HC Deb 29 July 1873 vol 217 cc1248-9

Bill considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

MR. DENISON

considered it was to the interests of railway companies to do all in their power to prevent railway accidents, and thought a great deal too much pressure was put upon them.

MR. HINDE PALMER

said, he did not notice that the "block system" was mentioned in the Bill, and considered it advisable that that system should be adopted as far as possible by railway companies.

MR. GOLDSMID

was understood to say that of 31,000,000 passengers who travelled last year only one had been killed. He thought the constant pressure on railway companies ought to cease. He was enabled to state that the "block system," on the recommendation of Captain Tyler, was now very extensively introduced.

MR. DODSON

asked the hon. Gentleman who had just addressed the Committee, from what source he obtained his returns of the statistics of the deaths that occurred owing to railway accidents—whether from the railway companies or from the Registrar General?

MR. GOLDSMID

said, he had mentioned in that House on a former occasion that he had received his returns from the Board of Trade.

MR. DODSON

said, that he had found, from the Registrar General's Report a year or two ago, that the deaths caused by railway accidents were many times greater than those given in the returns of the railway companies.

MR. A. PEEL

explained that the Board of Trade took all necessary care to obtain returns of railway accidents, deaths, and injuries.

MR. ANDERSON

called attention to a system in operation on railways in America, which was found to work admirably—namely, the passing of a very long rope through the carriages, the pulling of which rope, when anything wrong occurred, caused a large bell at the head of the train to ring, and thus give an alarm.

MR. MILLER

said, there were very many more people injured, and many more deaths caused by railway accidents, than the returns indicated.

Bill reported; as amended, to be considered To-morrow.