Polynesian., 1862-07-12
Ghe polpllesian.
From the Boston Commercial Bulletin.
Old England VS.. Young America.

The Verdict against George Francis Tram IN Lon
don.
The accounts which come to us in our recent files
of English papers show that the opponents of horse
railru ads in London have gained verdict against
Mr.. Train, in triol just concluded.
Why the proceedings denominated trial
We cannot tell, as it seems to have been the prose-
cutiOn of Train and others on the complaint that
the horse railroad was nuisance. The indictment
Was against Mr. Train and a number of gentlemen,
members of the vestry of St. Marys Lambeth, for
laying down his iron tramways in the roadway
leading from Westminster Bridge to Remington
park, and making it dangerous to the public.
The excited the greatest interest, and the
court room was densely crowded.
How Just and fair the whole proceedings were,
NAV be inferred from The fact of the verdict being
declared against Mr.. Train without his being per-
mitted to say anything, or bring in single wit
ness in his own defense.
The result of the Kingston trial - cannot be
taken as the true expression of the public sentiment
toward our countryman. The large number
/ (amounting to over 600000) who have availed
themselves Of the cheap and easy mode Of travel,
the several petitions bearing thousands of names
| favorable to the project, are evidences that Mr..
| Train and his scheme have found lodgment in the
popular heart. But notwithstanding this, the
| tramway may have to come up. Twelve country
men, the most of whom probably never saw it,
hearing few erpQrte witnesses, have declared it
| nuisance.
| The Jury, as the report of the London Times
states. interrupted the evidence for the prosecution
as to accidents and danger of accidents being
ed by the tramway, and said they were satisfied
that the rails constituted substantial nuisance to
the ordinary use of the highway. They rendered
it unsafe and ncOnvenent In a substantial degree.
Thereupon the Judge Intimated that it useless
to proceed further. The evidence for the defense
had not been heard, and was read ady-many witness
es-to show that there no danger and no
nuisance evidence not only of engineers and sur
veyors, but of persons who had actually travelled
on the road, and found no danger from the tram
way Nevertheless, on the declaration of the jury
that such evidence would not alter their opinion,
the Lord Chief Justice excluded it useless, and
| the verdict of guilty recorded against Mr..
| Train.
The London American thinks that the animus of
the witnesses and of the jury were chiefly directed
against Mr.. Train. and not against the Lambeth
| Tramway, from the fact that during the dark days
of the Trent excitement, letter from MIR. Train
| appeared in the columns of the New York Herald
which was not In every respect complimentary to
gentlemen occupying Her Majesty's Treasury
| Benches, which is still borne in mind.
| The London correspondent Of the Philadelphia
Press, however, lets in little light upon some of
the difficulties and obstacles which Mr.. Train had
| to encounter; and readers have become in
erested in the movements and progress Of our per-
| seyerIng young cOuDtryman. we make the following
liberal extracts from the letter for their benefit
George Francis Train came to England with
| the determined purpose Of introducing passenger
railway cars, and, after much trouble, was allowed
| to try the experiment at Brkenhead-a new town,
lately made Parliamentary Borough, as exactly
opposite Liverpool Brooklyn is opposite New
York, or Camden opposite Philadelphia. The road
was made, and has been such great success that
| few Birkenheadles would care to return to the
old jog g-trOt rumble tumble. shake the-bOnes Om-
nibus system. 1t was expected that on this sue
cess at Birkenhead, the system would be eagerly
taken up all the large towns.
| But Mr.. Train had to learn great deal about
| England. John Bull has morbid dislike to change,
even when it is improvement, and, as Washington
Irving said, cings to abuses, because 80 they
good old abuses To reyolutionize city travel,
on Mr. Trains plan, is not thing to be done here
in few months, or even a few years. Besides.
several trading interests are opposed to it. The
omnibus proprietors, who have largely invested
capital in their business, and whose {" plant
would be rendered valueless by the change, are
dead against it. They night have been cOnciiated,
early in the day. by offering to give them an inter
est in the novelty, by distributing certain number
of shares in the passenger railway company among
them. Mr.. Train, fear, went too much 90 on his
own hook, - and believed that the actual and OBJ
vious superiority of his system should, of itself,
| have removed all objections to its introduction.
Mr.. Train, with his wondrous energy, relied too
much on himself. Let him wait little, and he
will see his plans generally adopted all over this
United Kingdom.
Mr. Train proceeded to London, where he sue
ceeded in getting permission to lay down passen-
ger railway in one of the western suburbs. The
thing was a success great success-and popular
with the public. Not so with the omnibus and
cab owners. Not so with some of the local or
parochial boards, composed of petty shOpkeepers,
a mudding and meddling set of ignOramuses, who
objected, because, in soOth, Mr.. Train was not al
ways fawDing on them, cap In hand In Novem-
Der, 1860, committee of the vestry of St. Marys,
Lambeth, strongly recommended the vestry to adopt
Mr.. Trains proposal to lay down passenger car
tramway on the road leading from Westminster
Bridge to Remington Park. This is straight
road, about two miles long, and as broad as Broad
street in your Quaker City. The committee as
serted the principle that the vestry, governing the
parish, have much right to lay down an iron as
a stone road, provided it does not interrupt the
public traffic or be productive of danger; that from
the iron tramroad s' there would be obstruction
to the ordinary traffic, but, on the contrary, the
facilities of transit are increased. The rails are
laid down almost at a level with the pavement,
and so eonst as to present no ridge of any
kind and lie surface of the road is just as
available for ~Inary traffic it would be If no
line of rail were laid down that no danger to the
traffic could be apprehended. The rails are rough
ed SO to prevent slipping and the ridge to con-
tain the sides of the wheels does not project up
wards more than ive-eighths of an inch, while at
the same time the lines of rails are kept upon the
same level as the surface of the road and that,
as proved by experience in America and Birken-
head the passenger cars are vastly superior to the
old omnibuses. The vestry adopted this recon-
mandation, and. about year ago, entered into
contract with Mr.. Train that he should lay down
such tramway within three months. indemnifying
them against all indictments or actions for laying
it down. and also against the expenses of removing
and replacing it if he should be required SO to do
The tramway was completed in September, 1861,
and the trains heran To run In sly or eiCht weeks