Bridge Law.
Page 10
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We regret to have to record that. the House of Lords, on Friday last, reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal in the matter of the owner's obligations as to the condition of a bridge on The Sharpness Canal undertaking. The Worcester Corporation -had previously been successful, in securing a decision to the effect that the bridge should be brought up to strength to meet the requirements of the traffic of the day, and not merely of the traffic at the time of construction. The new and final decision is one which will require some examination, and we may refer to it again in an early issue. It rests entirely upon the construction of the private Act under which the Sharpness Canal was constructed, and the House of Lords has now decided that this Canal Co. has merely to maintain the bridge structure which was approved by the Commissioners appointed under its Act. Every case of bridge strength will, therefore, apparently have to be considered on the true construction of the particular Act under which any undertaking was authorized. The original decision of Mr. Justice Phillimore has practically been restored.