General Railway Acts

A COLLECTION

OF THE

PUBLIC GENERAL ACTS

FOR THE

Regulation of Railways:

INCLUDING

THE COMPANIES, LANDS, AND RAILWAYS CLAUSES
CONSOLIDATION ACTS, COMPLETE.

1830-74.

WITH A COPIOUS INDEX.

EDITED BY JAMES BIGG, ESQ.

THIRTEENTH EDITION.

AS AMENDED TO CLOSE OF SESS. 1874.

Westminster :

Published by WATERLOW & SONS, 49, Parliament Street;
Sold by VACHER & SONS, 29 Parliament Street; and P. S. KING,
Canadian Government Building, King Street, Westminster.

1875.

PREFACE.

THIS Collection of General Railway Acts was first published in the year 1845, and during the thirty years that have since elapsed it has passed through several editions, each containing the enactments then in force relating to Railways. The volume now published contains the general Statutes for the Regulation of Railways in England and Ireland in force at the close of 37 & 38 Vict., session 1874, and includes the Companies, Lands, and Railways Clauses Consolidation Acts, with all the amending enactments complete.

The twelfth edition of this work was published in October, 1866. If the Statutes, in whole or in part, affecting railways in England and Ireland, passed since that date had been annually incorporated in the volume, it would have necessitated the publication of new editions which would have superseded the twelfth edition, and the purchase of a copy of each edition would have been necessary. To avoid this it was decided to issue supplements containing the new enactments, the last being published in 1873. The importance of the enactments affecting railways which have since received the sanction of Parliament renders it necessary that a new edition of the volume should now be issued.

In Sessions 1872-1874 four Statutes were passed, in whole or in part affecting railways in England and Ireland, viz.-The Railway Rolling Stock Distraint Act, 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 50), for the protection of railway rolling stock from distraint when on hire. The Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. 48), to make better provision for carrying into effect the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1854; and provides for the appointment of three railway commissioners, with power to hear and determine differences between railway and canal companies. The Railway Regulations Act, 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. 76), which enacts that every railway company shall, on or before the 15th February in every year, make to the Board of Trade returns of

signal arrangements, working, &c., in the form set forth in the
schedules to the Act; and that Coroners are to make returns to
the Secretary of State of all deaths caused by injuries received
on railways, &c. The Board of Trade Arbitrations, Inquiries, &c.
Act, 1874 (37 & 38 Vict. c. 40), which amends the powers of the
Board of Trade with respect to enquiries, arbitrations, appoint-
ments, &c. under Special Acts, and amends the Regulation of
Railways Act, 1873, so far as regards the reference of differences
to the Railway Commissioners in lieu of arbitrators.

Several Statutes have been partially repealed or amended, and

the "Register of Amendments" at page ix contains the particu-

lars thereof; and in the body of the volume, such repealed

or amended provisions are printed in italic type with marginal

references to the Amending Acts, in order that they may be

clearly distinguished from enactments which are still part of

the existing law.

This edition has been revised throughout. The object of the

Editor has been to render the work a complete consolidation of
the General Enactments relating to Railways in England and
Ireland; and in order to facilitate ready reference to their pro-
visions, the Index has been recompiled and extended.

February, 1875.

JAMES BIGG.

[The letters E., I., G. B., E. & I., and U. K., denote as follows-E.,

that the act applies to England only; I., that it applies to Ireland

only; G. B., that it applies only to England and Scotland; E. &

I., that it applies only to England and Ireland; and U. K., that

it applies to England, Scotland and Ireland.]