§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the progress of the construction of the Wick and Lybster light railway has been arrested owing to the trustees of the Thrumster estate having declined to allow the line to pass through a small portion of the estate except on payment of £1,500, a sum which is regarded by the promoters of the line as too high; and, seeing that on their taking the case to the court of session under the Lands Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act, 1845, Lord Pearson could not see his way to submit the question to arbitration, will he consider the expediency of amending the Light Railways Act, 1896, so as to secure the appointment of arbitrators for the consideration of all cases of dispute of this description.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am not aware that the facts are as stated, but I believe some litigation has been in progress with regard to questions connected with the acquisition of a portion of the land for this railway. If the hon. Member will refer to Sections 12, 13, and 26 of the Light Railways Act, he will see that ample provision is made for the application to light railways of the procedure under the Lands Clauses Acts. It is, however, impossible to provide that parties shall not have access to the courts of law to obtain legal decisions upon those sections or other matters affecting their interests.