The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-17 00:00:00

ABSTRACT OF REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL RAIL-
WAYS, OF WHICH TIIE ACTS ARE TO DATIL FROM OR
AFTER THE 15TII JULY, 1845.
No person or persons to be eligible to compete for the
grant of any railroad unless previously approved of by
the Minister of Public Works.
Unless he shall have deposited,
With the Accountant-General (a la caisse des &Tots
et consignations) the sum specified in the terms and con-
ditions annexed to the Act (Cahier des Charges) :
With the Minister of Commerce two copies of the pro-
posed statutes of the company :--
With the Minister of Public Works the counterpart
registers of the scrip issued.
The deposit receipts not transferable.
Subscribers to be liable for one-half the full amount of
their shares.
E ich subscriber entitled to demand from the company
all the shares assigned to him in the register deposited
with the Minister of Public Works.
These conditions to be printed on the deposit receipts.
The projectors to be entitled to the refunding of the
actual preliminary expenses only ; such expenses, duly
vouched for, to be allowed at a general meeting of the
shareholders after the concession has been obtained and
confirmed by royal oriinance.
The remuneration to the directors for their services to
be fixed by a general meeting of the shareholders.
All publication of the price of the shares before the
final confirmation of the grant, to be punished by a fino
of not ICS3 than 201., not more than 1201.
Any broker who shall have been instrumental in ne-
gotiating the sale of bankers' receipts or promises of
shares before the final concession, to be punished by a
fine of the like amount.
Unless when specially authorised by the Government,
the company is prohibited (under certain penalties, ac-
cording to clause 419 of the penal code), from making, in
favour of any carrier or carriers, arrangements, from
the benefit of which other carriers are excluded.
The works being of public utility, the company is
clothed with the same powers and privileges as the Board
of Public Works, in regard to the materials required for
the construction and maintenance of the line ; and the
compensation is to be determined by agreement or ar-
bitration, as in the case of public works undertaken
by, the State.
The company to be subject to the controul and super-
intendence of the authorities, in all that concerns the
maintenance and repairs of the railway, and generally all
arrangements affecting the safety and convenience of the
public. Power given to the Government to provide (if
need be) fur the repair and maintenance of the works ;
the expense to be defrayed by the company, and reco-
vered by summary process.
The expenses of superintendence to be defrayed by
the company.
If works not commenced within the time specified in
the Act, the caution money to be forfeited. (In the
case of the Great Northern of France, amounting to
160,0001.)
The amount of land-tax to be determined according to
the area of land occupied by the works of the railway ;
the quota to be calculated in the same manner as for
canals, according to the provisions of the law of 25th
April, 1843. The buildings and warehouses belonging
to the railway to be rated in the same manner as similar
property in the district.
The Government duty on the passenger traffic to be
calculated on that proportion only of the total charge
which is described as the carrying charge.
All bye-laws cf the company to be submitted for ap-
proval by the Government.
The locomotives to be constructed on the best models;
to consume their smoke; to be constructed in conformity
with the Government regulations.
The passenger carriages to be of the best construction:
to be hung on springs; to be provided with seats.
Three classes of carriages at least. First class to be
covered, stuffed, and glazed ; second class to be covered,
glazed, and to have the seats stuffed ; third class to be
covered, and to close with side curtains.
The goods and cattle waggons to be of approved con-
struction.
Maximum duration of the concession fixed by the
Acts. (The railway from Paris to the Belgian frontier
limited to 41 years.)''
Government to fix the maximum and the minimum
speed of the passenger and goods trains.
Unless special exemption be given by the Government
(which exemption may at any time be revoked), every
passenger train is to comprise a sufficient number of car-
riages of each class for the accommodation of persons
coming to the station.
Should the company deem it proper at any time to
charge either for the entire distance, or for portions of
the line, fares and tolls less than those authorised by the
Act, those fares and tolls cannot be raised before an in-
terval of three months- at the least for passengers, and of
one year at the least for goods.
One month's previous notice shall be given by adver-
tisement of the proposed alteration in the charges ; such
charges to be confirmed by the authority of Government.
Whc n a reduction is made on the fares, it is to be
apportioned pro rata, on the tolls and the carrying
charges.
Weight of luggage allowed to each passenger without
extra charge : 661bs. Avoirdupois (30 Kilogrammes.)
The conapiny bound to forward goods within two days
from the date of delivery at the station. If consent be
given by the consigner for longer delay, the charge to be
less than that authorised by, the Act, aad according to a
scale approved by the Government.
Soldiers and sailors travelling singly jb n the public
service, or on furlough, to pay half fares ; military or
naval men travelling in bodies to pay quarter fares.
If the Government have occasion to send to any point
on the line troops, military and naval stores and mate-
riel, the company to place at its disposal all its carrying
stock and plant at half charges.
The Government engineers, and other Government
officers on duty on the railway to travel free.
The same privilege to belong.to the collectors of rates,
and the customs and excise agents, engaged on duty on
the railway.
All the service of the Post-office to be performed free
of charge by the ordinary trains. The company to pro-
vide in every train a partition specially devoted to the
use of the Post-office ; the size and form of the partition
to be fixed by Government. Special trains may, mere-
over, be demanded by the Government at such times as
it may direct. The carriages required by the Post-office
authorities, for special trains, to be constructed and kept
in repair at the expense of the Government.
The chirps for these special trains not to exceed
IlZd. per mile for one carriage ; for every additional
carriage 31d. per mile extra.
These charges subject to be revised every five years,
and settled by arbitration ; but in no case to exceed the
above rates.
The company bound to convey, when required, by
every ordinary train, the waggons and carriages required
for the conveyance of prisoners. These waggons and
carriages to be constructed at the public expense, but
their conveyance to be free. The Government officers,
police, and prisoners travelling in such carriages and
waggons to pay half third-class fare.
Power to Government t construct anaplectric telegraph.
At any time after the lapse of fifteen years from the
d ite of the ()piling of the line. Government may pur-
chase the railway on the following conditions, viz.:—
To determine the nett revenue from the railway for the
seven years next preceding the date of the purchase, and
to take the average nett revenue of the five most pro..
ductive years out of the seven.
This average to constitute the amount of an annuity
payable to the company for the remainder of the term of
the grant.
In no case this annuity to be less than the nett revenue
of the last year preceding the purchase.
At the end of the term of the concession the com-
pany to surrender the railway in good repair, under cer-
tain conditions more minutely specified ; the Govern-
ment then to succeed to all rights and privileges of the
company in respect of the line, and the works attached
thereto.
Any subsequent grant authorising the construction of
road, canals, or railways, in the same or neighbouring
districts of country, not to entitle company to a plea for
compensation.
To allow of an easy comparison of the rates authorised
by the Act previously analysed, with the English rates,
it is necessary to add to the rates already given ten per
cent. allowed to be charged, in addition, for the Govern
went duty, this ten per cent being calculated (clause 38)
not upon the total charge authorised to bo raised, but
upon the carrying charge only.
Police Regulations applicable to all Public Railways, and
having reference to the safety of Passengers and
others on Railways.
Punishments in various degrees, up to pain of death,
for wilful damage or destruction of the railway, or im-
peding of the transit.
Further regulations relating to wilful impediments, or
threats of impediments.
Whosoever shall, either by imprudence, inattention,
awkwardness, negligence, or nonobservance of the laws
an I regulation., have (not wilfully) caused an accident
followed by wounds, or t raises; shall be punished by im-
prisonment, not less than eight days, nor more than six
months, and fine not less than SE, nor more than I,OOOE
Engine drivers or conductors res;ulating the breaks
who shall have left their posts during the progress of a
train shall be punished by imprisonment, not less than
six months, nor more than two years.
Historical review of the two systems of constituting rail-
way companies in France; viz., by direct grant, or by
grant by tender.
Although the introduction of the railway system in
France is comparatively recent, enough has been done to
admit of a comparison of the practical working of the
two systems, that of directs grants, and that of grants
by tender.

CONSIDERATION'S BEARING ON THE COMPARATIVE COST
OF WORKING RAILWAYS IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND.
The French railways are subject to several-special
' charges heavier than they are in England.
For example, the Government inspection on the Paris
and Rouen line, defrayed by the company, amounted to
(207,526 francs) 8,300/.
The coke is more expensive in France.
Theeystem of charge for the passengers' luggage, and
generally, this branch of the traffic requires a greater
number of hands in Francs, for its greater complexity.
So with the goods' traffic, a large proportion of the
cost of delivery, loading and unloading, which in France
is wholly performed at the expense of the company, is
borne in England by the carriers who perform the work.
These observations are made with a view to explain
the greater ratio which the working expenses bear to the
nett receipts in France than in England.
An important element that must materially influence