408 THE 



The acts provided only for horse power. But the advan 

 tages of steam locomotion were so urgently represented by 

 George Stephenson that, in 1823, Parliament amended the 

 charter of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, granted two 

 years before, giving power to use steam-engines. In view 

 of the fact that no feature of railway management is so ob 

 jectionable as discrimination in favor of through freight, it 

 is noteworthy that, in order to prevent this becoming a coal 

 line to shipping ports, a clause was inserted in its charter 

 limiting the charge for hauling coal to Stockton for ship 

 ping purposes to Jd. per ton per mile, whereas the rate 

 allowed for all transportation of local traffic was continued 

 at 4d. It was believed such a low rate would entirely stop 

 the through trade ; yet, not only did it prove profitable, but 

 it established a precedent in favor of lower rates for large 

 quantities of the same through freight that has since been 

 a source of increasing complaint. 



Ten years afterward, on the passage of the Liverpool & 

 Manchester Railway Act, in addition to the maximum rate 

 clause, another was inserted that, if the dividend should ex 

 ceed ten per cent., an abatement should be made from the 

 maximum tonnage rates of five per cent, on the amount 

 thereof for each one per cent, which the company might divide 

 over and above a dividend of ten per cent, on its capital. 



Although owning the roads, railway companies were not 

 originally intended to have a monopoly or preferential use 

 of the means of communication on their lines. Provision 

 was made enabling all persons to use the road as canals are 

 used. So long as cattle and horses supplied the motive 

 power this was practicable, but the application of steam 

 created a revolution in transportation. It was found im 

 practicable for any or every man to run his own cars ; and, 

 In order to insure a profit, the companies v^rc- forced to 



