HC Deb 09 April 1866 vol 182 cc888-9

Bill read a second time.

MR. ALDERMAN LAWRENCE moved that the Bill be referred to the same Select Committee which was then considering the London (City) Corporation Gas Bill.

MR. ADAIR

said, he understood that the sole object of the Bill was a financial one, and that it did not at all affect the question whether gas had been well or ill supplied to the public. It, therefore, ought not to be referred to the same Committee as the other Bill.

MR. LOCKE

said, he thought it most important that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee. If there was nothing for them to consider, so much the better for the Committee.

MR. KINNAIRD

said, he must oppose the Motion for referring the Bill to the Committee which had the City of London Corporation Gas Bill before it. The present Bill was a merely financial one, and limited to the purpose of raising money to pay for new buildings which the company were under the Gas Act obliged to erect. Every protection for the interest of the public was secured by the Bill, and there was not a single clause in it giving any additional powers to the Commissioners. It was therefore hard, simply because the City of London was piqued at not being able to pass its Bill, that the promoters of the present measure should be put to the expense and inconvenience of having their Bill sent to the same Committee.

MR. ROEBUCK

said, he wished to know what harm there was in submitting this Bill to the consideration of a Committee. If the promoters of the Bill were right the Committee would decide in their favour. If they were wrong they would be beaten. On that simple consideration he thought the Bill ought to be referred to a Committee. He believed there was not a gas company in the City of London that was not at this time cheating the public.

MR. DODSON

said, the object of the Bill was simply to raise additional capital. At the present moment there was only one petition against it, and as to that the locus standi of the petitioner was disputed. If the Bill should prove to be an unopposed Bill, it would be somewhat hard on the promoters to refer it to a Committee and put the promoters to the expense of appearing by counsel. If, on the other hand, the petitioners should make good their ground against the Bill, the House would refer it to the Committee to which the other gas Bills had been referred. The Motion of the hon. Member for the City of London (Mr. Alderman Lawrence) should be postponed till Friday next, when it would be seen whether the Bill was an opposed or an unopposed one. It could not be committed until eight days after the second reading.

MR. ALDERMAN LAWRENCE

said, that the Committee had instructions from the House to go into the whole question of gas and of the Act of 1860. It was clearly understood that all measures relating to the supply of gas should be referred to that Committee, and he therefore trusted the House would refer this Bill also. He denied that the corporation of the City of London was actuated by any pique in the matter

Motion made, and Question put, "That the Bill be committed to the Select Committee on the London (City) Corporation Gas Bill."—(Mr. Alderman Lawrence.)

The House divided:—Ayes 73; Noes 36: Majority 37.