§ Mr. Humesaid, that in the course of the present Session arrangements had been made by which the duties which were performed by officers of that House in connexion with the business of Private Bill agents, were put an end to from the commencement of next Session. In the course of the inquiries of the Select Committee on the House of Commons' offices, it was found that individuals acting as Private Bill agents had not fulfilled the engagements of the House by paying the fees on different Bills. It appeared advisable to the Committee that the present system should be altered; but nothing was farther from the wish of the Committee than to establish anything like a 1255 monopoly. The following paragraph was accordingly to be found in the third Report of the Select Committee on Printed Papers:—"Whilst your Committee agree with the Committee of 1833, and have elsewhere recommended that no officer of the House be allowed in future to conduct any private business as agent for Private Bills, or as agent at Election Committees, it appears desirable that agents so employed should be in some degree answerable to the Speaker and to the clerk of the House for correct conduct, and for their observance of the rules and orders of the House; but your Committee are of opinion, that evil instead of good would accrue to the community, if anything approaching to a monopoly or restriction of the number of agents should be produced under the recommendation they have offered." Any Gentleman who had had to transact private business must have felt the inconvenience that arose from the ignorance on the part of agents of the forms of the House, and also from the class from which they were often selected. The Committee considered it important that the officers of that House should have nothing to do with the conduct of the private business before it. The House, in making that very wise alteration, had made a considerable pecuniary sacrifice, in consequence of giving ample salaries to those officers who relinquished their private business, and compensation for their salaries to those who had retired, rather than give up their business as private agents. The Committee were most anxious that it should be clearly understood by the public, that no person filling the situation of servant to that House had any longer anything to do, directly or indirectly, with the conduct of the private business before it. The hon. Member concluded by moving the following resolution:—"That this House do agree with the Committee in their opinion as regards agents conducting or attending on the private business of this House; and that Mr. Speaker be requested to prepare such regulations as he may think best calculated to carry into effect the recommendation of the Committee."
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequerentirely approved of the course taken by the hon. Member for Middlesex. He was quite sure the House would have perfect confidence in leaving the matter in the hands of the Speaker, to consider what regulations should be imposed upon the 1256 agents, which would give security to the public.
§ Mr. Wilksthought the recommendation of the Committee ought not to take effect until the next Session of Parliament.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequercould not agree with the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Wilks) that these regulations were not to take effect until the next Session of Parliament. If they were not now adopted, and acted upon, parties applying for Bills might very fairly say. that they were legislating ex post facto, and the House could not, under such circumstances, avail themselves of the advantages derivable from the plan.
§ Mr. Wilksthought it would be imposing a heavy burden upon the Speaker to compel him to give effect to those regulations. Independently of this objection, they should not be brought forward at that late period of the Session.
§ Mr. HumeThe hon. Member for Boston was himself a party to, and approved of, the paragraph in question. It would be time enough when the House met next year to make alterations if there were anything objectionable in these resolutions.
§ Resolutions were agreed to.