(3.20.) MR.L.H.COURTNEY (Cornwall, Bodmin)It will be in the remembrance of some Members of the House who were also in the last Parliament that on the 20th of June I moved a series of Resolutions having the effect of enabling Private Bills which had not passed both Houses to be suspended at the stage they reached immediately before the Dissolution, and to be resumed at the same stage in the present Session. But I thought it necessary to say then that though in doing so I followed the precedents of 1880 and 1885 the circumstances of the Session were so different from those on the former occasions that I scarcely anticipated 186 that similar results would follow to those which followed the passing of those Resolutions in the years I mentioned. In 1880, it will be remembered, the Dissolution occurred at Easter, and half the Sessional work remained to be done, and there was abundant opportunity for discharging the Private Bill work during the renewed Session. In 1886, though the Dissolution came later in the year, there remained a large proportion of the work of Supply to be discharged, hon. Members had to be in constant attendance, and so it was an easy matter to find Members to complete the Committee work upon Private Bills. But, as I said in June last it would be, it is difficult to take up in the present Session any of the work upon Private Bills left over from last Session, and therefore those engaged in the work did their utmost to carry Bills to their last stage. My anticipations have been realised, and it is found absolutely impossible to resume any part of the work left over. I have, therefore, now to move the Motion of which I have given notice, which will have the effect of carrying forward the Resolutions passed in June to the commencement of next Session, so that then it will be possible to take up the Bills at the stage at which they were incomplete at the close of the last Parliament. It is with great reluctance the conclusion has been arrived at, and it is a disappointment to the promoters of the suspended Bills, but examination has shown most clearly that it is practically impossible to take any stage of an opposed Bill during the present Session. It is difficult to get Members of this House or of the other House to attend to these details, the exigencies of the time and the period required preclude all hope of carrying the Bills forward. Therefore I move the Resolution which will enable the Bills to be resumed and the work completed next Session.
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Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the Standing Orders of the 20th June last for the suspension of Private Bills, or Bills to confirm any Provisional Order or Certificate, be now read, and that the same be held applicable to the next Session of Parliament."—(Mr. Courtney.)
§ MR. TIMOTHY HEALY (Louth, N.)May I ask the late Chairman of Committees whether in the House of Lords a similar Resolution will be passed? There are some Irish Bills in the other House in which we take great interest.
§ MR.COURTNEYSuch a Resolution has been passed this morning.
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Question put, and agreed to.
Ordered, That the Standing Orders of the 20th June last for the suspension of Private Bills, or Bills to confirm any Provisional Order or Certificate, be now read, and that the same be held applicable to the next Session of Parliament.—(Mr. Courtney.)