Mr. Grimston, Chairman of the International and Electric Telegraph Company,
protests against the Government Bill for the purchase of the Telegraphs. He complains that it is really com- pulsory, which is indirectly true, and ought to be true directly ; that the Board of Trade is to fix the arbitrator,—he wants a special jury interested in heavy prices, says the Belgian and Swiss statistics are all wrong, which is quite probable ; and affirms that abroad the telegraphs produce loss to the State, a conclusive argument against any compensation to Mr. Grimston, who is only relieved of costly property. He doubts the prudence of giving so vast a patronage to Government—which will open the clerkships to competition—and says the whole telegraphic correspondence of the country will be open to Government. Why? Is that cor- respondence, then, open to Mr. Grimston, who has just as much power over his line as the Postmaster-General will have?
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