§ On the Motion of Colonel WILSON PATTEN, the Select Committee on Standing Orders nominated, as follow:—Colonel WILSON PATTEN, Mr. WALPOLE, Mr. HENLEY, Mr. WRIGHTSON, Mr. HERBERT, Mr. BRAMSTON, Mr. BONHAM-CARTER, Mr. LEFROY, Mr. DUNLOP, Mr. PULLER, and Mr. EDWARD EGERTON.
MR. HODGSONbegged to ask the hon. and gallant Member, Whether it was his intention to move the re-appointment of the Committee which sat last Session upon the subject of the fees paid to the House on Private Bills; the House, however, having separated without having come to any conclusion on the subject. The amount of fees paid by the promoters of Private Bills in that House was so enormous that it was perfectly scandalous, It was more than sufficient to pay the whole expenses of the House of Commons' establishment connected with Public as well as Private Bills. The charge for the establishment was about £50,000 a year, and for many years the amount of fees exceeded that sum. In one year, 1845, the fees amounted to £220,000, and two years ago it was £70,000, allowing a considerable surplus to be handed over to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It appeared extremely unfair that the promoters of 259 Private Bills should pay for the whole expense of the public establishment. It was quite right that they should pay towards printing Local and Personal Acts, and for the clerks and attendants on the committee-rooms, but the fees ought not to exceed the amount of those legitimate expenses. This was a matter which required immediate attention, so that an alteration should take place for the benefit of the promoters of Bills in the present Session. The Committee which was appointed last year had no authority to refer to the enormous fees allowed to be taken by solicitors and Parliamentary agents with respect to Private Bills. He would only mention one fact, as a proof that that matter also required consideration. When two or three copies of the minutes of evidence were supplied, the cost did not exceed 2d. per folio; yet for the mere mechanical lithographing of the shorthand writers' notes solicitors were allowed to charge 8d. per folio, and he had known many cases where the expense of the minutes of evidence amounted to £150 a day for several weeks, during which time the Committee sat. If nothing were done in any other quarter, he hoped his hon. and gallant Friend would take some steps to relieve the promoters of Private Bills from such heavy charges.
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, he had called attention to the subject last Session, and moved the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the subject of the fees paid by the promoters of Private Bills; and that Committee recommended that the subject should in the present Session be again taken into consideration. It was perfectly true that the fees upon Private Bills in that House were very large, but they formed a very small portion of the enormous expenditure to which parties seeking Private Bills were subjected. The general expense of private legislation was now so great that public attention had been roused, and a general impression prevailed that the matter ought to be considered. That being the prevalent opinion, and being not unmindful of the recommendations of the Committee, it was his intention to move the re-appointment of the Committee if the matter were not taken up in another quarter. But he had been in communication with Her Majesty's Government, and he was not without hopes that they would devote their attention to the whole subject with a view to establishing a better system, and abolishing the present enor- 260 mous expenses. The matter was well worthy the attention of Her Majesty's Government, and should they fail to take it up, he would certainly move the appointment of a Committee to consider the whole subject, which was left imperfect by the Committee of last Session.
§ Afterwards,
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, at the early part of the evening he had been asked a Question, whether he intended to move for the re-appointment of the Committee of last Session to inquire into the fees and expenses attendant upon private legislation? The answer he gave was, that his action on that subject would depend upon the course the Government took. He now wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it was his intention to introduce a Bill with a view to the reduction of the expenses connected with private legislation?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, that when the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Whalley) moved for leave to bring in a Bill having reference to the expense of Private Bills, he (Mr. Milner Gibson) stated, on the part of the Government, their opinion that an important change, such as that contemplated by the Bill ought not to be agreed to by the House without a preliminary inquiry. In accordance with that view he proposed, having conferred with the Members of the Government, to move for such a Committee as that referred to by the hon. and gallant Gentleman (Colonel Wilson Patten). He hoped the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Whalley) would not proceed with the second reading of his Bill, should the House consent to appoint a Committee to inquire into the subject, but allow it to stand over until that Committee had completed its inquiry. The order of reference would, of course, include the object of the hon. and gallant Gentleman—the resumption of the inquiry of last Session. He would give notice either that night or to-morrow of the Motion for the appointment of the Committee.