MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in moving the adoption of several new Standing Orders, stated that he did so in fulfilment of a pledge which he gave to the House some time ago. They had been 964 shown to the Railway Companys and the persons most interested, and any objections which they entertained had been entirely removed. He begged to move the adoption of the following Standing Orders:—
§ 48 A.
§ (Statement relating to houses inhabited by the labouring classes to be deposited in the Private Bill Office.)
§ "1. In the ease of any Bill by which power is sought to take, in any city, town, or parish, fifteen houses or more, occupied cither wholly or partially as tenants or lodgers, by persons belonging to the labouring classes, the promoters be required to deposit in the Private Bill Office on or before the 31st day of December, a statement of the number, description, and situation of the said houses, the number (so far as they can be ascertained) of persons to be displaced, and whether any and what provision is made in the Bill for remedying the inconvenience likely to arise from such displacement, and that such statement be referred to the Committee on the Bill.
§ 181 A.
§ (Notice to occupiers by placards.)
§ "2. In every Bill by which power is sought to take, in any city, town, or parish, fifteen houses or more occupied either wholly or partially as tenants or lodgers, by persons belonging to the labouring classes, a clause shall be inserted to enact that the Company shall, not less than eight weeks before taking any such houses, make known their intention to take the same by placards, handbills, or other general notice placed in public view upon or within a reasonable distance from such houses, and that the Company shall not take any such houses until they have obtained the certificate of a justice in England and Ireland, and of the sheriff in Scotland, that it has been proved to his satisfaction that the Company have made known their intention to take the same in manner required by this provision.
§ 181 B.
§ (Clause to be inserted in Bills.)
§ "3. In every such Bill a Clause shall be inserted, if applicable, requiring the promoters to procure, within a time to be limited, sufficient accommodation for persons belonging to the labouring classes, who will be displaced under the powers of the Bill.
§ 181 C.
§ (Committee to report specially to this House.)
§ "4. The Committee upon every such Bill shall report specially to the House, whether such a Clause has been inserted in the Bill; and, if not, the grounds upon which the Committee have decided it to be inapplicable.
§ "5. That those Orders be Standing Orders of the House."
MR. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHthanked the right hon. Gentleman for thus keeping an important part of the pledge which he had given in the debate on his Motion, and observed that the only cause for regret was that 965 these Standing Orders had not been adopted long ago. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would next Session complete the fulfilment of his promise by finding some means of obliterating from the face of the Metropolis some of those blots which disfigured it, and that he would provide facilities for the acquisition of sites—thus cleared—on which to build dwelling-houses for the working classes.
§ MR. WHITWELLconcurred in the sentiments expressed by his hon. Friend.
§ New Standing Orders agreed to.