AN IMPORTANT ACTION FOR ONE PENNY.

Evening Star, Issue 5041, 1 May 1879, Page 3

AN IMPORTANT ACTION FOR ONE PENNY.

. The * Pall Mall Gazette ’ of February 3 says :—“ There will be some consternation among railway managers at the judgment given on Saturday by the Court of Appeal in the case of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company v, Watson. The amount sought to be recovered by the company from the defendant was only Id, but the question involved was one of no slight importance. On April 5, 1877, Mr Watson travelled from Norwood Junction to Lower Norwood on the company’s line without having previously taken a ticket, but with no intention to evade payment of the fare, which for the distance travelled was 7d. At Lower Norwood, however, the railway officials demanded Bd, being the fare' from New Croydon ; and, as Mr Watson declined to pay more than the amount actually due—namely, 7d—the company brought an action against him to recover the balance of Id. In thq first instance they sued him in the County Court; but upon the decision being given in his favor, the company brought an action against him in the Court of Common Pleas. Here they met with no better luck than in the County Court, and they therefore appealed. Again the decision has been adverse their , claim. They sought, as Lord Justice Bramwell observed in delivering judgment,’ 1 to recover a fare and not a ; penalty, and this faro must be recovered not as a penalty, but as a debt.’ They could not, however, in his opinion, enforce such a debt. The railway company might insist on a passenger paying for his ticket before carrying him, and if they gave him credit they could insist or. his paying such fare as they demanded, but only for the distance actually travelled.’ The company cannot fix and insist on the payment of a fare at their pleasure. The appeal was therefore dismissed. After this decision railway companies will no doubt ceaso in future to demand fares for imaginary distances from passengers who, with no intention to commit a fraud, have travelled without taking a ticket, or—which they have a perfect right to do—will refuse to carry passengers who do not show their tickets before commencing their journey.

u Beat! Possidentes.” - Canvasser (to thrifty rustic who has recently taken a little farm); “ Well, Thomas) you’ll give your vote to Squire Shoddy at 'tho next election ” Thomas : “ No, I shan’t. I ha’ got ’un, and I mean to keep ’un myself—l bean’t a goin’ to gi’ un to nobody 1”— * Punffi.’