HL Deb 07 August 1893 vol 15 cc1399-401

The Lords insist on the above Amendment, because the London County Council is already represented on the Lea Conservancy Board, and the question of giving the Council further representation is not of so urgent a nature as to require to be dealt with (if at all) until the general constitution of the Board is under consideration.

The Lords do not insist upon the Amendment on page 3, line 10, to which the Commons have disagreed, and agree to the Amendment made by the Commons therein, but propose to amend the re-instated paragraph as follows:—

Paragraph, page 3.

"And whereas it has been doubted whether the Council have legal power to expend money in investigating certain subjects of general importance to the inhabitants of London. And it is expedient that powers should be conferred on the Council to enable them to expend money in investigating such subjects."

The Lords do not insist upon their Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed on page 5, line 15, but propose to amend the same as follows: "Representation of County Councils on Thames Conservancy Board."

The Lords do not insist on their Amendments to leave out Clauses 3 and 4, but propose to amend the same as follows:—

(Representation of Council on Thames Conservancy Board.)

"(3.) For a period of three years from and after the passing of this Act the number of the Conservators of the River Thames shall be thirty instead of twenty-three, and the additional Conservators may be elected as hereinafter provided:—

  1. (1.) It shall be lawful for the Council to elect three persons out of their own body to be Conservators, and the several persons so elected shall hold office as Conservators for the term of three years from the passing of this Act, if they shall so long continue to be members of the Council;
  2. (2.) It shall be lawful for each of the Councils of the riparian counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, and Essex, to elect one person out of their own body to be a Conservator, and each person so elected shall hold office as Conservator for the term of three years from the passing of this Act if he shall so long continue to be a member of the Council by which he is elected.
  3. (3.) Any vacancy in the office of Conservator occasioned by the death, resignation, removal, or disqualification of any member so elected, shall be filled up with all convenient speed by the election of a new Conservator by the Council, by whom the vacating member was elected.

"The additional Conservators elected by the Councils of the riparian counties shall (during the said period of three years and subject to the provisions of this Act and as from the passing thereof) severally have the same powers, functions, duties, privileges, and obligations as other Conservators under the Acts relating to the Conservancy of the River Thames, and shall form part of the corporate body of the Conservators of the River Thames.

(Thames Conservancy Acts to remain unaffected.)

"(4.) All the provisions of the Thames Conservancy Acts, or of any other Act relative to the powers, functions, duties, privileges, obligations, or proceedings of the Thames Conservators as a body, and all acts and proceedings done, taken, or pending by, against, or in relation to the Conservators as a body, shall remain unaffected by the addition to and incorporation with that body of the seven Conservators added by this Act, and (except only as is in this Act, expressly otherwise provided) shall in ail respects continue and be as if this Act had not been passed, but the Thames Conservancy Board shall in the Session of Parliament to be held in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, introduce a Local Bill to consolidate and amend the Public and Local Acts relating to the Conservancy of the River Thames so far as regards the constitution and powers of the Conservancy Board, and if the Hoard fail to introduce such a Bill, or if such Bill shall not become law, it shall be lawful for tin: London County Council to introduce such a Bill in the then next or the next following Session of Parliament."

The Lords insist on their Amendments to leave out Clauses 5, 6, and 7, to which the Commons have disagreed.