§ MR. LABOUCHEREasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been directed to the excessive rates habitually charged by the South Western Railroad during the races at Ascot; and, whether he will state what is the maximum rate which that Company has a right to charge for 113 a return ticket between London and Ascot?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, he had examined the Acts of Parliament which laid down the rates which might be charged by the London and South-Western Railway Company, and he found that the maximum rate chargeable was 2½d. a mile for first class and ¾d. a mile for second class; and as there was no mention of return fares, and as the distance to Ascot was 29 miles, the maximum rate chargeable would be 12 s. 1d. first class and 8 s. 6 d. second class—that was the return fare. He had no official information on the subject; but he was informed that those rates were generally exceeded on the occasion of the Ascot races. There appeared, however, to be a provision in the Company's Act of Parliament the exact terms of which would be rather a matter for legal interpretation—namely, that the regulations with regard to maximum fares should not apply to fares charged by any special or express trains.