§ MR. DODDI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the condition contained in some of the workmen's cheap tickets by the London and North Western Railway Company, to the effect that the workman, if injured on his journey, or his representatives, if he should be killed, should be entitled to no compensation even if the injury or death wore caused by the negligence of the Company, and to the case of "Flowers v. the Loudon and North Western Railway Company," tried at Cardiff, which appears to decide that such a condition would in general be valid, but that an infant by reason of his infancy is not thereby bound; if he will consider the propriety of making such conditions in workmen's or passengers' tickets unlawful; whether as to cattle and goods the law is now that unreasonable conditions are of no force and invalid; and if he can state to what extent Railway Companies now issue tickets to workmen exempting themselves from their ordinary liability for negligence?
§ MR. MUNDELLAMy right hon. Friend's question raises a nice point of law, and I am unable to express an opinion upon it. It is for the Courts to decide whether the conditions imposed by the Loudon and North Western Railway Company are reasonable. The contention of the Company is that the special contract, in many cases, is made in return for facilities which the law does not compel the Company to give. I am not aware that there is any general application of the system to which the hon. Gentleman takes exception.
§ MR. DARLINGMay I ask whether, if anyone objects to the conditions of these tickets, it is not open to him to buy an ordinary ticket on the ordinary conditions?
§ MR. MUNDELLAOf course.