§ MR. DODSONrose to ask the House to agree to certain Resolutions of which he had given Notice. They had simply for their object to supplement, facilitate, and carry out the 35th section of the Railway Regulations Act of last Session, which provided that, in cases where Bills were promoted by Railway Companies, a meeting of the shareholders, under certain conditions, should be held between the first and second reading of the Bills; and that they should not be read a second time unless the House was satisfied the meetings were held in due form according to the Act. What he now proposed was that the Examiners of Private Bills should ascertain and inform the House whether the meeting of the shareholders had been held. In order to give time for the meeting of the shareholders to be held, and for the Examiners to inquire and make their Report, it would be necessary, in the case of a Bill coming under the operation of the Act, to extend the time allowed by the Standing Orders between the first and second reading of the Bill from seven to fourteen days. He proposed to supplement those Resolutions by another to the effect that, in cases where a poll at a meeting had been taken, the requisite documents should be deposited in the Private Bill Office. The hon. Gentleman concluded by moving his Resolutions.
§ MR. HADFIELDcomplained that the Standing Orders of the House of Commons did not permit of a shareholder being heard before a Committee, while in the Lords shareholders were permitted to appear. He know one case in which shareholders, by availing themselves of the Lords' practice, prevented the issue of £1,800,000 in pre-preference shares. He 106 thought the practice of the two Houses ought to be assimilated.
§ MR. DODSONsaid, that the point referred to by the hon. Gentleman was not a new one; still it might be worthy of consideration at a proper time; but as the Resolutions now before the House applied to the practice of Examiners and not to that of Committees, it would be out of order to discuss it at present.
§
Motion agreed to.
Ordered, That every Railway Bill promoted by an Incorporated Company and originating in this House shall, after having been read a first time, he referred to the Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills, who shall inquire and report as to compliance with the provisions of the Act 31 and 32 Vic. c. 119, s. 35.
Ordered, That the Examiner shall give at least two clear days' notice in the Private Bill Office of the day appointed for such examination, and Standing Orders 76, 77, and 220, shall be applicable to any Memorials complaining of non-compliance with such Provisions.
Ordered, That in the case of such Bills the time limited by Standing Order 191 between the first and second reading shall be extended to, but shall in no case exceed, fourteen days.
Ordered, That the Statement required by the fifth provision of the said 35th section to be laid before Parliament, in case of a poll being taken, shall be deposited in the Private Bill Office.—(Mr. Dodson.)