HC Deb 24 April 1885 vol 297 cc652-3
SIR BERNHARD SAMUELSON

I beg to ask the senior Member for South Durham (Sir Joseph Pease), Whether he is prepared to state, on behalf of the North Eastern Railway Company, what course they intend to take in regard to their Rates and Charges Bill? Perhaps the hon. Baronet will also be able to explain what course the other eight Railway Companies, who have introduced similar Bills, propose to take.

SIR JOSEPH PEASE

The North-Eastern Railway Bill was brought in in order to carry out some of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Committee on Railway Rates and Charges, especially those having regard to the classification of goods and the consolidation of those Statutes by which powers are given to the North-Eastern Railway Company to levy tolls. It proposed in the Bill also to settle the terminal question, and to subject the terminals to the control of the Railway Commission, as suggested in the Report of the Committee on Rates and Charges. While modifications of existing tolls were proposed, there was no desire on the part of the North-Eastern Company to ask for powers to increase the gross amount they could levy by the tolls already granted to them by Parliament. The Company never supposed that the provisions of this Bill would be accepted by Parliament as a solution of those difficult questions without the minutest care and criticism. They were perfectly prepared to pass this Bill in review before any of the usual tribunals of Parliament.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

I rise to Order. I wish to know whether the hon. Gentleman, in answering a Question as to the course he proposes to take in reference to a particular Bill, is in Order in entering into a lengthened statement of the contents of the Bill, and indirectly arguing in its favour?

MR. SPEAKER

As far as the hon. Member has as yet proceeded, I have not observed any argumentative statement, but simply an explanation of what was intended to be done. Of course, any statement of the kind referred to by the noble Lord would be entirely out of Order.

SIR JOSEPH PEASE

The promoters of this Bill, from the communications they have had with traders using their railways, have no reason to suppose that they could not have been able to arrange with the traders of their own district such modifications as would have made this Bill generally satisfactory to them. Having reference to what has passed in this House from the President of the Board of Trade as to the position of the Government in relation to the Railway Bills, and also to the opposition manifested in the country, directed, perhaps, more to questions not dealt with in these Bills than to the contents of the Bills themselves—

MR. SPEAKER

I must ask the hon. Baronet to leave out any controversial matter.

SIR JOSEPH PEASE

I shall propose either not to take further steps with this Bill, or I shall ask leave of the House at an early date to discharge the Order for the second reading of the North-Eastern Railway Company's Bill; and on that occasion perhaps the House would give me leave, should I think it needful, to make some observations more in detail on the reasons which led to the introduction of the Bills, and for taking the course indicated. The same course, I believe, would be followed as regards the Bills of the other Companies.