Lords Sitting of 21 June 1901

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificate from the Examiners that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bill have been complied with:—

Notting Hill Electric Lighting.

The same was ordered to lie on the Table.

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
  CORK, BLACKROCK, AND PASSAGE RAILWAY BILL [H.L.]
  Reported from the Select Committee with Amendments.
  BELFAST HARBOUR BILL [H.L.]
  The King's consent signified; and Bill reported with Amendments.

  HULL, BARNSLEY, AND WEST RIDING JUNCTION RAILWAY AND DOCK BILL.
  TAFF VALE RAILWAY BILL.
  TENDRING HUNDRED WATER BILL.
  RICHMOND GAS BILL.
  LEEDS CHURCHES BILL [H. L.].
  DONCASTER TITHE TRUST BILL [H. L.].
  Reported with Amendments.

  NORTH-EASTERN RAILWAY BILL.
  The King's consent signified; and Bill reported with Amendments.

  IRISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BILL.
  BRITISH GAS LIGHT COMPANY BILL.
  WEST SURREY WATER BILL.
  STROUD GAS BILL.
  Reported without Amendment.

  DERWENT VALLEY WATER BOARD BILL [H.L.]
  The King's consent signified; and Bill reported with Amendments.

  SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS BILL.
  LONDON AND INDIA DOCKS (NEW WORKS) BILL.
  Read 2a, and committed; the Committees to be proposed by the Committee of Selection.

  DORKING GAS BILL.
  Read 2a, and committed.

  HARROGATE WATER BILL.
  Order of the day for the Third Reading read.
  Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(The Earl of Morley.)
  THE EARL OF NORTHBROOK: My Lords, before this Bill is read a third time, I desire to call attention to the fact that the Committee by whom the Bill was considered refused a locus standi to the Rivers Board of the West Riding of Yorkshire, which represents all the county councils and the councils of the county boroughs in the West Riding. Your Lordships' Standing Order No. 105D provides that when any Bill relating to the water supply of any town or district is before Parliament, the council of any administrative county, relating in their petition that the administrative county or any part thereof may be injuriously affected, has a locus standi upon the Bill; and it appears to me that it is only in accordance with common sense that the Rivers Board should have a locus standi on this Bill. It may be said that the councils of the West Riding should have petitioned against the Bill, and in that way obtained, by the Standing Order, a locus standi; but they were induced not to do so from the fact that a Committee of your Lordships' House allowed a locus standi under similar conditions in the case of a Halifax Bill in 1898. The matter is one of considerable importance. I received a letter yesterday from my noble friend Lord Elgin (Chairman of the Salmon Fisheries Commission), in which he points out the great importance of allowing this Board a locus standi in respect of water Bills affecting districts in their jurisdiction; and it seems to me only reasonable that a body like this, representing as it does the public interests, and not the interests of any private individuals, should be given a locus standi. I should like to ask my noble friend the Chairman of Committees whether he has considered the subject, what his opinion, if he is at liberty to express it, is on the matter, and whether he contemplates any alteration of the

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  Standing Order so as to allow of a locus standi being given in such cases in the future.
  THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (The Earl of MORLEY): My noble friend mentioned this matter to me some time ago, as also did Lord Crewe, who informed me that he proposed to call attention to the question on the Leeds Bill, which comes before the House on Monday. I was not aware that the noble Earl was going to raise the question on the Harrogate Bill, and I propose, with his Lordship's permission, to defer any remarks I may have to make till Monday. I do not know at present what the exact circumstances were under which the Chairman of the Committee refused to the West Riding Rivers Board the locus standi which the noble Earl thinks they ought to have had. I scarcely like, therefore, to give a distinct answer to my noble friend to-day, but I hope to be prepared to speak more definitely on the subject on Monday next. I quite agree with my noble friend that the West Riding Rivers Board is a very important body; but probably it was left out because it stands in an almost unique position, there being, I think, only one other such board in the United Kingdom.
  On Question, agreed to; Bill read 3a accordingly, and passed, and sent to the Commons.

  STRATTON AND BUDE IMPROVEMENT BILL [H.L.]
  EASTON AND CHURCH HOPE RAILWAY BILL [H. L.].
  HARROGATE WATER BILL [H. L.].
  DOVER HARBOUR BILL [H. L.].
  RIPON CORPORATION BILL [H. L.].
  Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.

  DUBLIN ST. JAMES GATE BREWERY TRAMWAYS BILL.
  Read 3a, with the Amendment, and passed, and returned to the Commons.

  LONDON RIVERSIDE FISH MARKET BILL.
  The Order made on Tuesday last appointing certain Lords the Select Committee to consider the Bill, discharged.
  Report from the Committee of Selection, That the five Lords appointed a Select Committee on the Tees Valley Water Board Bill and other Bills do form the Select Committee for the consideration of the London Riverside Fish Market Bill; read, and agreed to; all petitions referred to the Committee with leave to the petitioners praying to be heard by counsel against the Bill to be heard as desired, as also counsel for the Bill.

  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL.
  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 3) BILL.
  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 4) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to Order); Bills reported without Amendment; Standing Committee negatived; and Bills to be read 3a on Monday next.

  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 5) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to Order); Amendments made; Standing Committee negatived; the Report of Amendments to be received on Monday next.
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 1) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to Order); Bill reported without Amendment; Standing Committee negatived; and Bill to be read 3a on Monday next.

  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL.
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (POOR LAW) BILL.
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 3) BILL.
  House in Committee (according to Order); Bills reported without Amendment; Standing Committee negatived; and Bills to be read 3a on Monday next.

  COMMONS REGULATION AND IN-CLOSURE (SKIPWITH) PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
  METROPOLITAN COMMON SCHEME (ORPINGTON) PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
  Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
  BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (INTELLIGENCE DIVISION).
  Annual Report of proceedings under the "Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899," the "Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887 to 1894," the "Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1893," and the "Board of Agriculture Act, 1889," for the year 1900. Presented (by Command), and ordered to lie on the Table.
  COUNTY COUNCILS (BYE-LAWS) BILL [H.L.]
  House in Committee (according to order); Bill reported without Amendment; and re-committed to the Standing Committee.

  CIVIL LIST BILL.
  Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.
  House adjourned at a quarter before Five of the clock, to Monday next, a quarter before Eleven of the clock.