The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-21 00:00:00

that he would, at the time it was most fitting to do
so, move that all further money grants for the pur-
poses of religion be made out of the funds at present
appropriated to the maintenance of the Protestant
Episcopal Church.
On the motion of Mr. CHRISTIE certain returns re-
lating to the Universities were ordered to be laid be-
fore the House.
The evidence taken before the Dartmouth Election
Committee was ordered to be printed.
In answer to Mr. DENNISTOUN, Sir J. GRAHAM
said that he was not prepared to propose any measure
to prevent interment in towns.
Mr. MORRISON moved the following resolutions :
' 1. That it is the duty of Parliament, in giving its sanc-
tion to the establishment of new railways, to render them
the means of affording to the public the best and safest
communication, and the greatest amount of accommoda-
tion, at the lowest possible rates.
2. That the clauses heretofore introduced into Rail-
way Bills to limit the amount of tolls to be demanded
for the use of the railway, having proved practically in-
operative, it is expedient to make more effectual pro-
vision against the undue enhancement of the cost of
travelling and transportation in every future Railway
Bill, by fixing the highest rates which the railway com-
pany shall be allowed to charge for the conveyance of
passengers and goods.
3. That for this purpose every Committee on a Rail-
way Bill, introduced in the present or any future session
of Parliament, shall report a table of fees and charges,
the lowest whi?,h they shall judge to be consistent, under
the circumstances of each case, with a fair and reasonable
return for the capital to be invested.
4. And that every Committee to which two or more
competing projects for new railways may I e referred,
shall require the promoters of each to put in statements
as to the rate of charge for the conveyance of passen-
gers and goods to which they are content to be limited,
and the amount of accommodation which they will bind
themselves to provide for the public at those rates ; and
that, in determining on the comparative merits of com-
peting schemes, regard shall be had to the extent awl
nature of the advantages which can be thus reserved to
the public from each.
In the course of his speech the Hon. Gentleman
complained bitterly of the conduct of the railway,
companies in regard to third-class passengers. In-
stead of attaching third-class carriages to all their
trains, a plan which would be more economical to the
company, and more convenient to the public, they
preferred starting separate trains for the third-class,
which travelled at a much slower rate, thus incurring
additional expense for the sole purpose of inconve-
niencing third-class passengers.
Mr. WARBURTON seconded the motion, and sug-
gested the propriety of adopting a maximum of rates
beyond which a company could not charge.
Lord G. SOMERSET admitted the justice of some of
the complaints which had been made ; but he doubted
whether the remedies proposed were calculated to
meet the e►il. He would advise the Hon. Member
to withdraw these resolutions. But if he could de-
vise any other mode of attaining the object he had in
view, so much was he impressed with the importance
of the principle, that he was quite ready to go with
him. For instance, if he would propose some altera-
tion of the standing orders of the House, which
would have the effect of obliging railway companies,
before their coming to Parliament, to lay down
some rate of charges, it might accomplish the end
desired.

Lord Holum had heard with great 'satisfaction
the declaration of the Noble Lord, that though he
did not coincide altogether in the terms of these re-
solutions, yet that he was prepared to accede to the
principles which they contained. And if the Hon.

Member should be induced to withdraw them, he
hoped that her MAJESTY'S Ministers would adopt
some other mode, and that speedily, to accomplish the
object at which these resolutions aimed. At any
rate, he trusted that the Government would take up
the matter, and give it their best attention before the
great mass of Railway Bills which had been intro-
duced this session were committed. He thought it
would be well to introduce some enactment by which
lines of railway should, within a certain period after
their formation, revert to the Crown.
Sir R. PEEL acknowledged the great difficulty of
the subject. How could they erect a tribunal to
adjudicate upon the prices which railway companies
might charge ? The great doubt in his mind was,
whether such a tribunal would not establish too high
a rate. He thought that Committees on special
Bills, keeping the principle of these resolutions in
view, might be safely left to take care of the public
interest.