The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-02 00:00:00

nest ? As the new Cabinet will undoubtedly be
formed upon the most broad and comprehensive prin-
ciples, and without any eye whatever to Whig ;ism,
or Toryism, or Conservatism, or Radicalism—factions
which are all now, in point of fact, uttcrly destroyed
and annihilated—may we not, without any peculiar
eccentricity of view, trust, and trust sincerely, that
Lord J. RUSSELL will find himself so situated as to
continue the Secretaryship for Ireland in the hands
of Lord LINCOLN ? He would, by so doing ensure
himself an able and zealous colleague.

A report of the greatest importance has just been
made by the Select Committee of the House of
Lords, apppointed to take into consideration several
subjects connected with railroads. It is deeply to be
regretted that some such Committee was not appointed
at an earlier period, as much expense might have
been saved and many evils averted, if the practical
suggestions now made had been long since car-
ried into execution. It is, however, useless
to regret that which cannot he remedied,
and we can now only avail ourselves of the experi-
ence of past errors to prevent ourselves for the future
from falling into similar mistakes. The first point to
which the Committee directed their inquiries was as
to the preliminary expenses attendant on obtaining
Acts of Parliament ; and particularly to those ren-
dered necessary by the standing orders of both
Houses of Parliament, which have been established for
the protection of public and private interests, by
securing to all parties concerned full notice of the
line, and the mode of its construction through the
different properties affected.
There is no person who has had any experience of
the circumstances connected with the passing of a
railway' Bill through the Legislature, who must not
be well aware of the trouble and difficulty entailed
on the promoters of the project by the
necessity of a strict compliance with the
numerous and stringent standing orders, and
the enormous expense attendant on proving
such a compliance. In any undertaking of magni-
tude it has been found almost impossible to comply
to the letter in every instance ; in fact, any clerical
error whatever, the misspelling of the name of a
single occupier, should ,be reported as a breach of the
standing orders, although no person could be in
the slightest degree deceived, or any injury inflicted
thereby. Indeed the Committees of both Houses have
in a great number of cases interposed themselves to
do away with the effect of the extraordinary strin-
gency of the orders, and reported that the Bill should
be permitted to pass, notwithstanding its non-com-
pliance therewith.

The question of compliance with the standing
orders has generally been selected as the battle-field
' by competing companies, or by parties who have had
full notice as to the nature of the intended measure :
indeed it is scarcely ever resorted to by those fur
whose especial protection the orders were originally
established. It is also, as stated by the Select
Committee, just as likely to succeed against
the best as against the worst railway Bill. Many
Bills have thereby been defeated which it would have
been for the public benefit to have passed. In fact,
the question of the standing orders has been Ly so
much the more fiercely fought whenever it was cer-
tain that the measure would have received a favour-
able report on the merits. The heavy expenses at-
tendant on the present system to both the
promoters and opponents of any Bill has
proved a grievance of no
_ordinary magnitude,
and we are rejoiced to find that the Committee have
recommended the adoption of a new system, by which
this expense will be materially diminished, and at the
same time a more direct and better protection be
afforded to proprietors than that which they have
hitherto enjoyed.
The first suggestion is, that the standing orders of
both Houses relating to railways should be simplified
and assimilated, and that a mode should be adopted
by which proof of the compliance with
these standing orders might be taken before some
proper authority sanctioned by both Houses, whose
report might be received as evidence of the facts by
the Standing Orders' Committee. This will obviate
the necessity of the proofs being twice gone into be-
fore different tribunals, one of whom may report a
compliance, and the other, perhaps, after, all the ex-
penses of the contest on the merits have been gone
into, reporting otherwise.
They also suggest that the detailed enumeration
of the parishes should be dispensed with, and that in
lieu thereof the usual notices should be given, indicat-
ing the general direction of the line, and referring to
a map from the Ordnance survey, where there. is one ;
or if there is no Ordnance survey, from some pub
lished map, on a scale of not less than half an
inch to a mile, which should be deposited with
the clerk of the peace in each county, on or before
the last Friday in the September preceding
the session in which the Bill should be applied for.
The detailed notices to the owners and occupiers of
land are also to be dispensed with, and in place
thereof, notices should be served on them, point-
ing out the figures on the plan which refer to
the property, and which they recommend
should be lodged in the parish at the
same time, or within one week after the
time of the lodgment of the Parliamentary
plans in the end of November. These suggestions, if
carried into effect, will be manifest improvements on
the present system, as full opportunity will thereby
be afforded to every one interested of examining how
far his property may be affected, and taking the
necessary steps for his own protection, while much
trouble and expense will be spared to the promoters.
The Committee also recommend that objections
on the ground of non-compliance with the stand.
ing orders, or to portions of lines as injuri-
ously affecting private property, should be lodged
with some constituted authority on or before the
second Friday in January, or within six weeks after
the deposit of the parish plans, and that such au-
thority should have power to call upon the parties
for their answers, and if necessary to send down their
own officers, at the expense of the company, to inspect
and report thereon, and that such authority should
have power to sanction the correction of inaccuracies
of the plans, and to inquire into deviations suggested
by the parties whose properties will be affected there-
by, and to report thereon, stating in what manner
the deviations would affect all other properties, and
recommending their, adoption or rejection. The plans
so corrected, together with the report including the
result of the inquiry into standing orders, to be fur-
nished to Parliament in the course of the month of
March. The constituted authority to which they
refer to be empowered to act as a court of arbitra-
tion between the proprietors and the companies, and
also between different companies, under proper rules
and regulations.
The importance of these suggestions, and the vast
benefit which will thereby be attained, cannot be
questioned. The remaining suggestions in the report
are, if possible, still more valuable, but the want of
space prevents our alluding to them this day.

The Levant Mail has arrived, bringing intelligence
from Constantinople of the 17th, from Athens of the
20th, and from Malta of the 22d June.
The Journal de Constantinople, of the IGth, gives
the following account of the return of the SULTAN to
his capital:—

" The Sultan arrived here on the 14th from Ronmelia. His
Majesty landed at the Kiosk of Kalender, where the Sultana
Valide, his mother, and all the grand dignitaries of the
empire came to meet him. The Sultan remained a short time,
and at three o'clock set out for the capital. The two banks
of the Bosphorus were lined with troops and spectators, and
salutes were fired from all the batteries and the ships in the
ws
thoi pc ph
elda ttt
we ri
ewe e
hr ee
fedrree s
hs eed roe
aueth feodr
tthhee
poacicaaesei o
en
f.
18, oh sep
Sultan
,
Teherghan, first at Bebek, at the residence of the Sultana
Athie, wife of Ahmed Fethi Pacha, and next at the palace
of Defterdar-Bournou, the residence of the Sultana Adile,
wife of Mehemet Ali Pacha. After conversing with his two
sisters, the Sultan proceeded direct to his palace. Ife was
received by the population, on the entire line of the proces-
sion, with great dem( nstrations of joy, and in the evening a
great part of the city was illuminated."
The sudden return of the SULTAN was occasioned
by the dangerous illness of one of his wives. He was
informed of her illness at Silistria, and immediately
set out for Yarns, from whence he embarked for
Constantinople. Sir STRATFORD CANNING was still
at Constantinople, and it was supposed that he would
delay his departure until after the departure of
MEHEMET ALI. HAMID BEY was to leave Constan-
tinople on the 20th for Alexandria, for the purpose of
accompanying the PACHA of Egypt to the Turkish
capital. The dispute with Persia still continued un-
settled.

Accounts from Athens of the 20th, state that the
King and Queen of GREECE had returned from their