§ MR. HUMEwished to know whether the Government were taking measures, or intended to take measures, for carrying out the principle recommended by the Committee of last Session, of making preliminary inquiries into the details of Private Bills before they were submitted to the House. The Railway Board, as a matter of course, ought to take charge of the preliminary inquiries connected with applications for Railway Bills, in order that by inquiries on the spot the relative merits of contending schemes might be ascertained. If the board had discovered that the powers with which they were invested were inadequate to the right discharge of their duties, they should make a report to the House on the subject. He had understood from a statement made by Mr. Phillips that great satisfaction had been given in the working of the Private Bill Act of last Session. It had been the means of saving money and time, and adjusting differences between local parties. He wished to know what measures the Railway Board were taking for carrying out preliminary inquiries, and whether they were prepared to report to the House their opinion on each line before it was submitted to Parliament? Unless this was done, he thought that the board would fail in a most essential particular.
§ MR. STRUTTagreed with the hon. Member for Montrose in the advantage of a preliminary inquiry being made before any Private Bill was brought before the House. Last year a Bill had been passed authorizing preliminary inquiries to be made on the spot in reference to a certain class of Bills; and he could bear testimony with Mr. Hume to the beneficial effects which had arisen from that measure; and he also agreed with the hon. Member in thinking that the same principle should be applied to Railway Bills. That question had been referred to the Railway Board, and a measure authorizing preliminary inquiries on the respective merits of railway projects was in preparation, and in a short time would be submitted to the House. He could assure the hon. Member for Mon- 767 trose that no unnecessary delay had taken place.
§ MR. HUMEexpressed his satisfaction at the statement made, and begged to assure the hon. Gentleman that he had made no charge against the board of negligence or delay.