The Sun. — 1853-08-08 (London, England)

FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] Either Sir CHARLES WOOD and the House of Commons have carried a most unrighteous Bill for India, or Mr. CARDWELL and his Amalgamation Committee suggest a most unrighteous enactment for Railway Companies. The general ability of the Committee's report is confessed, it is worthy to rank with the very able one made to the American Congress which it quotes with approbation ; but there is one resolution which stands pre-eminent_ for good or evil amongst the practical ones,—we mean the 9th. It enacts— " That every Board of Directors should be required to register with the railway department, some one person, to whom should be delegated the chief authority over all the external discipline of the company and its servants ; also for every part of the line, some person should be registered as resident engineer ; and for every portion of the locomotive stock some person as locomotive engineer."  The spirit of " Beadledom" is again rampant. The mantle of the illustrious BUMBLE appears to have descended with unimpaired virtue, not only on his more immediate successors, but on all persons " parochal" offices, on the gateporters pothe various Bastiles, and even on the t e rs holdingoof superintendents of the public baths and washhouses. Nay, more, the modern officials seem to have followed the example of their great predecessor, and to have secured the assistance of congenial help-mates, of legitimate rivals to Mrs. CORNEY, to stimulate their drooping energies, and encourage them to the stern and unflinching discharge of the duties of their respective situations. It might be supposed that an insolent brutality, a reckless indifference to the sufferings of the miserable creatures whose exigencies require instant and suitable relief, was the chief, if not the only, qualification looked for in candidates for employment under the several unions in the Metropolis and throughout the country; and, if so, we must congratulate the guardians on the efficient services which they have been so fortunate as to  Now we are not about at present to discuss these resolutions as to their practicability ; but one thing seems to be universally acknowledged, that the principle of the one just recited is thoroughly sound. That principle is responsibility. It is desired that if accidents occur by carelessness or mismanagement, those who have charge of the legal inquiry may know whose guilt or innocence is to be inquired into ; who ought to be brought to trial when there is suspicion of misconduct ; and who ought to bear the penalty if misconduct be proved. It is desired that one official shall not have power to shuffle his delinquencies off to a second, and he to a third, and all to the want of due concert between them, and so forth, till the public and juries are left standing aghast at some palpable and avoidable error, for which, however, no one is responsible. Such is the object of the resolution, and we have not yet heard that it is objected to by Railway Boards. If carried, the result must be that a class of firstrate superintendents will be created ; since not only would Boards refuse to entrust such a charge to any ordinary man, but hardly any one without competent knowledge, dares expose himself to the hazard of being found guilty of mismanagement in his department, after a " dreadful railway accident." Now, all this is held to be excellent policy in regard to the safety and welfare of the one or two hundred Englishmen who suffer yearly more or less by railway accidents. A most intelligent and competent Committee of the House of Commons says the very best thing we can think of, the only thing we can formally propose is the responsibility of some individual in each department where causes of accident arise. The Committee thinks that details may be nearly all confided safely to the hands of the persons who will have to bear all the consequences of their failure, and who is equally sure to find his services abundantly demanded and remunerated if he be specially successful. There can be no doubt of the thorough soundness of the principle. The American Committee appealed to it. Mr. CARDWELL'S Committee does the same ; nay, every merchant, banker, or manufacturer, every intelligent person, in short, who has more to do than his own eyes can watch over, is constantly acting on this  secure. It has recently been our painful duty to direc, public attention to the case of an unfortunate young woman, who, through the inhumanity of some parties connected with either the " Wallsall Union," or the " Brewood Bastile "—as it was appropriately termed by one of the witnesses— was driven to attempted suicide and consummated murder. The decided refusal to retain her child until she got a little stronger, and the stern order to " take the baby out, and work for it herself," having led to the commission of the fearful crime for which she would have forfeited her life on the scaffold but for the exercise in her favour of the Royal Prerogative by our gracious Sovereign, whose exalted station has not lessened her sympathy for misfortune, even when clouded and tarnished by guilt. Since her condemnation another conviction for murder has taken place ; murder directly occasioned by a similar act of inhumanity, committed by some of the officials of the Truro Union, and with even less excuse than in the case of