selves of the terms offered by the Company, the facility
of sending goods tc any amount, the waggons and the
locomotive power being presided by the Railway Com-
pany, and the periods of departure and arrival being also
fixed by the Directors.
This arrangement, however, can hardly be said to
offer such competition as to secure the public against,
exorbitant charges, because the demand for carriage de-
prricls upon the terms fixed by the Railway Directors,
and the rivalry between the carriers is in a great measure
restricted to the collection and delivery of the goods
with which they may be entrusted. This competition,
therefore, affouls no guarantee that the service will be
pet forno at the lowest remunerating charge; but it i 5
stated that the public derive many advantages from the
s 3 stem. The profits of each carrier will depend on the
amount of his business, and this can only be maintained
and increased by an incessant attention to the wishes of•
his employers, and by his civility, punctuality, and cares
in the collection and delivery of goods. It is furthlr
stated that all the details of the carrying trade will bal
more attended to by those %S ho earn their livelihood irony
it, than if such a large additional concern were left to
the management of Railway Directors, necessarily less•
acquainted with the details of such a ttade, and lass inter-
eared in its success.

An entirely opposite system is, however, in force upon.
the railway between Liverpool and Manchester; and your
Committee have not heard any complaint on the part of the
public, showing that the business is negligently perA;rmed.
On the contrary, your Committee believe that it has beets
carried on very much to the satisfaction of the public. On
this line (and it is the only Railway to which such a pro- •
vision appears to have been applied), the Company arc
obliged to carry any goods which may be brought
them for conveyance, and are limited as to the amount oe

EVF,NING EDITION.

charge which they may demand for the carriage. and this
utnitation includes the charge for locomotive power as well
as the charge for toll. It appears, however, that they do
not charge the maximum to which they are entitled by the
Aft; and it is acknowledged that their prices are fixed,
With reference to the prices for water-carriage, between
toe towns of Liverpool and Manchester; between which
tWo places there are three water conveyances, upon two of
which the owners themselves are carriers, in addition to
several independent carriers who use these lines of water
communication.
On the Grand Junction Railway bath these systems are
1° operation ; the Company act as carriers, and private
carriers have also been admitted on the line. The arrange-
tents under which the carrying business is at present
conducted on this line appears to have been attended with
theenvenience to a portion of the public, and to have
created much ill feeling between the parties concerned.
The Company, before admitting any carrier on their Rail-
-43,, bind him by agreement not to charge his employers
Rail-
-743,,
for the carriage of goods than the price which the
tsomPany demand. It is cbvious that under such a system
74e public can derive very little benefit from the compe-
"ti°o, while the jealousies that have arisen betwe en the
servants of the different parties have created many bin-
°rancor to the traffic, and consequent complaints from the
public. The Directors of this Railway have stated
to your Committee that they feel great inconve-
nience from the present arrangements, and that in their
opinion it will be necessary that the whole carrying
trade should be undertaken by the Railway Company, to
the exclusion of the private carriers; and that, in fact, it
Is their intention to become the sole carriers on the line,
While no restriction will be imposed upon them by law
IS to the amount of their rates of charge. The evidence
clearly shows that if the Railway Directors determine to
carry this opinion into practice, it will be quite imposs.ble
9r- the private carriers to continue their business ; and
the
entire traffic upon the line of a Railway must inevi-
tably fall into the hands of the Railway Company, unless
to Legislature should think it expedient to interfere.
_lour Committee have therefore felt it to be their duty to
Inquire, whether or not the public interest makes it desir-
able that Parliament should interfere. The only measure
Which could effectually protect the carriers against the
competition of the Railway Company, on whose line they
*unduct their business, would be a prohibition to Railway
Companies from acting as carriers. A full consideration
of all the circumstances, and a due regard for the inte-
vests of the public, as well as of the parties more imme-
diately concerned in these undertakings, have induced
lour Committee to recommend that no such measure
should be adopted by the Legislature; but while they de-
'clare their opinion that such an interference would be in-
expedient, they feel strongly the necessity that the public
should be protected against the imposition of exorbitant
Charges for the carriage of goods.
A reference to theklause in the Manchester and Liver-
Pool Railway Acs* will illustrate the view taken by your
Committee, but they feel that the various circumstances
°f different Railways make it desirable that the nature of
the particular traffic upon each Railway should be consi-
dered before any such maximum rates can be decided upon ;
and they believe that until further information shall have
been obtained through the intervention of the proposed
SUperintendence, Parliament cannot be in a situation to
.
i°rPx a correct opinion upan this difficult and important
subject.
In support of this recommendation, that Railway Com-
panies should be restricted to a maximum charge for con-
veyance, your Committee beg to advert to the supply of
the London market, and to direct the attention of the
House to the manner in which that supply is collected,
conveyed, mei disposed of; and your Committee cannot
avoid remarking, that when the private carriers have been
supplanted by the Railway Companies, an important por-
tion of the supply of the metropolis will be left in the
hands of these great Companies. It has also been urged
°Pon the attention of the Committee, that the public de-
live great advantage from the present mode of conveying
goods from one part of the kingdom to another, the car.
her being responsible for their safe delivery ; and it has
hem stated, that this advantage will be greatly enhanced
When the several Railways now in progress shall have been
completed. because the carrier will then make his arrange-
°lents for the distribution of the goods entrusted to him
throughout all parts of the country, and the consigner of
the goods need not inquire over how many different Rail-
ways his goods are to be conveyed, nor, in case of their
delay or their loss, need he endeavour to trace out which
!Railway is in fault; carriers also, in many parts of the
country, can convey goods partly by Railway and partly
s'Y road, a service which cannot be performed by Railway
Dieectors, unless they engage in a branch of business en-
tirely et variance with their proper duties. In answer to
this, it ~'as been said that the Railway Companies will
form simile: arrangements to those now made by the car-
riers, and that whenever goods are sent by these con.
eeyances, the Rai;:cay to which they were in the first in-
stance committed meal: and will be responsible for their
due, regular, and safe delivery.
Having thus stated the difficulties in which this ques-
tion is involved, your Committee may here further ob-
serve, that different systems are in operation, not only upon
the three lines of Railway above-mentioned, but also upon
Many other lines in various parts of the country ; whence
it must be inferred that those persons who arc best informed
°Pon the subject, and most interested in arriving at a correct
conclusion, have not yet determined which system will be at-
tended with the greatest permanent advantage. The Rail-
Wu, Directors have not usually kept their accounts in such
°form as to enable them readily to distinguish the profits
"Bich they derive as carriers from the profits which they
receive as toll proprietors, and consequently any accurate
comparison of the practical working of these systems ap-
pears at present impossible. With every desire, therefore,
le offer a definite opinion to the House, and to point out, in
regard to this important question, which system is best
calculated to promote the interests of the public, your
Committee yet feel that at the pi esent time any legislative
interference, for the purpose of preventing Railway Corn-
Panics obtaining a monopoly of conveyance, or for the
Purpose of obliging them to undertake the carriage of
goods, would be equally objectionable ; and they believe
that by suggesting
the appointment of an authority to
Watch the different systems practised upon the different
lines of Railway, they are recommending the course best
calculated to insure the protection of the public interests,
without occasioning any ground of alarm to those persons
bo have invested their property in these vast under-
takings, which promise to become one of the greatest im•
/Irovernents of modern times, and to open new sources of
Wealth and prosperity to the nation.
May 14, 1840.
* And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for the
said Company, and they are hereby authorized and required to
ear and convey over, along, and upon the said Railway or
'ratnroad, or any part thereof respectively, all such goods,
Wares, and merchandize, articles, matters, and things as shall
Le offered to them for that purpose; and to ask, demand, re-
`'e,e've, and recover, to and for the use and benefit of the said
'Quipany, for such carr age and conveyance as aforesaid of all
11"dds, wares, merchandize, articles, matters, or things carried
n conveyed along and upon the same, for the whole length cr
distance thereof, including the severzl rates hereinbefore autlio-
' rized to be charged and received, as and for tonnage and tolls,
aerlY suns of money not exceeding the following sums.—( Here
follow the tolls.)