§ SIR JAMES M'GAREL-HOGGasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been called to the various Bills with reference to Electric Lighting promoted in the present Session, and to the powers sought to be obtained, more especially as regards controlling authorities, charges, profits, and interference with public thoroughfares; and, whether he has any objection to state what course Her Majesty's Government propose to take with regard to such Bills?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, that the attention of the Government had been directed to this matter, and they proposed to introduce a Bill on the subject. He had been in communication with Lord Redesdale as well as with the Chairman of Committees and the President of the Local Government Board; and at an early date he proposed to introduce a Bill into the House which would lay down the conditions and principles on which, in the opinion of the Government, those Bills should proceed. He hoped that that Bill would be referred to a Joint Committee of both Houses, or to a Hybrid Committee as might be found most expedient, and that all the Electric Light Bills would then be referred to the same Committee.