§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, it would be in the recollection of the House that at the end of last Session it was resolved by the House that a Court of Referees should be appointed for the investigation of Private Bills before those Bills went to a Select Committee. That step had been taken as an experiment, and they had now got so far into the present Session that they were called on to decide whether the system should be made permanent, submitted to further trial, or abolished. He therefore begged to move that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the operation of the Court of Referees on Private Bills.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Select Committee appointed, "to inquire into the operation of the Court of Referees on Private Bills:"—Colonel WILSON PATTEN, Mr. DODSON, Mr. MILNER GIBSON, Mr. LOWE, Mr. EDWARD PLEYDELL BOUVERIE, Lord ROBERT CECIL, Lord STANLEY, MR. INGHAM, Mr. SCHOLEFIELD, Mr. WOODD, Mr. BONHAM-CARTER, Mr. ENNIS, Mr. THOMPSON, Mr. GATHORNE HARDY, and Sir JOHN SHELLEY:—Five to be the quorum.—(Colonel Wilson Patten.)