HC Deb 01 May 1845 vol 80 cc9-10
Sir G. Clerk

wished to call the attention of the House to a Notice placed upon the Paper by his noble Friend the Member for Monmouth (Lord G. Somerset), regarding the Standing Orders he proposed with respect to those Bills which had been for some time under the consideration of the House. The object was to embody in one Act all those provisions which the House, after full consideration, was of opinion ought generally to be introduced into Bills connected with railways, or for giving compulsory power to companies to take lands, or for the regulation of public companies. The right hon. Gentleman moved— That every Committee on a Railway Bill shall, with the Report on the Bill, state whether the provisions of the Companies Clauses Consolidation Bill, the Railway Clauses Consolidation Bill, and the Lands Clauses Consolidation Bill, have been complied with; and if they shall not have been complied with, state in what respects they have not been complied with, and the reasons for such non-compliance. That the Committee on every Bill, other than a Railway Bill, to which the provisions of the Companies Clauses Consolidation Bill, or the Lands Clauses Consolidation Bill, are applicable, shall report to the House any noncompliance with such provisions, and shall state their reasons for permitting such noncompliance.

Sir G. Grey

thought it very desirable that the House should have the means of knowing whether these Consolidation Clauses Bills were followed in the different Private Bills; but it would be absolutely impossible for Committees on the Bills, with their other engagements, satisfactorily to discharge this duty. It would be much better that the Gentleman who prepared the breviates of Bills should make a return to the House, on which they might rely, of the cases of non-compliance.

Mr. Hawes

thought the Resolutions would involve a difficulty, and that the better mode was the plan suggested by his hon. Friend.

Mr. Greene

observed, that the attention of the Committee would be directed by the gentleman who drew the breviates where deviations occurred. The Committees could then report to the House.

Mr. J. Parker

objected to additional labour being imposed on committees.

Sir G. Clerk

Replied that without making an Order of the House, Mr. Booth, the gentleman who prepared the breviates, might point out the deviations in the Bills as they came before Committees. He would not press the Resolutions.

Motion withdrawn.