"To nominate the Select Committee on Private Bill Procedure (Scotland) Bill:—The Lord Advocate, Mr. Anstruther, Mr. Blake, Mr. Caldwell, Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, Dr. Clark, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Crombie. Sir Charles Dalrymple, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Herbert Lewis, Sir Herbert Maxwell, Mr. McKillop, Sir Robert Reid, Mr. Renshaw, Mr. Thorburn, and Mr. Stuart Wortley; That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records; That five be the quorum."—(Sir William Walrond.)
§ On the name of the Lord Advocate,
§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)I do not wish to re-open the Debate we had last night, nor do I wish to challenge the composition of the Committee. No doubt it has been put together with great care and skill, and I observe on it the names of what may be called most representative Scotchmen. The only thing I wish to do is to enter one final protest against the narrow limits out of which this Committee has been formed.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe honourable Member cannot enter into a general discussion of that kind. He must give his reasons for or against the name of the Lord Advocate being accepted by the House.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONMay I challenge a name?
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe honourable Member may object to a name.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONI only wish to challenge a name for the purpose of raising, in a very slight form, the question we discussed last night.
§ * MR. SPEAKERIf I understand the honourable Member aright, what he wishes to do is to challenge the presence of English Members on the Committee.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONYes.
§ * MR. SPEAKERIn that case the honourable Member can best raise that point by challenging the name of an English Member when that name is arrived at. At present what he is objecting to is the name of a Scotch Member.
§
Question put—
That the following be members of the Committee: The Lord Advocate, Mr. Anstruther, Mr. Blake, Mr. Caldwell, Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, and Dr. Clark.
§ Agreed to.
§
Question put—
That Mr. Courtney be a member of the Committee.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONI object. There is no one in the House whom I would rather see on the Committee than the right honourable Gentleman. He has great experience in these matters, and I would welcome him the more especially because of the views he is known to entertain. I am sure he would be a very valuable member of this or any other Committee. I only wish, in objecting to his name, to make a protest against the composition of a Committee of this kind, because it is not entirely made up of Scotch Members. I hope that no charge of obstruction will be brought against Scotch Members, who, having been kept out, perhaps necessarily, from this 1315 Committee, will, in discussing a matter of so much importance to their country, take every opportunity allowed by the forms of the House to debate the various questions deliberated and decided upon upstairs.
§
Question put—
That Mr. Courtney, Mr. Crombie, Sir Charles Dalrymple, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Herbert Lewis, Sir Herbert Maxwell, Mr. McKillop, Sir Robert Reid, Mr. Renshaw, Mr. Thor-burn. and Mr. Stuart Wortley be members of the Committee.
§ Agreed to.
§
Question put—
That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records.
§ MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)There is one question with regard to the power of the Committee that is very important. It was raised last night, and I do not feel at all sure whether the power given to the Committee is sufficient to cover the point I am raisins, which is a very important part of the question of private Bill procedure. My point is in regard to the House fees charged both in this House and the House of Lords. I understood the right honourable Gentleman yesterday, when the question was raised, that he was of opinion that that was a thing that the Committee should enter into. I do not think, Mr. Speaker, that it would be proper to ask you whether it is in order for the Committee to enter into that question; because the Committee will have to decide that for themselves, but I think I may ask the right honourable Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury whether it is the intention of the Government that the Committee shall have power to enter into that very essential part of the question, and whether the Government is willing to move a special instruction that the Committee shall have power to take evidence and to enter into the subject in the Report that they will give to the House, if it should turn out that the present reference does not give sufficient power without such special instruction.
§ MR. CALDWELL (Lanark, Mid)There can be no doubt that the Committee will have ample power. The scheme proposed is that there should be a new system altogether differing entirely from the existing system. It seems to lie, therefore, that the Committee will have ample power to inquire into the matter mentioned by my honourable Friend without this special instruction.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The honourable Gentleman who has just sat down has taken, I think, a correct view of the powers of the Committee. I do not believe there will be any difficulty in carrying out the investigation which my honourable Friend desires, because, in my opinion, it is essential, in order to estimate the value and the cost of the new system the cost of the existing system should be before those who have to form a judgment. I believe that the powers of the Committee are ample for any such purpose.
§ Question agreed to.
§
Question put—
That five be the quorum.
§ Agreed to.