The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS. March 11.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Twelve o'clock, and the House
immediately afterwards went into Committee on
THE LAND CLAUSES CONSOLIDATION BILL.

The Bill went through the Committee pr oforma.
The House then resumed, and the Chairman reported ac-
cordingly.
The Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Thursday.
SUGAR DUTIES BILL.

Mr. CARD WELL brought up this Bill, which was read a firm
time, and ordered to be read a second time tomorrow.
RAILWAY CLAUSES CONSOLIDATION BILL.

On the motion of Lord G. SOMERSET, the House went into
Committee on this Bill
Lord G. SOMERSET informed the Committee that lie proposed
to strike out the 44th clause, and substitute another for it. The
new clause provided that all railway companies should erect stiles
and gates, wherever a public foot or highway crossed on a level
with their line.
The clause was agreed to.
Lord G. SOMERSET said it was of importance that the Com.
mittee should proceed in discussing the various remaining clauses
with as little delay as possible, or it would be quite impossible for
Parliament to dispose of the railway business which was likely to
come before it in the course of the present session.
Mr. HODGSON suggested that provision should be made in the
Bill requiring railway companies to give sureties for the due erec-
tion of gate: and stiles in those places where a public road crossed
their line.

Lord G. SOMERSET apprehended that power was given to
the sitting justices of the district to compel railway companies t•
comply with the provision of .the Bill.

Mr. PAKINGTON asked the Noble Lord whether it was his

intention to introduce a clause urging railway companies to pro-
vide an efficient police on their line for the protection of the
public P

Lord G. SOMERSET replied that the subject had not escaped
his attention, but it was so surrounded with difficulties that he
had not yet been able to come to a just and proper conclusion.
Mr. GILL admitted the force of the suggestion made by the Hon.
Member for Droitwich, and hoped it would be hereafter acted upon
by the Government.

Mr. DARBY thought a clause might be framed so as to meet
the necessities of the case.
Mr. FOX MAULE reminded the Committee that the Rural
Police Act compelled railway companies to provide a fence, where

it was necessary, for the protection of the publie.
Lord G. SOMERSET promised to look into the Act mentioned
by the Hon. Member, but if his recollection cl.cl net deceive him he
was inclined to think that the Rural Police Act made ample pro-
vision to meet the exigencies of the case. At all events he would
examine into the matter and communicate the result of his in.
quiry when the report was brought up.
After some further discussion the clause was agreed to.
Clause 54 was, after some unimportant observations, agreed to,
and clauses 55, 56, and 57 were :,greed to without remarks.
On clause 58, which prohibits railway companies from appro.
priating minerals to their own use, a sharp discussion ensued.
Some Hon. Members contended that the claim to those minerals
which were discovered in the course of borings and cuttings on
railways, attached to the company, while others as stoutly insisted
that the right was vested in the persons from whom the company
originally purchased the land.

The clause was, however, agreed to.
Clause 59, providing that no minerals should be dug within sixty
yards of the railway, was then put.
Mr. A GLIONBY said that it was necessary to make some al.
teration to protect the interest of the owners of the mines.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said he wouid take a note of
the suggestion, and avail himself of it in a future clause.
The clause was then agreed to.
Clause 62, that companies shall give compensation for injury done
to mines, &c., was next agreed to, after a brief conversation.
Clauses 63, 64, and 65 were agreed to without discussion.
Clause 66, empowering railway companies to make and use car-
riages, engines, &c., for the conveyance of passengers and goods,
having been read,

Mr. STA NSFIELD said that the clause was merely permissive.
He thought it ought to be compulsory, for the companies availed
themselves of the latitude of their present powers greatly to the dis-
advantage of the public. They should be compelled to use loco-
motives. He would also recommend that the words "or lessees"
be added.

Lord G. SOMERSET said the only object of the clause was to
enable the companies to use locomotives, as in some instances
those were used only by the lessees. He disapproved of the altera-
tion proposed, as it would raise a new question.

Mr. F. MAULE said, that it sometimes had happened that a
railway was made without any intention of its being wed, but only
to abut out the competition of another line; and (as we understood)
be, therefore, thought there could be no objection to make the
clause compulsory.
Mr. PARKER opposed the amendment.

Colonel SIBTHORP hoped he would see a great many of those
lines shut up. —(A laugh ) He was opposed to the whole system.
There was no attention whatever to the wants and convenience of
the passengers, especially of the poorer classes. People were hurried
away a hundred miles or more without rest or those opportunities
which were naturally required in the course of a long journey.
There ought to be some kind of accommodation provided
for the passengers on long lines. He had heard of an instance
where a woman being in the family way, was taken ill, and was
hurried en to the end of the line. Then she was put out with her
child, to make what shift she could. Besides people, tra-•elling by
railway as well as by other modes of conveyance, might be subject
to illmess, and accommodation could and ought to be provided.
He thought this a very important consideration, and that the
House, if it gave those companies so many powers, ought at the
same time to protect the public. He thought they ought to be
compelled to have proper carriages on the line, and besides, to have
omnibuses or other vehicles at the end of the line, to enable pas-
sengers to go to their destination at a reasonable cost.
Lord G. SOMERSET said that it would be absurd to compel a
company to work a line at a total loss.

Mr. ALDAM said that the case of the Leeds and Selby Rail-
way was in point. There were two lines there, but it was found
more profitable to work only one line and shut up the other. The
accommodation of the public was not considered.
Mr. STANSFIELD said he would take the sense of the House
upon the ansendnaent.

Mr. AGLIONBY would support the amendment Companies
did not construct railways for mere pleasure, or for the mere ac-
commodation of the public—(Hear)—and he thought they should
be compelled to attend to the latter.—(Hear.) Was there no such
thing as getting up a railway scheme, and making a railway that
never could be worked with a profit, throwing, in the meantime,
the ordinary roads and modes of conveyance out of use ?—(Hear,
hear.) In his opinion the employment of locomotives ought to be
not discretionary, but compulsory, if the object of the House was
to consider the interests of the public, not those of railway specu-
lators and jobbers.—(Cheers from Colonel Sibthorp.)
Mr. PA KINGTON thought that, at the present stage of rail-
way legislation, the interests of the public could not be too care-
ful y watched. He did not go quite the length of the amendment,
but he thought that an enactment to meet the views of the Hon.
Member fur Huddersfield might be introduced in a future clause.
Mr. DARBY opposed the amendment on the ground that if it
were carried he conceived that they would compel railway com-
panies to work a railway whether they realised a profit or not ;
and that in that case the railway, if worked at all, would be
worked without proper repair, and the consequence would be that
it would be worked with great danger to the public.
Mr. GILL conceived that if this clause were inserted it would
greatly tend to destroy railway property, for if a line were to
he yr:irked at a lo.s by compuhion, the pmprieters would loon throw
up their shares, and the railway itself would cease to be worked
at all.

Mr. HOMAN taw a great difficulty in carrying out the pro.