The House of Commons, on Monday, came to a vote
of some importance. The Bill before it was only a local Bill, allowing a tramway company to use steam ; but it brought down a very full House, and the discussion turned entirely on the general pro- priety of the use of steam-engines on tramways. Hitherto Members have been decidedly in favour of horses, but the report of the Committee of 1877 seems to have changed many opinions. Mr. Arthur Peel strongly advocated the Bill, as did Admiral Egerton ; it was supported by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and passed by 216 to 119,—a majority of 97. The speed allowed is not to exceed ten miles an hour in the country, and eight in town, which is two miles too high in each case ; but the vote may yet be found to have been an enormous boon to the iron trade. Steam tramways, properly managed, would be supplementary railways.
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