PRIVATE BILLS.—-STANDING ORDER 120. (Hansard, 24 February 1863)

§ MR. MASSEY
said, he rose to move that Standing Order 120, relating to private business, be repealed, and instead thereof the following be made a Standing Order of the House: — It shall be competent to the Committee on any Private Bill to admit the Petitioners, being the municipal or other authority having the local management of the Metropolis or of any town, or the Inhabitants of any town or district alleged to be injuriously affected by a Bill, to be heard against such Bill, if they shall think fit. He made the Motion pursuant to a pledge he had given the House a few days ago, on the occasion of a discussion relating to the numerous railway and other Bills affecting the Metropolis, which would come before Parliament in the present Session. The main object of the proposed Standing Order was to give the Metropolitan Board of Works, as the most competent body to be intrusted with the office, a locus standi before the Committees on those Bills, with the view of protecting the interests of the public generally from being injuriously affected by those undertakings.

MR. HARVEY LEWIS
said, he wished to thank the hon. Member for Salford for having so promptly prepared the new Standing Order. He felt convinced it would be of the greatest value to the public, and especially to the inhabitants.

§ MR. LOCKE
said, he wished to know whether it was intended by the proposed Standing Order that the municipality and "the inhabitants of any town or district" were to have co-ordinate powers to act under the circumstances referred to; because it might so happen, that notwithstanding the existence of the Metropolitan 723 Board of Works, the interests of the public at large might be in danger of being sacrificed. As an illustration of his meaning, he would refer to the proceedings of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, who, it appeared, with the consent of the London Corporation, was about to construct one of those frightfully ugly viaducts across Ludgate Hill, and thereby to shut out the view of St. Paul's.

§ MR. COX
expressed his approbation of the proposed alteration of the Standing Order.

§ COLONEL WILSON PATTEN
said, that under the Order, as proposed, there was no doubt that the "inhabitants of any town or district" might be allowed to appear before a Committee.

§ MR. CRAUFURD
said, he wished to ask what was the object in using the expression "municipal or other" authorities?

§ MR. MASSEY
explained, that the Metropolitan Board of Works not being strictly a municipal authority, the words "or other" were necessary to include it within this Order.