The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-05 00:00:00

day 'next to move the appointment of the Committee
An the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, and he should
on that ocmision propose that the Committee on that
Bill should be deferred for a reasonable time, as the
question of referring the Bills for competing lines to
the same Committee affected this Bill. The principle
hitherto adopted by that House with respect to pri-
vate Bills, had been to appoint the Committees upon
these Bills from Members connected with the local
interest to -which the particular Bill might apply.
The Committee, after mature consideration, had come to
the determination of recommending the House to de-
part from that principle in respect to Railway Bills
to be introduced during the present session. It was
felt by the Committee that, where two Railway Bills
were proposed, the lines 'to run from the same or
nearly the same termini, and to be established for the
accommodation of the same district, that such
Bills ought to be referred to the same Committee
of that House. In considering this subject, however,
the Committee had had to contend with several diffi-
culties. One was with respect to the rail-
way from the town of Ashton to Staleybridge,
There were two lines proposed, and both were for the
accommodation of the same town. One of those
railways joined the Manchester and Sheffield Rail-
way; and the other, the Manchester and Leeds Rail-
way. The two termini of these railways were in
two counties, for it appeared that the town stood on
the borders of different counties. Now, this was a
case of some difficulty. In former years an experi-
ment was tried, with respect to such a case as this,
which was, that the Committee should be appointed
from Members connected with different counties.
This experiment, however, he believed, had
worked in a most unsatisfactory manner,
and had not been repeated. Although a railway Bill
was in itself a private Bill, yet no one could doubt
that the public had a great interest in such Bills.
The Committee had, therefore, determined to recom-
mend the. House to depart from the general rule with
respect to the appointment of the Committees on
Railway Bills. They felt in cases of competing
lines that the number of Members on the
Committee who were "connected with or represented
the local interests, should be materially restricted.
He did not mean to say that this resolution
had been come to without any difference of
opinion in the Committee, of which he was
Chairman. But after mature deliberation this was the
conclusion at which they had arrived. They pro-
posed that there should be a limited representation of
local interests, in the Committee, but they considered
that the local interests ought to be made subservient
to the public interests. The Committee, therefore,
recommended this resolution to the consideration
of the House, bearing in mind that the experi-
ment was only recommended for the present session.
He should propose that this Committee should be
composed of five gentlemen totally unconnected with
the local interests of the particular places in which
the line lay. The number of Bills which were con-
stantly under the consideration of the House, and the
vast expenses which were occasioned to parties under
the present system, and the time occupied in the in-
vestigation, rendered it a most important element
for the consideration of the House. He was not
aware that there was any other important point to
which it was necessary for him to further allude, and
he should therefore conclude by moving a resolution
to the effect that, when any Bills were brought in to
authorise the establishment of two lines of railway to
one point, that they should be referred to one Com-
mittee. _ _

Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Right Hon. Gen-
tlemen who had just sat down had involved some
most important points in his resolution. He thought
it was a question to see whether the House would
try the experiment of carrying on the private matters
of the country—in fact, whether a tribunal could not
be appointed to try private Bills, in the manner
suggested by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and which
mightbe also more largely and more effectively adopted
by investing those Committees with a judicial
character—(Hear, hear)—and, by purging them of
all personal interest, and also by diminishing their
numbers so much as to fasten upon each of those in-
dividual Members a particular responsibility, obtain
the result which they sought, and which was so much
desired by the public. This would tend to di-
minish the fearful expenses to which appli-
cants were subjected, and insure to those. Com-
mittees that weight which impartiality alone
could give them, and which Committees on private
Bills did not possess now. He was not insensible to
the difficulties by which this matter was surrounded,
but
_still he should say that he was glad the experi-
ment was about t© be made, and an opportunity
afforded of trying how far it would be safe to carry
the experiment. There was another point of so
much importance that he could not help alluding to it.
He believed the number of Bills would require '
ten Committees, which would call for the services of
about fifty Members. The main difficulty would be
to find Members who would devote their time to
private Bills in which neither themselves nor their
constituents had any interest. The working of the
plan depended entirely on gentlemen devoting their
time to private Bills, and consenting to investigate those
that might be referred to them. He hoped there
might be no difficulty in finding fifty gentlemen to
undertake the duty. He could only say that he gave
his hearty support in the main to those resolutions.
In some points he did not agree with them, but they
were not points of essential importance ; in the main
spirit and tenor of these resolutions he entirely con-
curred. They were a great experiment, and a novelty
that he had always desired to see applied. He hoped
they would have a fair trial, and he should not despair
of this being the first step towards putting the private
business of the House on a sounder foundation. If
the House could effect this they would effect a very
and do that which would tend to
salutary change,
raise the character of the House in the eyes of the
public.
Mr. H. HINDE said there was no information
before the House to induce it to come to a contrary
conclusion from that of former sessions. Before he
was called on to give his vote, he thought he was
entitled to see the evidence that had influenced
the Committee in coming to this decision. No-
tice was only given of these resolutions on Friday,
and between that day and the present was. the time
when Members had the least chance of considering
these things. Alterations had lately been made with
regard to the Standing Orders affecting Railway
Bills, but they had not turned out to be of the most
felicitous character. The Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Gladstone)
ought to give them some days for
consideration. If he did not grant this, he must at
all events request him to aftbrd the House a little

more information on the subject of the fifth reso-
lution. What; however, he (Mr. Hinds) should most
prefer would be a Committee of five gentlemen who
were for excluding all local interest whatsoever. A
system such as this would be far preferable to any
vet proposed, and would give greater confidence to
the country, and enhance the character of the House.
Mr. EWART said he heard, with the greatest
satisfaction, the proposition of the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman, and he believed the House and the country
would join with him in that satisfaction. He agreed
with the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last in the
opinion that when a new principle was intro-
duced it ought to be worked out. He hoped that the
principle which the Right Hon. Gentleman now in-
troduced with regard to railways would be applied
to all private Bills, for it was equally applicable to
all private Bills. He was sorry the Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite and the Right Hon. Gentleman,
the late President of the Board of Trade (Mr.Labou-
cbere), did not give him a more ardent support than
they had done, when two sessions ago he brought for-
ward a proposition on the subject. The principle now in-
troduced 'would remove all local and personal interest.

He thought it was better that the number of the
Committee should be diminished to five. The prin-
ciple had been most satisfactorily introduced into the
House of Lords. There was not a Member of the
House of Lords who was not satisfied with the mode
in which the principle had worked. The Parliamentary
agents agreed that the system had worked well. In 1839
they said that this principle ought, to be applied to all
private Bills. In Committees on private Bills with
regard to rates, and a variety of other things, circum-
stances, not only of a local, but of a political cha-
racter were introduced. If he wanted the highest
authority as to the utility of the principle, he need
only appeal to the opinion of the Right Honourable
Gentleman in the chair and Mr. Greene, the
chairman of Committees, who, many years ago,
proposed to diminish the number of Members
on Committees, to increase their responsibili-
ties, and to remove all local and personal influence.
The principle of the present proposal was sound, and
would receive the approbation, not only of that House
but of the country. He was convinced that the time
was not far distant when the same principle
would be extended to all private Bills.
Colonel SIBTHORP said it was very well known
to that House, and very well known to the country,
that he had a great, an unchanged, and, he rather
thoughts an unchangeable suspicion, in reference to
railways.—(Hear.) In his opinion, private pro-
perty ought to be treated with as much deli-
cacy as any public department of the Government.
He was surprised that the late Vice-Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade a Liberal,
forsooth—should wish to limit these inquiries to five
permanent Members, selecting each other for the
office which they undertook to perform. He did not
mean to impugn the character of these five persons,
but he thought it was hardly fair to submit great
local interests to the control of so small a body.
The Hon. and Gallant Member concluded by moving
that the further consideration of the Report be post-
poned till this day week.
Mr. WALLACE had always contended for the
adoption of a different principle in the appointment of
these Committees, and he was glad to find that his
opinions were gaining ground in high quarters. He
thought that no difficulty ought to be thrown in the_