The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1847] PROPOSED RAILWAY LEGISLATION. 67
conveyance of mails, such tariff to be constructed so
as to afford the companies a moderate profit.
2nd. To decide all questions which might arise between
the Post Office and any railway company.
3rd. To issue a general tariff of maximum fares for
passengers and charges for goods, minerals, &c., to be
demanded of the ; public and
4th. To revise such general tariffs from time to
time.
By way of compensation to the companies,
and with
a view also to the advantage of the public, I proposed,
"subject to such regulations as Parliament may im-
pose for securing fairness towards all parties interested,
to adopt a territorial division of the surface of the
kingdom, reserving, as open to new companies, any
district in which the public interests would be served
by the construction of new and independent lines,
but assigning to each existing company" on certain
specified conditions "so much of the district on each
side of its line as can be most advantageously served
by such company ;
any time the Railway
a provision being made that, if at
Commissioners should be of
opinion that the public interests require that a railway
of a given description should be made within such
to the Com-
assigned territory, it shall be competent
missioners to call upon the company to which the
district is so assigned to construct the line, with the
consent of Parliament ; and if the company refuse or
neglect so to do within a given time, to offer the line
to the public at large."
I further proposed that these arrangements should
apply compulsorily to all companies hereafter to be
formed, but that "each existing company should have
the option, within a certain period, to accept the same
conditions, or to continue in its present condition."
F 2