The Sun. — 1845-07-12 (London, England)

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.  The Earl of DALHOUSIE, in laying a minute of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade upon the table of the House, said he thought it right to state totheir Lordship the alterations which Government were prepared to make in the Board of Trade, and the ground upon which they proposed to make the change. After tracing the history of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade, and reminding their Lordships that the House of Commons had departed from their former system of appointing local Committees, and referring only one project or Bi,l to a single Committee, proceeded to remark that the alteration had been found to operate most successfully, and before the close of the present seson it was fully anticipated that the greater part, if not all the mass of railway business which had come before the other House would be disposed of, The Noble Lord, after explaining the alterations which had been made, proceeded to state what had been the result of the labour of Committees with regard to the Railway Bills which had come before them. On 247 railway schemes, comprising a distance of 8,000 miles, 58 of those schemes were withdrawn, and 19 were rejected for non-compliance with the standing orders. One hundred and sixty of these Bills were read a second time, and nine of them were still under consideration ; so that, in point of fact, there were 151 railway schemes which had been reported and decided upon by the House of Commons. Now, of these, there were six cases where a different decision had been come to from that of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade. The gauges case, the Portsmouth, the Runcorn, the Eastern Counties line, and two other cases. There were eight or nine other cases in which there was also a different decision come to, but in them there were some compromises or change of circumstances which accounted for that. Of the whole 151 schemes only 15 were rejected, and 123 were absolutely confirmed. Now, in future, the Government would not interfere with any railway scheme, but would leave its merit to be decided in the way which had been found to work so admirably. The minute which he would lay upon the table would embody the merits of that arrangement which it was proposed to introduce. Lord BROUGHAM approved of the fair and candid statemen s made by the Noble Lord with respect to the decent interment of the Board of Trade. The Noble Lord then commented on the immense power of delay which was exercised by Mr. Hudson to protract the passing of railway bills for the purpose of enabling him to take advantage of their standing orders. If he only got a bill protracted for so many days more, no report would be made, and the same sum of money would be expended again next session. His advice to the Committee would be to make a report at all events, for it was perfectly necessary for their protection against Mr. Hudson, the Minister of Delay. —( Laughter.) He was working for delay with a twelve counsel power, each of them being capable of expending as much time as he was capable of expending money, agreeably to themselves and disagreeably to everybody else. He, Mr. Hudson, would be just as well pleased to hear a speech from a counsel opposed to him of six hours in length as a speech of the same length from his own counsel. He was quite surprised at the eulogiums passed on the Board of Trade by the Noble Lord in announcing its end. Why should they put an end to a body that was gifted with all the good qualities which he ( Lord Dalhousie) had attributed to them? They must have come to their end unfairly, either by murder or suicide. After a few words from Lord FEVERSHA 31 and Lord B ILOUG HA or, the matter dropped.