In the beginning of the week came news of the
cutting of the first sod of the first Norwegian railway—a work of British enterprise and capital. A few days later, came intelligence that to British undertakers has been conceded the construction of railway lines in the Papal territories. The contract for a railway across the Zsthmus of Suez is all but completed, and at the head of the under- taking is the same English engineer who has charge of the Nor- wegian works.- The field of British railway enterprise is rapidly extending. But the improved skill of British railway manage-
ment does not keep pace with its territorial aggrandizement. Wit- ness the accidents of the week on the Great Northern and the North-western lines. There is gross culpability here ; for with due attention and precaution, travelling by railway ought to be the safest of all. In the proceedings of the Coroner's inquest at Biwa- ter we perceive signs of a conviction that the great bulk of our railway accidents are altogether owing to defective management. The other that the Directors of the North-western Railway who were present should withdraw while their servants were under examination, implied a belief that they had an interest in getting up a colourable case. It is true that the absence of the Directors from the examination was an inadequate protection ; for the men knew right well that every word they might utter would be re- ported in the newspapers : but the order of the Jury was not the less on this account a deliberate expression of a rooted conviction, that the Railway Directors, having something to conceal, would intimidate the witnesses if they could.
