§ MR. ARTHUR ARNOLDasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the increase of Private Bills dealing with settled land, as to the provisions of which the House has no information or Report; and, whether, having regard to the public interests involved in these transactions, he is prepared to advise the House that in future Sessions it would be desirable to refer all Private Estate Bills to a Select Committee?
MR. GLADSTONESir, this Question of my hon. Friend is one of considerable interest. In nothing is the overwork of this House more manifest than in the way in which measures of the nature and importance of the Bills to which my hon. Friend refers have been allowed to pass through, and obtain our definitive sanction, without our bestowing upon them an amount of attention at all proportionate to the great importance of their provisions. I am afraid, Sir, that I cannot look with any confidence to the adoption of the remedy proposed by my hon. Friend with respect to referring these Bills to a Select Committee; because what I am afraid will happen will be this—that it will be the duty, according to usage, of such a Select Committee to view the Bills mainly in the light of their being opposed or unopposed. Now, these Bills would be practically unopposed, because the parties concerned and immediately affected would be all agreed in promoting them. I am afraid, therefore, that reference to a Committee would not secure the full investigation of the Bills, or the consideration, on their provisions, of how far they deviate from what may be considered the established rule of legislation with regard to land. I think this is a matter in which we ought to look to the aid of the House of Lords, for these Bills are made the subject in the House of Lords of a regular reference to Judges. From that source we possibly may obtain some assistance which will be a guide to the House of Commons, and which, at any rate, will secure our giving due attention to these 1852 important measures. Probably the attention of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has been called to the subject, and I am sure he will be ready to consider whether anything can be done in that direction.
§ MR. RAIKESDoes the right hon. Gentleman know, as a matter of fact, that there has been an increase in the number of Private Estate Bills; and, whether they are considerable in number?
MR. GLADSTONEI am not cognizant either of the fact how far they have increased of late years, or as to their number.