230 RAILWAY RATES AND CONDITIONS 



1894. 



In February the Council urged the President of the Board 

 of Trade to bring in a Bill to give effect to the report of the 

 Select Committee. In May the Railway Committee reported 

 to the Council that such a Bill had been introduced, and 

 protested against the proposal therein contained to limit the 

 power of appeal by traders to increased rates. The Bill was 

 carried through late in the session, in a form which provided 

 for a right of appeal only in respect of any increase made in a 

 rate since 1892. 



In December the Railway Committee reported that inas- 

 much as they considered the new Act unsatisfactory, owing 

 to the inability of the Government to give time for the dis- 

 cussion of the Bill in the Commons, and the consequent 

 necessity of their either accepting what the companies would 

 concede or losing the Bill altogether, they urged all members 

 of associated bodies to continue to send in complaints of 

 rates increased since 1892. In this report they also called 

 attention to the preferential rates given by the London and 

 South- Western Railway Company to various commodities. 



1895. 



The chief event of this year was the case brought against 

 the London and South-Western Railway Company by the 

 Mansion House Association, in order to test the legality of 

 the preferential treatment given to foreign produce. The case 

 was before the Railway Commission on 7th, 8th, 9th, llth, 

 14th, 15th and 16th March, and judgment was delivered on 

 10th April. The question of law involved was the proper 

 construction of the proviso of Sec. 27 of the Act of 1888. 

 The Association (supported by the Central Chamber) con- 

 tended that this proviso forbade the differentiation of rates 

 in favour of imported goods, and precluded the company 

 from justifying any such difference by considerations which 

 might avail in a case relating solel}- to merchandise of British 

 origin. The question of fact for determination was, whether, 

 subject to the determination of the legal point, the rates 



