The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-09 00:00:00

THE MONTHLY RAILWAY RECORD.

In addition to the usual record of railway proceed-
ings, we find in this number an article on the results
of the general election in relation to railway interests,
from which it will be seen that that interest is deter-
mined to make itself felt as an interest in the House
of Commons, and that Lord Brougham was not far
wrong in designating the Parliament of 1847 as the
Railway Parliament. After speaking of the breaking
up of the parties, the writer asks—
" What section of men will there be in the House of
Commons who have a common object—a common inte-
rest—a bond of sympathy, arising from similarity of
wishes, of pursuits, of policy
? We look in vain for it
out of the circle of gentlemen who have been sent in
expressly to represent the rights of railway proprietors.
This body consists of individuals belonging, or supposed
to belong, to every variety of political opinion that
goats at large amongst the general mass of Members.
It consists of men who, however divided on such matters
as corn-laws, sugar-laws, vote by ballot, and extended
suffrage, have nothing to prevent them from acting in
most fraternal concert whenever the cynosure of their
union is assailed. In this peculiarity lies one source of
the strength of the railway cause. It is not bound up
with any party, but it is associated in sympathy with
every one of them. Let the war of faction rage with a
violence, rising, as it always does, in proportion to the
real insignificance of the object in dispute; let parties
tear each other to pieces, and every Oppositionist ac-
cuse every Ministerialist (et vice versa) of meditating
the national annihilation of old England. We do not
object to Mr. Chaplin and Mr. Glyn saying everything
that devotion to Liberalism may dictate, in remonstrance
against the Conservative conduct of Messrs. Hudson and
Waddington; but this kind of conventional controversy
need not, and we are sure will not, prevent the intelli-
gent gentlemen named, and the host of other persons
who have similar interests with them—it need not pre-
clude them from the most close alliance—from an entente
cordiale more sincere than that between the Tuileries
and St. James's—when the rights of property have to be
defended, or the designs of confiscation, intrusion, and
faithless intermeddling repelled.
" Viewing passing circumstances, therefore, in the
cool and manly temper that would take advantage of
favourable points, and not shrinking in dismay from un-
favourable symptoms, we cannot but think that the dis-
ruption or distraction of party may be made conducive
to the benefit, and not to the injury, of railway property.
When a large assembly is divided in itself, a few indi-
viduals, firmly united for one or two tangible objects, and
pressing forward towards them amid the din of surround-
ing conflict, may accomplish results which would be im-
possible in an atmosphere of cold, proud, inaccessible
consciousness of strength on the part of a narrow-
minded Minister.
" Even a few active and intelligent men could do a
great deal in such circumstances; but the railway repre-
sentatives in Parliament are not few. The catalogue
which we insert at the end of this article exhibits an
amount of mere numerical power about three times as
great as that which enabled the late Mr. O'Connell to
hold in his hands, for many years, almost absolute con-
trol over one department of Governmental policy. Di-
vide these railway Members into two classes—say that
one moiety favours the Liberal and the other the Con-
servative caste of opinions—there still remains, as an
organ of direct influence and pressure on any Ministry
that can possibly be in office, a body considerably more
numerous than that with which Mr. O'Connell obtained
such excellent terms for himself and his friends.
" With such a force at our back, will there exist the
slightest necessity (supposing the existence of a faithful
understanding in the railway body)—will there exist the
slightest necessity for submitting to such unfairness as
that to which, at several of the half-yearly meetings, the
most eminent chairmen and managers ascribed so much
of the peculiar diffieulties that have beset their affairs
during the last year?"