THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE)My Lords, I rise to move the Motion that stands in my name. The first group of these Amendments to the Standing Orders is rendered necessary by the adoption, which is commencing to be widespread, of the trolley vehicle system. There have been a number of Bills before your Lordships' Rouse this session, following on, I think, two Bills which received the Royal Assent last year, and it is in order to bring Bills dealing with this subject under the operation of the Standing Orders that the first group of Amendments is necessary. The second addition to the Standing Orders that will result if your Lordships pass this Motion will be found in the new Standing Order which deals with accommodation and service for workmen in cases of works of considerable magnitude. This Standing Order is the result of negotiation with the Government Department concerned and with the authorities in another place, and I am glad to understand that the President of the Local Government Board intends to move a similar Amendment in the Standing Orders of the other House. The last point dealt with is the amendment of Standing Order No. 113. The words to be added enact that no tramway shall be authorised to be made across any railway on the level. I think I can claim that the merits of that provision explain and justify the Amendment.
§ Moved, That the Standing Orders be amended as follows:
§ NOTE.—The words printed in Italics are to be inserted.
§ 1. All Bills (not being Estate Bills) which seek powers with reference to any of the following subjects are in these Orders termed Local Bills, and are divided into two classes, according to the subjects to which they respectively relate:—
729§ 1ST CLASS.—Arbitration in respect of the affairs of any company, corporation, or persons
§ Stipendiary magistrate, or any public officer, payment of.
§ Trolley Vehicle System.
§ In these Orders, unless the context otherwise requires,
§ The term "tramway" means a tramway laid along a street or road; the term "tramroad" means a tramway laid elsewhere than along a street or road: Provided that where a Bill relates partly to tramroad and partly to tram way as here defined the provisions of these Orders shall apply to such tramroad or tramway however the same may be described in the Bill:
§ The term "railway" includes "tramroad" and "motor road,"
§ The term "Trolley vehicle system" means a system of traction whereby vehicles are propelled on roads by mechanical power conveyed by overhead wires and trolleys.
§ 10. In the months of October and November, or one of them, immediately preceding the application for any Bill for laying down a tramway or constructing an underground railway, when such Bill contains powers authorising any alteration or disturbance of the surface of any street or road, notice thereof shall be posted for fourteen consecutive days in every such street or road in such manner as the authority having the control of such street or road shall direct; and, if after application to such authority no such direction shall be given, then in some conspicuous position in every such street or road, and such notice shall also state the place or places at which the plans of such tramway or railway will be deposited.
§ This Order shall apply to a trolley vehicle system in like manner as to a tramway.
§ 13a. On or before the fifteenth day of December immediately preceding the application for any Bill for laying down a tramway crossing any railway or tramway on the level, or crossing any railway, tramway, or canal by means of a bridge, or otherwise affecting or interfering with such railway, tramway, or canal, notice in writing of such application shall be served upon the owner or reputed owner, and upon the lessee or reputed lessee of such railway, tramway, or canal, and such notice shall state the place or places at which the plans of the tramway to be authorised by such Bill have been or will be deposited.
§ This Order shall apply to trolley vehicle systems in like manner as to tramways.
§ 25a. In cases of Bills for laying down a tramway or trolley vehicle system, an Ordnance map of the district on a scale of not less than six inches to a mile, with the line of the proposed tramway or trolley vehicle system marked thereon, and a diagram on a scale of not less than 2 inches to a mile, prepared in accordance with the specimen to be obtained at the Office of the Board of trade, shall also be deposited at that office and the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments on or before the thirtieth of November.
730§ Deposits on or before the 21st of December.
§ 33. On or before the twenty-first day of December a printed copy shall be deposited.
§ (4) Of every Local Bill relating to railways, train ways, trolley vehicles, canals, gas, water, patents, or electric lighting, or for incorporating or giving powers to any company at the Office of the Board of Trade;
§ 62. In the case of every Bill, whether originating in this House, or in the House of Commons, promoted by a company already constituted by Act of Parliament, 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 Examiners shall report accordingly:—
§ The Bill as introduced or proposed to be introduced into Parliament shall be submitted to the proprietors of such company at a meeting held specially for that purpose:
§ Such meeting shall be called by advertisement inserted once in each of two consecutive weeks ins some one and the same newspaper published in London, Edinburgh, or Dublin, as the case may be, and in some one and the same newspaper of the county or counties in which the principal office or offices of the company is or are situate, and also by a circular addressed to each proprietor on the register of the company at his last known or usual address, and sent by post or delivered at such address not less than ten days before the holding of such meeting, enclosing a blank form of proxy, with proper instructions for the use of the same, and the same form of proxy and the same instructions, and none other, shall be sent to every such proprietor; but no such form of proxy shall be stamped before it is sent out, nor shall the funds of the company be used for the stamping any proxies, nor shall intimation be sent as to any person in whose favour the proxy may be granted; and no other circular or form of proxy relating to such meeting shall be sent to any proprietor from the office of the company, or by any director or officer of the company so describing himself:
§ 64. In the case of every Bill brought from the House of Commons in which provisions have been inserted in that House empowering the Promoters thereof, being a company already constituted by Act of Parliament, to execute, undertake, or contribute towards any work other than that for which it was originally established, or to sell or lease their undertaking or any part thereof, or to enter into agreements with any other company for the working, maintenance, management, or use of the railway or works of either company, or any part thereof, or to amalgamate their undertaking or any part thereof with any other undertaking, or to purchase any other undertaking or any part thereof, or any additional lands, or to abandons their undertaking or any part thereof, or to dissolve the said company, or in which any such provisions originally contained in the Bill have been materially altered in that House, or in 731 which any such powers are conferred on any company not being the Promoters of the Bill, the Examiner shall report as to compliance or noncompliance with the following requirements:—
§ The Bill as introduced or proposed to be introduced into this House shall be submitted to the proprietors of every such company, at a meeting held specially for that purpose:
§ Such meeting shall be called by advertisement inserted once in each of two consecutive weeks in some one and the same newspaper published in London, Edinburgh, or Dublin, as the case may be, and in some one and the same newspaper of the county or counties in which the principal office or offices of the company is or are situate, and also by a circular addressed to each proprietor on the register of the company at his last known or usual address, and sent by post or delivered at such address not less than ten days before the holding of such meeting, enclosing a blank form of proxy, with proper instructions for the use of the same, and the same from of proxy, and the same instructions, and none other, shall be sent to every such proprietor; but no such form of proxy shall be stamped before it is sent out, nor shall the funds of the company be used for the stamping any proxies, nor shall intimation be sent as to any person in whose favour the proxy may be granted; and no other circular or form of proxy relating to such meeting shall be sent to any proprietor from the office of the company, or by any director or officer of the company so describing himself:
§ NEW STANDING ORDER.
§ 111a. In the case of every Bill authorising the construction of works outside the County of London or any municipal borough, the Committee to which the Bill is referred shall take this Order into their consideration, and if they are of opinion that such a number of workmen will probably be simultaneously employed upon the works as having regard to the nature and situation of the works to make such an inquiry desirable, they shall inquire into the question of the sufficiency of the accommodation and service available or proposed by the promoters to be provided under the Bill—
- (1) for the proper housing and sanitary requirements of persons employed in constructing the works authorised by the Bill.
- (2) for the treatment of cases of sickness or accident including accommodation for dealing with infectious disease;
§ 113. No railway whereon carriages are moved by mechanical power shall be authorised to be made across any railway, tram way, tramroad or public carriage road on the level, and no tramway shall be authorised to be made across any railway 732 on the level, unless a report thereon from the proper officer of the Board of Trade recommend such level crossing, or the Committee on the Bill, after considering such report, and hearing the officer, if the Committee think fit, be of opinion that any level crossing not recommended thereby-should be authorised, in which case they shall report accordingly, with the reasons and facts upon which their opinion is founded; and in every clause authorising a level crossing, the number of lines of rails authorised to be made at such crossing shall be specified.—(The Earl of Donoughmore.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to: Standing Orders amended accordingly, and to be printed as amended. (No. 155.)