QUESTION. (Hansard, 18 May 1863)

§ LORD STRATHEDEN

rose to put a Question to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the Appointment of a Commission to inquire into the Subject of Metropolitan Railways. He would remind their Lordships that the subject of the projected encroachments of the railway companies on the streets and squares of the metropolis had already occupied much of their attention, and that during the de-hates that had occurred there had been a great union of opinion among practical authorities, that a Commission of Inquiry, similar to that of 1846, ought to be appointed before any considerable progress should be made in the railway works affecting the metropolis; but, as matters now stood, their Lordships had no security whatever that such a Commission would be appointed. The Government had, indeed, expressed an opinion that possibly the Select Committee to which the Metropolitan Railway Bills had been referred might recommend a Commission; but inasmuch as it formed no part of the Instructions to that Committee to give an opinion whether or not a Commission should be appointed, there was no reason to anticipate any recommendation from it on the subject, either favourable or unfavourable. The question, therefore, which he had to put to the Government was, Whether they intended to appointed a Commission of Inquiry, similar to that of 1846, on their own opinion of the merits of the case, or only in the event of the Select Committee recommending the appointing of a Commission? Should the reply be that the Government would, upon their own opinion of the merits of the case, appoint a Com- 1818 mission, that answer would be satisfactory. If, on the other hand, the Government should answer that they would wait until the Select Committee had reported, that answer though less satisfactory, would not be useless, as it would show a large portion of their Lordships, who desired a Commission of Inquiry that some further Parliamentary proceedings were essential.