262 History of Inland Transport 



be found that this was mainly the position throughout the 

 whole of the subsequent controversies. 



Morrison's proposal was approved in the House of Commons, 

 and on May 17 he brought in a Bill for giving effect to it in 

 regard to all new railways, to be sanctioned in that or any 

 subsequent Session. But the prospect of a Parliamentary 

 limitation of the profits a railway might earn had a most 

 depressing effect on the railway interests, and on July n 

 Sir Robert Peel urged that the question should be decided 

 without further delay inasmuch as " this branch of com- 

 mercial enterprise was injured and almost paralysed." On 

 the following day the Bill was brought up again, and it was 

 then defeated. 



In the same Session (1836) the Duke of Wellington moved, 

 and carried, in the House of Lords a general clause, to be 

 inserted in all railway Acts, the effect of which would have 

 been to give to Parliament the power of dealing as it might 

 think fit with any railway company during the next year. 

 John Herapath thereupon inserted in the current issue of his 

 " Railway Magazine " a letter addressed to the Duke of 

 Wellington, in the course of which he said : 



" No person can doubt your Grace's intentions are honour- 

 able to all parties. Fearful of the consequences of over- 

 grown monopolies, you are anxious to put some salutary 

 restrictions to those bodies riding, as you apprehend, rough- 

 shod over the public ; and you are anxious to do this before 

 they become too powerful to be ruled. Every honest and 

 right-minded man must be satisfied that such are needful ; nor 

 is there a company got up on honourable principles that would 

 object to any reasonable measure, in which a due regard is 

 paid to their own interests, and a proper consideration is 

 had to all the circumstances of their situation and risk. 

 But in common fairness these must be taken into account." 



Defending the railways, and keenly criticising the attitude 

 of the State towards them, Herapath further said : 



" No man knows better than yourself that these works, if 

 they are at all likely to be beneficial to the nation which 

 everyone in his sober senses admits will form a great and 

 brilliant era in its prosperity. Nay, my Lord Duke, permit 

 me to ask you if they have not been a Godsend towards the 

 preservation of this country, by giving a new impetus to 



