"public is benefited." Railway extension is not promoted in the long run by wasteful financing and ruinous projects. On the con- . trary, such lines injure railway extension, by making railways a byeword, and depreciating railway property; and they render it impossible to find supporters for sound and beneficial schemes.

The proper parties to pay for country lines are the proprietors and inhabitants of the districts through which they pass. They are benefited even if the line does not pay a dividend. They have every motive for economical construction and management, and can make a line pay where no one else can. But they will not subscribe any large portion of the capital as individuals. Very few will make a poor investment of any magnitude for the public good, though all might be ready to take their part in a general rate. Almost every country but our own has recognised the fact, and legislated on this basis, by empowering the inhabitants of a district which would be benefited to tax themselves for the construction of a railway. I have shown that in France either the department or the commune may vote a subvention out of their public funds; and that, in the United States, the municipalities vote subsidies of municipal bonds. In Spain, the provinces and the municipalities have the power to take shares or debentures, or, if they prefer it, to vote subventions, or a guarantee of interest. In Italy, the municipalities do the same thing. Why should not England follow their example, and authorise the inhabitants of parishes and boroughs to rate themselves for a railway which will improve their property, or empower them to raise loans on the security of the rates, to be paid off in a certain number of years by a sinking fund, as is done for sanitary improvements? I see no other way of raising the nucleus of funds for carrying out many rural lines which would be most beneficial to the country.

I can give a remarkable instance of the benefits caused by an unremunerative railway. In 1834 the inhabitants of Whitby projected a line from Whitby along the valley of the Esk to Pickering, halfway to York. The line was engineered by George Stephenson, and was originally worked by horse-power and carriages on the model of the four-horse coaches. But though considered at that time one of the wonders of the world the line was utterly unprofitable, and the Whitby people looked upon it as a bad speculation, much as the shareholders of the London, Chatham, and Dover look on their present property. The railway was ultimately sold to the North-Eastern Company; but though the shareholders got no advantage, somebody else did. Farmers and labourers came to market in Whitby, and got coals and other necessaries at reduced rates, while they sold their produce better. Very soon rents began to rise, and I find the total rise since the construction of the railway has been from an average of 158. per acre up to 228., or nearly 50

per cent. But far greater consequences resulted. The cliffs at Whitby were known to contain nodules of ironstone, which were picked up and sent to iron-works on the Tyne. Soon after the opening of the railway, George Stephenson and a number of Whitby gentlemen formed a company, called the Whitby Stone Company, for working stone quarries and ironstone mines at Grosmont, about six miles up the railway. At first the ironstone was very badly received by the iron founders, and it was only after long and patient perseverance that the company got a sale for what they raised. It was not till 1844 and 1846 that the merits of the Cleveland ironstone were fully acknowledged, and large contracts entered into for its working throughout the district. Thus the unprofitable Whitby and Pickering Railway opened up the Cleveland iron district, and caused the establishment of a very large number of foundries, and the employment of thousands of workmen, and has added very materially to the wealth of England.

XIII.-Conclusion.

From the facts which have been brought forward, I draw the following conclusions:

1. Railways have been a most powerful agent in the progress of commerce, in improving the condition of the working classes, and in developing the agricultural and mineral resources of the country.

2. England has a more complete and efficient system of railways than any other country; but is not so far ahead that she can afford to relax her railway progress, and to let her competitors pass her in the race.

3. England ought to improve the internal organisation of her railways, both as to finance and traffic, and to constitute some central authority with power to investigate and regulate. 4. A Sinking Fund should be instituted to purchase for the State a portion of the railway capital, and so to lighten the charge of the national debt.

5. Power should be given to parishes and boroughs to rate themselves in aid of local railways, in order to facilitate the construction of country lines.

6. England, as a manufacturing and commercial country, is benefited by every extension of the railway system in foreign countries; since every new line opens up fresh markets, and diminishes the cost of transporting her manufactures.

I cannot conclude without saying a word on the future of railways. The progress of the last thirty-six years has been wonderful, since that period has witnessed the construction of about 85,000 miles of railway. The next thirty-six years are likely to witness a

still greater development, and the construction of far more than 85,000 miles. We may look forward to England possessing, at no distant date, more than 20,000 miles, France an equal number, and the other nations of the continent increasing their mileage until it will bear the proportion of 1 railway mile to every 10 square miles of area, instead of the very much less satisfactory proportions stated in the comparative table. We may expect the period when the immense continent of North America will boast of 100,000 miles of line, clustered in the thickly-populated Eastern states, and spreading plentifully through the Western to the base of the Rocky Mountains, and over to California and the Pacific. We may anticipate the time when Russia will bend her energies to consolidating her vast empire by an equally vast railway network. We may predict the day when a continuous railroad will run from Dover to the Bosphorus, from the Bosphorus down the Euphrates, across Persia and Beloochistan to India, and from India to China. We may look for the age when China, with her 350,000,000 of inhabitants, will turn her intelligence and industry to railroad communication.

But who shall estimate the consequences that will follow, the prodigious increase of commerce, the activity of national intercourse, the spread of civilization, and that advance of human intelligence, foretold thousands of years ago by the prophet upon the lonely plains of Palestine, "when many shall run to and fro upon the earth, " and knowledge shall be increased ?"

NOTE. Since reading this paper before the Society my attention has been called to an article on French railways in the "Revue des "Deux Mondes," of 1st Jan., 1866, by M. Lavollée, which, written many months previously, confirms most strikingly my conclusions, especially those which relate to the effect of railways on French commerce and on the welfare of the working classes. It adds many eloquent reflections on railways in relation to civilization and progress, which are well worth perusal.

In the discussion which followed the reading of my paper, the President expressed a wish that I should add information respecting fares and rates, and other points connected with railway working. But I find the subject too extensive for a cursory notice, and the forthcoming Evidence and Report of the Royal Commission on Railways will afford opportunity and material for a more complete survey, which, I trust, will be undertaken by some member of the Society connected with railways.

STATISTICS of METROPOLITAN and PROVINCIAL GENERAL

HOSPITALS for 1865.

FIVE years have now elapsed since the meeting at Guy's Hospital, to which these returns owe their origin; and this, the fifth report, presents, for the principal London hospitals, and for several provincial ones, the leading facts relating to the mortality of these important institutions in the year 1865.

On referring to former reports, it will be seen that, while returns, more or less complete, were obtained for the fourteen general hospitals of the metropolis in 1861, from twelve in 1862, from eleven in 1863, and from nine in 1864; ten hospitals furnished returns in 1865.

Only fifteen provincial hospitals have responded to the circular letters of the Statistical Society, by returning the printed forms, more or less completely filled up. Of these fifteen hospitals, only six have furnished returns for each of the four years comprised in the tables. Of the remainder, one (the Hull General Infirmary) has sent in three returns; five (York County, Taunton and Somerset, Bath United, Northampton General, and Liverpool Royal) two each; and two (Isle of Wight and Wolverhampton) one each. The six hospitals which have supplied returns for four successive years, are the Devonshire, Norfolk and Norwich, Stockport Infirmary, Cheltenham, and Leicester.

The facts, for the general hospitals of the metropolis, published in the first report were rendered complete by inserting for the Middlesex Hospital the figures furnished to the Statistical Department of the Board of Trade; but no direct returns have been obtained from that hospital for any of the five years embraced in these reports. From information recently received, it is inferred that this omission will be supplied in future years.

University

College Hospital, which gave in its return in 1861, has withheld its contribution in subsequent years; Charing Cross Hospital has made no return for two years, the Great Northern for three years, while the Metropolitan Free Hospital, which sent in no return for 1864, has forwarded its return for 1865.

It is probable, therefore, that we may reckon on receiving returns from nine or ten out of the fourteen general hospitals of the metropolis, and from a somewhat larger number of provincial hospitals. As, however, the returns are, and will probably continue to be, incomplete, and as they occupy some space in this Journal, it may become a subject for consideration with the Council whether in future a more simple form of return may not be devised, and a shorter abstract be

conveniently substituted for the longer one hitherto published. It is also reasonable to expect that, by the issue of a more simple printed form, a larger number of returns may be procured. If the Council of the Statistical Society shall see fit to authorise any change in this respect, it will be duly announced to the contributors by printed circular.

Meanwhile Dr. Guy, one of the honorary secretaries of this Society, has undertaken to prepare a paper based on the reports of the five years, 1861-65; and it is probable that the consideration which must thus be given to the subject may lead to the suggestion of some improvements in the forms and returns.

Of the general character of the report for 1865, it may suffice to observe, that the high rate of mortality which prevailed in the metropolitan hospitals during the year 1864 has not been maintained, but that, as a general rule, the deaths have fallen to the more moderate standard of 1863.

Resolution of the meeting held at Guy's Hospital, 21st June, 1861, slightly abbreviated :—

1. That the metropolitan hospitals should adopt one uniform system of registration of patients.

2. That at every metropolitan hospital, there be kept one or more books, which shall comprise the following particulars relating to the patients :-the Age, Sex, Social Relation (Mar., Single, Wid.), Occupation, Name of Disease, or Injury, Date of Admission and Discharge, Result, Days in Hospital, and a column for remarks.

3. That those hospitals which have not yet adopted a system of registration embracing the above particulars, are recommended to employ a register book containing all the annexed particulars in printed columns :—

Number of Patient. | Date of Admission. | Name. | Residence (Street and Parish). | Medical
Officer. Ward. | Age. | Male. | Female. Soc. Relat. (M. S. W.)| Occupation. | Name of
Disease or Injury. Date of Discharge. | Result. | Days in Hospital. Remarks.

And that the first set of headings commencing with "Number," and terminating with "Ward," be printed on the left hand page, and that the remainder be placed on the right hand page of the Register; and also that each page of the register book be ruled to contain either 25, 50, or 100 horizontal lines, each line to give the particulars of an individual case.

4. That as far as practicable in the column of the register book headed Disease or Injury, the nomenclature employed by the Registrar-General be adopted, with the additions contained in the forms submitted by Miss Nightingale to the International Statistical Congress.

5. That the Council of the Statistical Society having kindly undertaken to publish in their Journal some of the leading statistics of the metropolitan hospitals, if provided annually with the necessary information, the authorities of the several metropolitan hospitals be requested, at the close of each year, to draw up and communicate to that Society a summary of the statistics of the hospital for the year; such summary to comprise the data tabulated in the manner represented on the accompanying form.

6. That it be suggested to the authorities of the several metropolitan hospitals, that it will be of great public advantage if they will also publish annually a full report of the statistics of disease treated within the hospital, following, as far as practicable, the arrangement and nomenclature employed by the RegistrarGeneral and by Miss Nightingale in the paper referred to in the third resolution. 7. That in the opinion of this meeting, it is essential that there should be in every hospital an officer charged specially with the duty of attending to the registration of patients.