companies are bound to make adequate provision for the receipt and forwarding of traffic without unreasonable delay ; they must not give any undue preference to any person or company with regard to their traffic. Where canals are in communication one with another, each canal company must affbrd the others all necessary facilities for receiving and for warding their traffic over its own canal. A book of rates must be kept by every canal company showing every rate charged for the carriage of traffic other than passengers, whether under special contract or otherwise, and in eluding tables of distances, and distinguishing the different parts of the rate. This book must be kept at all the wharves of the canal and be open to public inspection, so that all persons may know the rates charged, and how made up, e.g. so much for conveyance, and so much for working expenses. A canal company is liable in damages for the neglect or default of its servants in the carriage of animals or goods ; but no 'greater damages can be obtained in respect of animals than as follows : for a horse 1)50 ; for neat cattle, per head, .115 ; and for sheep or pigs, per head, .1.?2, unless the sender has pre viously declared a greater value. This liability of a canal company does not prevent it, by way of precaution against risk, making any just and reasonable conditions as to the receiving, forwarding, and delivery of traffic. The whole question of canals has recently been the subject of a Canal Commission, whose Report, issued in 1909, uokes certain interesting recommendations.
Canal companies are subject to the Railway Commission, and it is to these commissioners that any person should apply when the companies fail to comply with the regulations. Thus if the rates charged are too excessive, or undue preference is given to any particular class or person, an application may be made to the commissioners for readjustment of the rates, or disallowance of the agreement alleged to be an undue preference. See CARRIERS.
Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883, defines a candidate as— Any person elected to serve in Parliament, and any person who is nominated as a candidate, or is declared by himself or by others to be a candidate, on or after the day of issue of the writ, or after the dissolution or vacancy in e.onsequenco of
which such writ has been issued.
As will be seen elsewhere, it is most important to know whether a candi dature does in fact exist, and if so, when it commenced ; for with the com mencement of the candidature the election itself may be said to commence. Statute law does not say when an election begins, and some judges have said that one cannot go behind the appointment of an election agent and start from an earlier date. But notwithstanding such an opinion it is entirely a matter of sound judgment to say how far one may go back, and how far one may not. When the candidate himself conies—the moment he conies in bodily shape—within the constituency, saying, " I am your candidate ! " be cannot be heard to say that the election has not begun. He takes up the position, not of saying "I will be your candidate when I am asked," or whenever it may be, but lie comes and begiLs from that time the fight of the Election.
But it is impossible to lay down any definite rule as to when the conduct of an election begins, or to deal with it otherwise than as a question of fact, in which the general political history of the period and the conduct of the individual candidate are alike to be taken into account. It would be un reasonable to assume that a gentleman resident in the district, who has shown an active interest in party politics in the past, and who has been invited to become a candidate, is to be taken to have assumed the responsi bilities of candidature because he continues to be an active worker in support of the principles he has always supported. As soon, however, as lie begins to hold meetings in the constituency to advance his candidature—in other words, as soon as he begins to take measures to promote his election— the election commences. See CORRUPT PRACTICES ; BRIBING ; CANVASSING.
canvassing for votes at an election, care should be taken not to offer to the voter any bribe, inducement, or threat ; and it is advisable that, in order to meet any possible future suggestion, the canvas sing should be done by two or more canvassers at the same time, one of whom should be a responsible person. A paid election clerk may canvass, but only apart from his duties as such, and as a voluntary addition to his work.