§ 139. In every Bill for making, or constructing gas works or sewage works, or works for the manufacture or conversion of the residual pro-duets of gas or sewage or for making or constructing, altering, or enlarging any sewage farm, cemetery, burial ground, crematorium, destructor, hospital for infectious disease, or station for generating electric power, there shall be inserted a clause defining the lands in or upon which such gas works, sewage works, farm, cemetery, burial ground, crematorium, destructor, hospital, or generating station may be made or constructed.
§ The noble Earl explained that most of them were consequential on recent legislation. But there were one or two points to which he ought to call the attention of the House. They were originally on the notice he gave to amend the drafting on certain Amendments with regard to the deposit of plans and sections, and the notices to be given before private Bills were introduced. He found it extremely difficult to make the alterations he desired in the Standing Orders, and he postponed them until next year. But it would be necessary, and he trusted he would be able next year to give attention to the question, which very much required it. The first order to which he would refer was Order 22, relating to the consent of local authorities to Tramway Bills. In that Order he had inserted District Councils in substitution for "vestry" or "select vestry," mentioned formerly. That was necessary as the Rural District Council had control over the roads. In Order 63 there was an Amendment of great length, but it merely amounted to this: To place a limited company in the same position for proving meetings before the second House, that a Parliamentary company was in now. That was the sole object of the Amendment. In Order 97, there was a point which he particularly desired to call attention to, because it affected himself. In that Order power would be given to the Chairman of Committees in case any Peer failed to attend at any of the Opposed Bill Committees after the meeting of the House, to appoint a Peer to take his place. Twice this year a Peer had, 796 in consequence of illness, been unable to be present at the Committee, and considerable difficulty was caused. A Committee might be delayed for a whole day, especially if the Committee were sitting on Wednesday, and the House were not sitting in a judicial capacity. The object of his Amendment was to enable him to place a Peer on the Committee to make it complete. He would have preferred if power could have been given to the Committee of Selection instead of to himself individually, but as this must be a case of emergency arising generally between 10 and 11 a. m., it would be impossible for him to consult his colleagues on the Committee of Selection, which he would very much sooner have done. He had, therefore, in the Amendment, taken power to appoint a Peer to complete the Committee, binding himself to report it at the next sitting of the House. If he could thus appoint a Peer when necessary, much expense and inconvenience might often be saved to parties promoting or opposing Bills. The next Order he would refer to gave certain Chambers of Agriculture and Chambers of Commerce and Shipping a locus standi before Committees. This had been passed by the House of Commons, and he thought their Lordships would desire to bring their Standing Orders in accordance with those of the other House in that respect. He did not think there was any other point he need call attention to. The other Amendments were the result, chiefly of actions taken by Parliament, such as granting to local authorities power to work as well as construct tramways. This had necessitated the cancelling of Standing Orders that had hitherto prevented the working of tramways. With these remarks he begged to move that the Amendments be adopted.
§ Agreed to; Standing Orders amended accordingly, and to be printed as amended.—[No. 225.]