§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Earl Stanhope.)
THE EARL of DONOUGHMOREMy Lords, before the House actually goes into Committee there is one very small point which I think I ought to explain. Your Lordships are aware, of course, through the ordinary proceedings before your Lordships' House, that the Examiners have found in regard to this Bill that the Standing Orders do not apply. On the surface, when one first reads the Bill, one has some difficulty in understanding this decision, though I should be the last person to question it and I accept it fully. But I think I ought to explain to your Lordships that my noble friend in charge of the Bill and I have had the advantage of a talk on this subject and I can assure your Lordships that I am satisfied that there are special circumstances in this Bill differentiating it completely from Bills which looked very like it, Bills like the St. Mildred's Burial Ground Bill, which your Lordships will remember was debated earlier in the year. Therefore the Bill is following a perfectly proper course of procedure and your Lordships' House is not at all setting up a precedent which will apply to future Bills. I do not believe your Lordships will ever get a Bill in exactly the same circumstances again.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly:
217§ [The EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]
§ Clause 1 (Power to erect buildings on leased land):
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (EARL STANHOPE)My Lords, I have two small drafting Amendments. I understand that as this is not a Private Bill plans should not have been deposited and therefore the references to plans which appear in the Bill should be struck out. That is all that is proposed by these Amendments. I ask the leave of the House, although these Amendments have not appeared on the Paper, to move them. I have had the advantage of a consultation with the Chairman of Committees or your Lordships' House, and he agrees that these are purely drafting Amend ments. I hope, therefore, that your Lordships will approve of them. The first Amendment is in Clause 1, after "agreement" to leave out" which land is shown on the deposited plans edged red." There will be a similar Amendment in the Preamble of the Bill. I beg to move.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 2, lines 11 and 12, leave out ("(which land is shown on the deposited plans edged red)").—(Earl Stanhope.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.
§ Remaining clause agreed to.
§ Preamble:
§ EARL STANHOPEI beg now to move the consequential Amendment in the Preamble.
§
Amendment moved—
Page 1, lines 20 to 25, leave out ("whereas duplicate. copies of the said plan (hereinafter referred to as the deposited plans '), describing the situation of the disused burial ground on which it is proposed to erect buildings, have been deposited at the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons and at the Admiralty: ").—(Earl Stanhope.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Preamble, as amended, agreed to