HL Deb 31 May 1861 vol 163 cc345-6
LORD REDESDALE

moved, That the Standing Order No. clxxxv. (formerly 223) be considered, in order to its being amended in the following manner, after paragraph 2, to insert:— 3. That no Provision authorizing any Company to raise Money or to subscribe towards or to guarantee any Money in the Undertaking of another Company, shall be introduced into any Bill which is not brought in by the Company thereby authorized to raise Money or to subscribe or to guarantee. The noble Lord said the Amendment had become necessary from a practice that had sprung up of Companies bringing in Bills in which powers were taken for other companies to contribute money or to guarantee money; so that a person looking at the especial Act of Parliament governing a particular Company was not enabled to ascertain what was the real extent of the company's liabilities.

THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDE

said, that the effect of adopting this as a Standing Order would be to require Railway Companies to bring in a Bill whenever they proposed to subscribe towards any small branch promoted by a local Company, as well as the new Company applying for Parliamentary powers to construct it. He thought it unwise, where a line was for the benefit of the community, to impose unnecessary difficulties or restrictions on the parties promoting it.

EARL GRANVILLE

said, that although the authority of the noble Lord the Chairman of Committees was of great weight, yet he thought there was much reason in what had been stated by the noble Marquess as to the danger of increasing the Parliamentary expenses of railways. That was very undesirable. It was, besides, un-advisable to multiply Standing Orders which did not agree with these of the other House of Parliament. Perhaps the better course would be to postpone this matter with a view to its being more fully considered.

LORD REDESDALE

stated that the terms of the Resolution had been communicated to the Chairman of the Committee on Standing Orders of the House of Commons, and had been approved. It was not intended that the Standing Order should apply to Bills before Parliament this Session. He had no objection to postpone it.

Motion postponed.

Back to