The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-10-06

Railways appear destined TO WELD mighty
influence over all tho important interests OF
society. and to produce, ere leng, the mosi
eventlul changes in the entire aspect Of the
social system. Not only private individuals
but even sovereigns, mobiles and public bodies
must ultimately bend to their universal sway
and submit to their general arrangements.-
Neither the dicta Of the law, nor military
power. nor municipal privilege, will be able
To resist their onward progress. The pro-
ceedings Of courts of law and the movements
of the army must alike be regulated by the
operations of The railway system; and its
power will eventually be everyw here ac-
knowledged,
1t was not long ago that queens counsel
at the Chester civil court. applied 10 the
learned Judge, Mr.. Justice Williams. to ad
jOurn the court 10 Il certain hour The next
morning, on the plea that as the railway
trains did not arrive before that time, il would
he great convenience 10 the special jurors
who were summoned for that day, and who,
ia consequence, were not likelyto be in couri
before the hour named. To this application
his lordship was obliged TO defer, and for
very special reason, that he had no remedy.
either in law or equiy-neither The common
nor the statute law, according TO bis lordship's
view, presented any analogous case by which
the evil could be nbviated. la truth his lord
ship saw no alternative but that Of making
virtue of necessity. He very pointedly oh
served, that the railway "had become the
masters of almost all tho trade and every
hing else III the country and even her ma
jesiy had TO submit TO their arrangements
lie supposed, therefore, as he was only one
of her majesty's commissioners. no alirrDa-
live remained for him but quietly to strike
and submit likelcise.'
I; may be perfectly true that ''thc railways
have become the masters of almost every
thing and that judges Of assze, as well IS
soyereigns have no alternative but butquietly
TO strike and submit" But while the rail
way thus imperalively reduces 'dominions
and powers" TO its sovereign will, the vasI
advantages Herewith associated, infinitely
more than counterbalance the imaginary iU-
conveniences that may occasionally arise -
Unlike the social despotisms Of previous ages,
il is calculated TO confer innumerable benefits
on the W hole Of the human race.
Thus, ii railway transit .has its advantages
arising from The consequences oil locomotive
monopoly, the benefits, ON the contrary. are
oil so transceudant character that all rational
men willingly submit 10 the partial evil for
the sake Of the general good conferred OIL
the great masses Of society, For its benefits
are every day more and more developing
themselves. lr imparIs reg ularify and dis
patch in the transaction Of business, and in
all The ordinary affairs OF men, hitherto un-
known III The history Of any age or country
Soyereisns or dynasties may he in danger
governments may vaciliate-Ihe law may be
delayed or set at noueht-aImies may be re-
Ill H.. loIax ID
and the winds Of The ocean may be adverse,
but the railway trains can be rendered al
most as certain as the diurnal motions of Ib,
eirth. as undertaking as the annual recurrence
| of the seasons, and as sure as The OVERLOOKING
tides Of the circumeuent ocean. Hence the
immeasurable advantages which may be cx-
| pected to arise, not only as regards our own
| domestic intercommun unity. but as affecting all
the nations of The civilized world.
1t has now be cIme the fashion to consul
| the map Of Great Britain or of Europe. not
| for The sake Of ascertaining the direction or
| distances Of roads. or of learning what vehi-
cles run along them. hut for the more impOr
rant purpose Of determining the course and
situation Of the railway lines-what is th,i.
| length, to what towns they lead. Whit branches
diverge from the main trunk, what are the
and what is the expense Of each class! A
map of England, Scotland or Ireland, with
out correct outline of all the railway lines.
whether completed or in progress, would be
| utterly vaIueIess; a mere chart of high road
| being no longer of use to the traveller. Noi
can this be confined to the British territories
alone. We ind that every continental map
| of any estimation is now published with com
pleie representations OF all the railway lines:
aud the old beaten roads. which formerly
| constituted so prominent afearure in geograph-
ical charts. are either altogether omitted. OF
considered ofsuch secondary importance, a.
| 10 be almost lost sight Of.
France, Belgium. Germany, Holland, Prus-
STA. Austria and Russia have already sue
ceeded in carrying railway transit into active
| operation. il is now rapidly snpersedlng oil
| The local usages and antiquated modes Of ira
Yelling, and thus one distant nation commu-
nicates with another with more ease and Ger
tanIy than our ancestors. IN 1.-The good old
times" could have visited neighborine
county, or travelled through any adjoining
district TO which they happened to be stran-
seis.
In the course Of few years, France
which is devoIing all her energies TO railway
enterprise. under the especial auspices oil the
sovereign, will have complete system oil
railways radiaIipg from Paris to every i'm
porlant poiD on the frontiers Of the kingdom
to Calais, BouIogne, Dieppe, Havre aud
Cherburg; to Brest. Nantes, Bordeaux and
Bsyonne; to Cette, Montpelier, MarseIles
and Toulon; to the Belgian frontier, Swift
zerand and Piedmont; and, at the same time
unite all The great emporiums of The silk. cot
tom woollen and other manufactures with the
seaports andthe capt. !.
Belgium, too. is already intersected with
well planned railways, TO which her sover-
eigu has devoted the most unremItIins atten-
ton. The extend from the sea TO the Prus-
sian territories, and from the Dutch to the
French frontiers. The German states are
also vieing with each other in constructing
great and important lines Of railway, to which
immense capital and labor have been applied.
Already. with the exception of very short
intervals. the traveller may pass from Ham
burg in the north, to Leipsig. Berlin. Breslau.
Prussia and Saxony; aud Austria. Bavaria