 |
The Peel Web |
I am happy that you are using
this web site and hope that you found it useful. Unfortunately, the cost of
making this material freely available is increasing, so if you have
found the site useful and would like to contribute towards its continuation,
I would greatly appreciate it. Click the button to go to Paypal and make a
donation.
The Select Committee of 1844 on Railways
Parliamentary Papers, 1844, XI, pp. 9-11.
This was one of the early pieces of railway
legislation passed by parliament; it was the result of the work of Gladstone,
the President of the Board of Trade in Peel's
second ministry. Because of clause 11, the Act became known as the 'Parliamentary
Train Act'.
- That the powers to be granted by any Act of the present or future Sessions
of Parliament, for the construction of new Lines of Railway, whether Trunk,
Branch, or Junction Lines, shall be subject to the following conditions:-
- That if, at the end of a term of years to be fixed, the annual divisible
Profits upon the paid-up Share Capital of any such Line of Railway shall be
equal to a percentage to be fixed, or so soon after the expiration of the
said term as the said percentage shall have been reached, it shall be in the
option of the Government either, first, to purchase the Line at the rate of
a number of years' purchase, to be fixed, of such divisible Profits; or secondly
to revise the fares and charges on the Line, in such manner as shall, in the
judgment of the Government, be calculated to reduce the said divisible Profits,
assuming always the same quantity and kinds of annual traffic to continue,
to the said percentage: but with a guarantee, on the part of the Government
to subsist while such scale of fares and charges shall be in force, to make
up the divisible Profits to the said percentage.
- And also, that at or after the end of the said term of years, it shall be
in the option of the Government to purchase the Line at the said number of
years' purchase of the annual divisible Profits, whatever be the amount of
such Profits.
- That the term of years be fifteen, to date from the next following first
of January after the passing of the Act for the construction of the Railway.
- That the Companies may be required to provide upon such new Lines
of Railway, as a minimum of third-class accommodation, one Train at
least each way on every week-day, by which there shall be the ordinary obligation
to convey such passengers as may present themselves at any of the ordinary
stations, in carriages provided with seats and protected from the weather,
at a speed not less than 12 miles an hour including stoppages, and at fares
not exceeding a penny per mile; each passenger by such Train being allowed
not exceeding 56 lbs. of luggage without extra charge, and extra luggage being
charged by weight at a rate not exceeding the lowest charge by other Trains;
Children under Three years being conveyed without extra charge; and children
from Three to Twelve years at half-price.
- That the tax upon the receipts from such conveyance of third-class passengers
should not exceed one half of any duty that may be laid upon the general traffic
of Railways
- That the Board of Trade have a discretionary power of dispensing with any
of the above requirements, and of allowing alternative arrangements which
shall appear to it to be better calculated to promote the public convenience
upon any particular Railway; and that the Board of Trade have a discretionary
control over the Train which satisfies the above minimum requirements,
as regards times of starting, nature of accommodation, arrangements with connecting
Lines, and other points of detail, subject to the above general principles,
and to the understanding that such control is to be limited to the Train in
question.
- That Companies shall be bound to convey upon such new Lines military and
police forces, and public stores, baggage, and ammunition, on the requisition
of the proper authorities, at fares not exceeding 1d. per mile for each private,
and 2d. per mile for each officer, with the usual accommodation, and at charges
not exceeding 2d. per ton per mile for stores and baggage; the same quantity
of personal luggage being allowed free of charge to each officer and private
as to each ordinary first and second-class passenger respectively; and the
carriages in which such forces are conveyed being, whenever so required by
the proper Authorities, provided with seats and protected against the weather.
- That upon such new Lines the Post-office be empowered to required the transmission
of the Mails (subject to the usual conditions as to payment for services performed
by Railway Companies) at any rate of speed certified by the Inspector-general
to be consistent with safety; and also to send a mail-guard with bags not
exceeding the weight allowed for an ordinary passenger's luggage (or subject
to the rules of the Company for any excess of that weight) by any of the ordinary
Trains, upon the same terms and conditions as an ordinary passenger: it being
understood, that this power shall not authorise the Post-office to require
the conversion of a regular Mail Train into an ordinary Train, nor to exercise
any control over the Company in respect of any ordinary Train.
Meet the web creator |
These materials may be freely used for
non-commercial purposes in accordance with applicable statutory allowances
and distribution to students. Re-publication in any
form is subject to written permission. |
Last modified
4 March, 2016
|