§ In cases where the Second or Third Reading of a Private Bill, or the Consideration of a Bill as amended by the Committee, or any proposed Clause or Amendment, or any Motion relating to a Private Bill, is opposed, the same shall be postponed until the day on which the House shall next sit. Provided that where any such opposed Private Business is set down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means, and is disposed of, any Motion contingent directly or otherwise thereon, may, with the assent of the Chair, be considered and disposed of at the same sitting.
§ After the words "Provided that" ["Provided that there were any such"] insert the words, "any opposed Private Business set down at a Quarter-past Eight may be arranged in such order as the Chairman of Ways and Means may determine."
§ The CHAIRMAN of WAYS and MEANSI do not propose to move the Amendment down on the Paper, Standing Order 30 A. I cannot secure agreement between the Home Office and the London County Council, for the moment, regarding it. With regard to the other Amendments, the new Standing Order, and the Amendments to Standing Order 26 A and to Standing Order 33, Sub-section (7), hang 1414 together, and will relieve the promoters of Water Bills in England and Wales to some extent of their obligations to submit plans which are not considered necessary by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and which do not affect fisheries. The Amendment to Standing Order 33, Subsection (6) is asked for by the Board of Trade. Powers affecting foreshore are sometimes granted without the knowledge of the Board of Trade, and without the opportunity of asking for protective provisions. The Amendments to Standing Order 185 are proposed at the suggestion of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. The effect of the Amendments is to extend the power of Committees on Water Bills to inquire into the expediency of giving compensation in cases where water of a river or stream is impounded or abstracted. Committees always do inquire, but the Standing Order does not order them to inquire as it will do in its new form. The only other Amendment, that to Standing Order 207, is for the purpose of stating in terms what the practice is. At present the Chairman of Ways and Means has this power, but I think it is advisable, in regard to Standing Orders which regulate Private Business, that it should be stated on the face of the Orders that he has this power.
Amendments agreed to.