HL Deb 07 August 1894 vol 28 cc232-5

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES moved that the Standing Orders be amended as follows:—

NOTE.—The words between [] are to be omitted, and the words printed in Italics are to be inserted. (Notices to state objects of application and intention to seek for powers to purchase lands, or to amalgamate, &c, or to dissolve company, or to levy or alter tolls, or impose improvement charge.)

3. In all cases where application is intended to be made for leave to bring in a Local Bill notice shall be given stating the objects of such intended application; and if it be intended to apply for powers for the compulsory purchase of land or houses, or for extending the time granted by any former Act for that purpose, or to amalgamate with any other company, or to sell or lease the undertaking, or to purchase or take on lease the undertaking of any other company, or to enter into working agreements or traffic arrangements, or to dissolve any company, or to amend or repeal any former Act or Acts, or to levy any tolls, rates, or duties, or to alter any existing tolls, rates, or duties, or to confer, vary, or extinguish any exemption from payment of tolls, rates, or duties, or to confer, vary, or extinguish any other rights or privileges, or to impose on any lands or houses or to render any lands or houses liable to the imposition of any special charge in respect of any improvement, the notice shall specify such intention; and shall also specify the company, person or persons, with, to, from, or by whom it is intended to be proposed that such amalgamation, sale, purchase, lease, working agreements, or traffic arrangements shall be made: and the whole of the notice relating to the same Bill shall, except as provided by Order 9, be included in the same advertisement, which shall be headed by a short title, descriptive of the undertaking or Bill, and shall be subscribed with the name and address of the person, company, corporation, or firm responsible for the publication of the notice.

New Standing Order—

(Notice to owners, &c. in case of improvement charge.)

12a. On or before the fifteenth day of December immediately preceding the application, for a Sill by which, any special charge is imposed upon any lands or houses or any lands or houses are rendered, liable to have a special charge imposed upon them, in connection with any improvement, notice in writing shall be given to the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed, lessees, and occupiers of all such lands and houses of such proposed, special charge or liability.

(Plan, book of reference, and section to be deposited with clerk of the peace, &c.)

24. In cases of Bills of the Second Class, a plan and also a duplicate thereof, together with a book of reference thereto, and a section and also a duplicate thereof, as hereinafter described, and in eases of Bills of the First Class, by which any lands or houses are intended to be taken, and in the case of all Hills by which any special charge is imposed upon any lands or houses, or any lands or houses are rendered, liable to hare a, special charge imposed upon them in connection with any improvement, a. plan and duplicate thereof, together with a book of reference thereto, shall be deposited for public inspection at the office of the clerk of the peace for every county, riding or division in England or Ireland, or in the office of the principal sheriff clerk of every county in Scotland, and where any county in Scotland is divided into districts or divisions, then also in the office of the principal sheriff clerk in or for each district or division in or through which the work is proposed to be made, maintained, varied, extended, or enlarged, or in which such lands or houses are situate, on or before the thirtieth day of November immediately preceding the application for the Bill.

(Deposit of Bills at Treasury and other public Departments.)

33. On or before the twenty-first day of December a printed copy of every Local Bill shall be deposited at the Office of Her Majesty's Treasury and at the General Post Office;

A printed copy of every Local Bill relating to any matter in England or Wales, within the jurisdiction of the Local Government Board, or to which Standing Order No. 38 applies, at the Office of that Board.

(Contents of book of reference.)

46. The book of reference shall contain the names of the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, and occupiers of all lands and houses in the line of the proposed work, or within the limits of deviation as defined upon the plan, or upon which any special, charge is imposed, or which are rendered liable to have a special charge imposed, upon them in connection, with any improvement, and shall describe such lands and houses respectively.

(Copy of H.C. Bill for conferring powers, &c, on Municipal Corporation, Local Board, or Local Authority, to be deposited at office of Local Government Board not later than two days after First Reading.)

60a. In the case of Bills brought from the House of Commons:—

A copy of every Bill whereby application is made by or on behalf of any Municipal Corporation, Local Board, Improvement Commissioners, or other Local Authority in England or Wales, for power in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Local Government Board, and of every Bill whereby any powers, rights, duties, capacities, liabilities, or obligations are sought to be conferred or imposed on any Local Authority in England or Wales in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Local Government Board, and of every Bill relating to public roads, highways, or bridges, and of every Bill to which Standing Order No. 38 applies, shall be deposited at the office of the Local Government Board not later than two days after the Bill is read a first time.

(Meeting of Members of limited company, society, &c. in the case of Bill empowering or requiring the company, society, &c. to do any act not authorised under existing powers.)

63. In the case of every Bill, whether originating in this House, or in the House of Commons, [empowering or requiring.]

(1) promoted by any company, society, association, or co-partnership formed or registered under the Companies Act, 1862, or constituted by Act of Parliament, Royal charter, letters patent, deed of settlement, contract of co-partnery, cost book regulations, or other instruments, and under the management of a committee or directors or trustees (and not being a company to which the preceding order applies); or

(2) empowering or requiring any such company, society, association, or co-partnership, not being the promoters of the Bill, to do any act not authorised by the memorandum and articles of association or other instrument or instruments constituting or regulating such company, society, association, or co-partnership, or authorising or enacting the abandonment of the undertaking, or any part of the undertaking of any such company, society, association, or co-partnership, or the dissolution thereof, proof shall be given before the Examiner before the Second Reading of the Bill in this House, that the following requirements have been complied with, and the Examiner shall report accordingly:

New Standing Order—

(Provisional Order Confirmation Bills may be referred to the Chairman of Committees.)

102a. Any Provisional Order Confirmation Bill may, before being committed to a Committee of the Whole Souse, he referred to the Chairman of Committees, with respect to all or any of the Orders scheduled thereto, to be dealt with in the same manner as unopposed Local Bill.

(Railway, &c. rates and charges.)

123a. In the case of every Bill for incorporating a railway, Canal, or tramroad company, or for giving any powers to an existing railway, canal, or tramroad company to which no Hates and Charges Order Confirmation Act expressly applies, the Committee on the Bill shall fix the rates and charges for merchandise traffic (including small parcels of a perishable nature conveyed by passenger train, exceeding 56 lbs. in weight) by reference to the Rates and Charges Order Confirmation Act of some other company which, in the opinion of the Committee, will properly and conveniently apply; and the Committee shall, in the case of an existing company, provide that the rates and charges for merchandise traffic and such small parcels as aforesaid so fixed shall be in substitution for the rates and charges for similar traffic authorised to lie taken by the company under their existing Acts.

(No Naturalisation Bill to be read a second time without a certificate being produced touching the petitioner's conduct.)

179. No Bill for naturalising any person [born in any foreign territory] shall be read a second time until the petitioner shall produce a certificate from one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State respecting his conduct, and shall take the oath of allegiance at the Bar of the House.

In the schedule of foes on page 75 leave out the last paragraph, viz.: The Second Reading fee on Bills promoted by Local Authorities is limited to £81, unless the Bill authorises the receipt of any rate, charge, fare, or similar revenue in respect of the exercise of powers beyond the district of the Local Authority.

And on page 76, after—

"All other Local Bills.… 8100" insert—

The Second Reading fees on Bills promoted by Local] Authorities are limited to £27, £54, and £81, as the case may be, except in the case of Bills authorising the receipt of any rate, charge, fare, or similar revenue in respect of the exercise of powers beyond the districts of the Local Authorities.

He said, that the first of the Amendments referred to the embodiment of the betterment principle, and he believed accurately followed the recommendations of the Committee. If any noble Lord had questions to ask, he would be happy to answer them.

Amendments agreed to.