220 RAILWAY RATES AND CONDITIONS 



M.P., Mr. Phipps, M.P., Mr. Paget, M.P., and Mr. Heneage, 

 M.P. (afterwards Lord Heneage). This Committee, acting 

 in communication with the Royal Agricultural Society (which 

 also appointed a Special Committee on this subject) and the 

 Chambers of Commerce, prepared evidence and sent wit- 

 nesses to represent their views. The Select Committee pre- 

 sented a brief report, and recommended that they should be 

 reappointed the following session. 



1882. 



The House of Commons acted on this suggestion, and the 

 Select Committee reported in July. The report dealt mainly 

 with the powers of the Railway Commission, but among the 

 recommendations were : 



That Chambers of Commerce and Agriculture should have a 

 locus standi before the Railway Commission, on a certificate 

 of the Board of Trade that they are a bona fide association. 



That one uniform classification of goods be adopted over the 

 whole railway system. 



" Terminal " charges to be recognised, but subject to publica- 

 tion by companies, and in case of challenge, to sanction by the 

 Railway Commission. 



That Parliament do not sanction any further control, direct 

 or indirect, of canal navigation by a railway company. 



Special complaint was made on behalf of the Chamber 

 in the evidence of their witnesses of preferential rates given 

 to foreign produce, and though the Select Committee admitted 

 the existence of this preference, they made no recommenda- 

 tion with regard to it. The Council, in their Annual Report 

 for 1882, expressed themselves dissatisfied with the report 

 of the Select Committee, but they memorialised the Board of 

 Trade to confer the status on duly recognised Chambers as 

 recommended. The President of that Department promised 

 to bear this request in mind if the Government attempted 

 any legislation on the subject. 



1883. 



On 4th May, the Government formally assented to Chambers 

 of Agriculture having a locus standi before Parliamentary 



