§ (3.35.) MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I desire to ask whether any report is to be made to the House as to the retirement of the Chairman of the Committee upon the North Eastern Railway Company's Bill for the purchase of the Hull Docks and other purposes, after the hearing of the whole of the evidence; and what effect the withdrawal of the Chairman has had on the finding of the Committee?
§ MR. SPEAKERIn reply to the question of the hon. Member, I have to say that a few minutes before the Committee sat on Friday the hon. Gentleman the Member for West Islington (Mr. Richard Chamberlain) came to me and informed me that he was under some doubt as to his being qualified to adjudicate on the Bill in consequence of some interest he had in, I think, the North Eastern Railway Company, who are promoters, I believe, of the Hull Docks Bill. I had no time to refer to any precedents; the Committee was about to sit, and I recommended the hon. Member to take the course I should have considered it my duty to take under like circumstances, having doubt as to my competency to adjudicate upon a Bill. I had the less doubt in recommending him to take that course, inasmuch as his withdrawal would not in any way invalidate the proceedings of the Committee; and the three hon. Gentlemen left on the Committee—the Chairman having withdrawn from adjudication and taking no further part in the proceedings—would be competent to choose another 1921 Chairman in his place, and proceed to deal with their Report. This they did, and, as I am informed, threw out the Bill. A Report has, in accordance with the regulations of the House, been made to the House that Mr. Richard Chamberlain—
Having stated he was unable to take further part in the proceedings of the Committee on account of his being a shareholder in the North Eastern Railway Company did not further attend the Committee.That being the case, I do not know that the House has any remedy in its hands. Though the Chairman considered himself disqualified to act, the proceedings of the Committee were not invalidated ab initio or in any part, and in preparing their Report the Committee came to the decision to throw out the Bill. I do not think the House has any action to take in the matter.