Mails carried not by Railway. The Mails carried otherwise than by Railway appear, for Accidents. Mails by Boats and Mails conveyed on Foot. It thus appears that out of the total number (129,480) of miles per week-day, mails are still carried over a greater number of miles by Coaches and Carts, &c., than by Railway; and the number of miles over which they are carried on Foot is about double that of either of the former modes of conveyance, and more than both put together." The foregoing figures would give (including an estimate of about one-half the week-day mileage for Sundays) the following numbers of miles over which mails are carried in the In regard to the Safety of railway travelling, from the continued precautions taken, it is satisfactory to find it stated in the last annual Board of Trade Report, that in 1856, “the The Post Office report in 1858 states that "of the whole number of letters last year (1857), nearly a quarter were delivered in London and the suburban district; and counting those also which were dispatched, nearly one-half passed through the London Office." degree of safety with which passengers have been conveyed is greater than in any year since 1851." It appears from the same report, that out of the 130 millions of passengers who travelled by Railway in 1856 in the United Kingdom, only 1 in 16,168,449 was killed, and 1 in 458,370 injured, from causes beyond their own control." The facts supply an antidote to unfounded panic. Before the very salutary requirements in regard to Railways, of 3 & 4 Vic., c. 97, § 3, and 5 & 6 Vic., c. 55, § 7, 8, there was no provision for reporting to any organized authority "moving accidents by flood and field," or by coach and horses, by boats, &c.; and the majority of coach and car accidents, or the mishaps of ordinary bygone conveyances, were probably never heard of through "the usual channels of information." The public, and usually the Companies too, are pretty sure to hear of every "alarming Railway accident." There are, however, no means of comparing the number of Railway Accidents with the number of accidents by other public conveyances; but it may be fairly predicated that the number of the former, as compared with the number of persons conveyed, is proportionately far smaller than of the latter. No doubt the number would be still smaller if the public and the post office would be content with something less than the now common speed of Express and Mail trains. a It has since appeared that in 1857, the numbers were, from causes beyond their own control, I killed in 5,560,355 of passengers, and 1 hurt in 220,299. b Since this was written, Dr. Lankester has expressed nearly the same idea in connection with another subject. He is reported thus: "Were the same number of deaths to occur on a Railway, as happened every year in consequence of the state of the Serpentine, a great deal would be heard about it: but because the Serpentine had been going on slowly destroying life for centuries, their forefathers not having cared about it, therefore it would seem to be inferred that they of the present generation ought not to care about it."-Times, 23 July 1858. Captain Galton's report to the Board of Trade, published since this was written, gives a return of accidents by the French diligences of the Messageries Impériales et Générales, from which it appears that the general average proportion of accidents to passengers by those conveyances gives 1 killed in 335,463, and 1 injured in 29,871. The following is a summary of Railway Accidents in the United Kingdom in the year 1856a:— Accidents: 1856. England. Scotland. Ireland. Total. Killed. Injured Killed. Injured Killed. Injured Killed. Injured Caution: 15 51 3 96 34 57 Causes, 36 a The Board of Trade Report for 1857 has since appeared, from which the following particulars for that year are obtained. Total number of Passengers in that year, 139,008,888; of Railway Servants, 153,697; total, 139,162,585 persons. Out of these, 25 Passengers are returned as having been killed by accidents from causes beyond their own control. The total numbers of accidents on Railways to persons of all descriptions, in 1857, were— It may be useful to add the following summary of Fees Fees. allowed by the statutes herein contained, where other provision is not made in the Special Acts of Companies. The following is a summary of Stamp Duties required on Stamp bonds, transfers, proxies, &c. On Bonds and Mortgages; under 13 & 14 Vic., c. 97:- Exceeding £50, and not exceeding £100, Not exceeding £50, 100, 200, 250, 150, 300, 8. d. 13 3123167 5 9 Duties: On Bonds: Exceeding £300, then for every £100 or fractional part of £100, 2 6 Stamp Duty: On Transfers of Mortgages; under 13 & 14 Vic. c. 97 : on Transfers of Mortgages: of Shares. Any TRANSFER or Assignment, Disposition, or Assignation of Where no further sum of Money or Stock shall be added - The same Duty as on a Mortgage or Wadset for the total Amount or Value of such Princi. pal Money or Stock. £1 15s. The same Duty as on a Mortgage or Wadset for such further Money or Stock only. £1 15s. on Transfer On Transfers of Shares or Stock; under 13 & 14 Vic. c. 97 :— Where the purchase or consideration money therein or there- And where the same shall exceed £25, and not exceed £50, £ s. d. 026 9 5 0 0 7 6 0 10 0 0 12 6 50, 75, 0 15 0 |