J846.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



9» 



into the chuir, a safety wedge is to be driveo into the key near to the side 

 of the chair as shown iu the drawing. This forces tile Icey into the coD' 

 cavity of tlie chair producing perfect contact between the key and llie in- 

 terior of the chair. The key being thus made larger in the middle llian at 

 the ends, is unable to leave the chair until forcibly driven out by the 

 hammer. The wedge is prevented from splitting the key by the combined 

 action of the two projections cast in the sides of the wedge at its lower 

 end, and the shape of the interior side of the chair. 'W^hen the wedge is 

 being driven into its place, these projections cut all the fibres of the wood 

 across as the wedge enters the key ; and as many as five or six wedges 

 may if required, be driven into the key without splitting or injuring it in 

 the least degree. 



The end attained by this description of fastening for the rails of a rail- 

 way, consists in the impossibility of the keys shaking out by the combined 

 action of the shrinkage of the keys in dry weather, and the passage of the 

 trains : an advantage of the greatest importance on all lines of railway using 

 chairs. 



The accompanying engraving shows that it is impossible for the key to 

 shake out until it has shrunk at least a quarter of an inch; this a well- 

 seasoned key will never do: but should the shrinkage in very dry weather 

 amount to anything near this, the driving in of an additional safely wedge 

 will make the key as fast as ever ; and it will then become more perfect 

 than at first, as its fibres will be more closely compressed, and consequently, 

 less subject to alteration in size by change of weather. The weight of each 

 safety-wedge is less than 2 oz. ; and the inventors state that more iron is 

 saved in the concavity of the chair, than is sufficient to make a safety- 

 wedge. 



Fig. 1 Fig. 2 



Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the chair, showing itf key and wedge. 

 Fig. 2 is a flat or front view of the fastening wedge. A is the chair, li 

 the rail. C a wooden key driven in a horizontal direction between the rail 

 and chair, and transversely across the chair. D is the metal wedge driven 

 vertically downwards into the, key with its width laid in the direction of 

 the length of tlie key, forcing a portion of the key against or into the hollow 

 side d d of the arm a a of tlie chair, the key is thus secured between the 

 rail and its chair. 



We understand that this improvement has been adopted with success 

 on tliree miles of the Taff Vale IJiiilway, and after being in use for three 

 months, ane upwards of 1,200 trams passing over the line not a single key 

 was removed. 



KAILWAY PROCEEDINGS. 



■We propose to give under this head selections from the decisions of thesuh-comraittee 

 on the standing orders. It must be understood that the decisions are not always final, a 

 the petitioners may go before another committee on the standing orders, wlio may if tlie 

 see fit, recommend the House to waive the conformance to the standing orders. 



House of Lonos, Feb. G. 



" Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that such portion of 

 the standing orderNo. 224 as requires a deposit of one-tenth of the amount 

 subscribed, should be suspended with respect to all such railway bills as 

 shall commence iu the House of Lords during the present session. 



" That no such railway bills shall he read a first time in this house unless 

 a deposit of one twentieth part of the ainonut subscribed should have been 

 paid on or before the 6th of February. 



" That no such railway bills sliall be read a third time until a further 

 deposit of one-tvrenlieth part of the amount subscribed shall have been 

 in like manner paid. 



"Resolved also, that it is the opinion of this committee that this house 

 should not receive any petition for a railway bill after Monday, the 23rd of 

 February." 



House of Lords, Feb. IS. 



The House of Lords resolved that the standing orders be amended as 

 follows :— 



That it is the opinion of this committee that the standing orders of this 

 house with regard to railway bills, should as respects railway bills com- 

 menced in this house during the present session, be altered in the follow- 

 ing particulars. 



That standing order No, 219 be altered in the following particulars, 

 Tiz., that on the bill being reported to the house from the committee on 

 the bill, or at any time previously, on the petition of the parties to such 

 bill, or any of them, the bill shall be referred to the Standing Orders- Com- 



raiitee, whicli shall inquire whether standing orders, the compliance with 

 which is directed to be proved before or reiro-'ted by the St^inding Order 

 Committee previously to the thirri reading of the bill, have been complied 

 with ; and the committee shall report on the matters referred to them in the 

 same manner as they are directed to report on other matters referred to Ihent 

 by the standing orders. 



That five clear days' notice be given of such meeting of the committee, 

 and that it be proved to the satisfaction of the committee, that the standing 

 orders had been complied with five clear days before such meeting of the 

 committee. 



That the Standing Orders Committee shall not meet to consider the 

 compliance with such of the standing orders as are directed to be proved 

 before them until after the expiration of seven clear days from the pre- 

 sentation of the petition if the bill relate to England, or until after the ex- 

 piration of 10 clear days if the bill relate to Scotland or Ireland. 



That every petition compalining of a non-compliance with such of the 

 standing orders as are directed (o be proved before the Standing Orders 

 Committee subsequently to the first reading of the bills, shall be presented 

 three clear days before the meeting of the committee to consider such 

 standing orders. 



That standing order No. 220 be altered in llie following particulars, 

 viz., that the service of every application required to be made to the owners 

 or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, and occupiers, by the fourth 

 paragraph of the said standing order, may, unless a petition complainingof 

 the want of due service of such application shall have been referred to the 

 Standing Oi'ders Committee, be proved by the evidence of the agent or 

 solicitor for the bill, stating that he gave directions for the service of such 

 application in the manner and within the time required by the standing 

 orders, and that he believes that such application was so served ; but in 

 case tlie Standing Orders Committee shall nut be satisfied with the evi- 

 dence of the agent or solicitor, the service of such application shall be 

 proved in the usual manner. 



That no bill commencing in this house and empowering any company 

 already constituted by act of Parliament to execute any work other than 

 that for which it vTas originally established, shall be read a third time, 

 unless the Committee on Standing Orders shall have especially reported 

 that the requisitions contained in paragraph No. 5 of such order have beea 

 complied with. 



That standing order No. 22-1 be altered in the following particulars, 

 viz., that as respects all railway bills which shall commence in this house 

 during the present session of parliament, it shall be proved to the satis- 

 faction of the Standing Orders Committee that a sura equal (o l-20th part 

 of the amount subscribed has been deposited, in the mariner required by 

 the said standing order, on or before the Cth day of February inst. ; and it 

 shall likewise be proved to the satisfarlion of the said committee, before 

 the third reading of such bill, that a further sum, equal to l-20th part of 

 the amount subscribed, has been deposited in like manner. 



That standing order No. 225 be altered in the following particulars, 

 viz., that it shall be sufficient if the proof required to be given by the last 

 mentioned standing order be adduced before the Standing Orders Com- 

 mittee at any time previous to the third reading of the bill. 



That all the standing orders applicable to railway bills, except such of 

 them or such part of them as are altered by or are inconsistent with the 

 aforesaid standing order, shall apply to the railway bills commenced in 

 this house during the present session of Parliament, and to the proceedings 

 on such bills. 



HoDSE OF Commons. 

 First Report, Feb. 5, 



The select committee appointed to consider the mode in which the 

 house shall deal with the railway bills proposed to be submitted to the 

 House during the present session, and who are empowered to report from 

 time to time to the House, have considered the matters referred to them, 

 and agreed to the following report : — 



That for the purpose of facilitating the dispatch of railway business 

 during the present session, it is expedient that a portion of the railway 

 bills shnuld commence in the House of Lords. 



That with respect to any railway bills which, in pursuance of these re- 

 solutions, shall commence in the House of Lords during this session, this 

 House will not insist on their privilege with regard to the clauses fixing 

 and regulating rates and tolls in such bills. 



That with a view of affording early and increased means of employ- 

 ment in Ireland, it is expedient to give facilities for the early consideratioc 

 of Irish railway bills. 



That, for the attainment of this object, it is expedient that all Irish 

 railway bills should, in the present session, commence in the House 

 of Lords. 



That it is expedient that all bills which compete with or ought to be 

 considered in connexion with any bills, the pi-omoters of which shall prove 

 themselves entitled to the privileges agreed to be granted in certain cases 

 by the resolutions of this House of the 7th July last, shall commence iu 

 the House of Lords. 



That the parties promoting railway bills which, by the above resolulia:s, 

 are to commence in the House of Lords, may (notwithstanding any pro- 

 ceeding respecting such bills in the House of Lords) prove before theccm- 



