§ Mr. Serjeant Onslowrose, pursuant to notice, to propose that the House should adopt a new Standing Order, declaring that no bill for altering the regulations of any particular trade should be read a first time in that House until such bill had the sanction of the report of a select committee. He briefly set forth the advantages to be expected from adopting this proposition, and stated the chamber of commerce at Birmingham to have voted a petition praying for the adoption of such an arrangement. He then moved, "That no Bill regulating the conduct of any Trade, altering the Laws of Apprenticeship in relation to any particular business, affixing marks to designate the quality of any manufacture, prohibiting the manufacture of any species of commodity, or extending the term of any patent, shall be read a first time in this House, until a Select Committee shall have inquired into the expediency or inexpediency of the proposed regulations, and shall have reported to the House the result of such inquiries."
§ Mr. Mansfieldopposed the motion. The present moment was, he observed, a most unfavourable one for the introduction of such a measure—a moment when petitions were coming in from all quarters, complaining of distress, and praying for relief from the operation of certain restrictions affecting trade. If the House should entertain the motion, he hoped it would not be allowed to have a retrospective effect. But he looked upon the appointment of a committee for the introduction of a bill regulating trade, in some instances as vexatious, and causing unnecessary delay. If, therefore, the House would go with him, he would move the previous question.
Mr. Baringwould not support the motion if he conceived it calculated to throw any obstacle in the way of any petitioners to that House; but, if he understood the object of the hon. and learned gentleman, it was to procure more attention to bills 1051 of the nature to which he had alluded than they might otherwise receive. Inconveniences had arisen from the passing of bills on the spur of some particular distress, which he thought would be avoided by having them previously submitted to a committee.
§ Mr. Littletonwas glad to find such a measure introduced. It was not an uncommon thing to find bills passed in one session relating to trade?, without consulting those parties most interested, which it was found necessary to repeal in the next, in consequence of representations of their bad effects. If this measure was calculated to injure trade, how came it to have been prayed for by the chamber of commerce of Birmingham?
§ Mr. Creevey,though he would offer no observation upon the merits of the proposed order, yet, considering that a standing order was a most important subject, he did not wish to see it passed without due consideration.
§ Mr. Serjeant Onslowreplied, that he had given notice of such a measure as this in the last session of the last parliament. The hon. member could not therefore say that the House were at all taken by surprise on this occasion. His object was for the benefit of those engaged in trade.
Mr. Westernconceived that the question was one of serious consideration, and ought to be sent to a committee.
§ Lord Althorpthought that the proposed order would be a good one; but he agreed in the suggestion of sending it for consideration to a committee.
§ Mr. Serjeant Onslowsaid, he had no objection to refer the matter to a committee, if the House thought proper.
§ The motion was then withdrawn, and a select committee was appointed to consider the propriety of a standing order such as the learned gentleman had moved for.