The railway shareholders, led by Lord Brabourne, whom Mr. 'Gladstone,
in a moment of weakness, made a Peer, are puisuing a somewhat risky course. They are trying to combine all shareholders into a single powerful interest or association, in- tended to bring pressure to bear on Parliament. The Associa- tion now includes most Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen, and some 4,000 large "holders," and hopes, according to Lord Wemyss, who spoke at a great meeting on Thursday, to "con- trol Sir Frederick Peel " (Chairman of the Railway Commission), "Mr. Childers, caucuses, Cabinets, rtc., in the interests of liberty and property." Just at present, they only want to punish Mr. Childers for making the removal of the passenger duty contingent on the reduction of fares, but they do not conceal that they want to be rid of official control altogether. If they become strong enough to deflect legislation, as they do in America, it will be necessary for constituencies to regard office on a Railway Board as a disqualification for election.
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