The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-06 00:00:00

JUNCTION RAILWAY.

Mr. MACKINNON moved that the petition of James
Taylor, Esq., against this railway Bill, be referred to the
Committee on the Bill, with liberty to be heard, by counsel,
against the said Bill, which was agreed to.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (IRELAND).

Mr. RASHLEIGH presented a petition against this Bill.
LIVERPOOL AND BURY RAILWAY.
Lord SANDON presented a petition from Liverpool, signed
by 36,000 individuals, in favour of this railway.
PRESSURE OF RAILWAY Bt,SINESS.

Mr. L A BOUCHERE rose to bring forward his motion
with respect to the railway business before Parliament. He
regretted that the task had been left to him, and considered
that it ought to have been brought forward by her Majesty's
Government. The Right Hon. Gentleman the President of
the Board of Trade said he thought that the course he pro-
posed would be a very proper one in a month or six
weeks hence, but that he was not prepared un' it then to adopt
any steps with reference to the quantity of railway business
before Parliament. He (Mr. Labouchere ) entertained the
opinion that the House would not perform its duty to
the immense interests involved if they did not imme-
diately adopt some measures with regard to railways.
The state of the railway business before the House at the pre-
sent period was notorious, and so many Hon. Gentlemen in
that House were members of Committees, that it was alrftost
wholly unnecessary to advert to it. He found on inquiry, that
out of two hundred and forty-three railway projects introduced
into the House at the commencement of the session, one hun-
dred and forty still remained to be disposed of. He was
told that, besides the difficulty the House had in disposing of this
pressure of business, they had another labour to undergo in
consequence of the course which had been adopted with regard
to the reports of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade
—a course rendering it necessary for the Committees of the
House to refer to them. Surely there ought to be no ad-
ditional delay and expense which the House could possibly
avoid thrown in the way of the promoters of those
schemes. It had been, he was informed, stated by a Learned
Counsel to one of those Committees, that with regard to the
plans on the group of railways, of which the London
and York line was one, that no less a sum
than 300,0001. had been expended on all the lines
before that Committee. It was difficult to say what
course ought new to be adopted, but one thing was
certain, namely, that it would be impossible now to
pass the remainder of those Bills in the present session of Par-
liament. It would be quite impossible, he repeated, to pass
those Bills in the course of the present session through the
other branch of the Legislature. Parties opposing the projects
before Committees, it was well-known, sought to delay the pass-
ing of those lines in the hope that they might be continued
beyond the session, and that the promoters should then in the
next session give up their projects altogether, or commence
their proceedings anew. That was a degree of injustice that
he was sure that House would not willingly agree to.
and he thought an efficacious mode of getting rid
of the evil would be to place parties at the beginning of the next
session in precisely the same position in which they stood at the
end of the preceding one. They had two instances on record
in which this course had been adopted. With this view, he had
to move the two resolutions of which he had given notice, namely,
that, inasmuch as, from the unusual number of railway
Bills which have been introduced into this House during the
present session of Parliament, and also from the delay which
has been occasioned in the consideration of them, in conse-
quence of the reference of the reports of the Railway Depart-
ment of the Board of Trade to the Committees on
these Bills, it may be impossible for many of them
which shall have been reported to this House to be passed
into laws during the present session, this House
will adopt such measures in the next session as may
appear best calculated to prevent the parties promoting such
Bills from being subjected to any unnecessary expense or delay.
That a Select Committee be appointed, to consider in what man.
ner it may be expedient to carry this resolution into effect.
He would. say, in conclusion, that if the Government would
undertake measures to remedy this evil, he should withdraw his
resolutions.

Sir G. CLERK said the Government had turned their
attention very anxiously to railway legislation, but he did not
think the House could then with propriety come to any specific
resolution on the subject, nor pledge itself to any particular line
of conduct. The course proposed was without precedent, except
under peculiar eh cumstances ; and, therefore, looking at the
extreme difficulty which the question presented, he preferred
referring the whole subject to the consideration of a Select
Committee, who might recommend a course much more
comprehensive and effectual than that which was recom-
mended in the resolution. He would, therefore, move, as
an amendment, that a Select Committee be appointed
to inquire into the several railway Bills, and re-
port what measures could be adopted to facilitate the
passing of railway Bills through Parliament, and what
course it might be most judicious to adopt in
reference to railway Bills to be brought before the House
during the next session. Riilway business had now increased
to such an extent, that some systematic line of conduct must
be pursued. The Right Hon. Baronet concluded by moving
the amendment.
Sir G. GREY seconded the amendment.

Lord HO WICK supported the resolution of his Right Hon.
Friend the Member for. Taunton, considering that an inquiry
was absolutely necessary, not only for the convenience
of parties promoting, but for the benefit of the dis-
tricts to be accommodated by, the railways.
Lord G. SOMERSET who, from the excessive noise in the
House, was almost inaudible in the gallery, was understood to
oppose the resolution before the House, deeming it both inex-
pedient and premature.

Sir G. GREY agreed in the views expressed by the Noble
Lord who had just sat down.
Sir R. PEEL thought that some assurance should be
held out by the House to parties having Bills before it
that something would be done to mitigate the evil arising from
delaying the passing of railway Bills till next session. He
concurred with the Right Honourable Gentleman,
that the House ought to take the subject up. But he
(Sir R. Peel) considered that a Committee should be ap-
pointed, in order to examine into the subject, and present
a report before the House decided on any course.
Before passing any resolution on the business under
consideration, they ought to have the facts fully before them.
It was desirable that parties should not be put to any vexatious
delay, and he suggested to the Right Hon. Gentleman to alter
his motion fur the appointment of a Committee. They ought
to have all the details fully before them in the report of a Com-
mittee, before taking any step that might be taken in future as
a precedent.

-After a few words from Mr. F.IBARING.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET made a few remarks,
which did not reach the gallery.
Mr. LA BOUCHERE said the Noble Lord was evidently
alarmed at the facilities which he (Mr. Labouchere) proposed
with regard to railway legislation. There was a material
difference between the proposition of the Right Hon.
Gentleman (Sir George Clerk) and that which he (Mr.
Laboucht re) had ventured to propose. He thought if a well
suggested measure were brought forward by her Majesty's Go-
vernment next session, that it would be likely to lead to the
desired remits, and would obviate frequent discussions like
that before the House.

Mr. W. PATTEN thought that whatever course they took
it would be most desirable that something should be brou.ght in
during the present session.—( Hear, hear.) He considered
that the difficulties which had occurred mainly arose from the
neglect of the House with respect torailway business.—( Hear,
hear.) Upwards of six weeks of the present session had been
occupied in laying down rules for the management of the Com-
mittees, and a great deal of time was consumed before they
clearly perceived the course which they ought to pursue. A
hundred new railway Bills wore to be brought in next session,
and unless a measure similar to that recommended were intro-
duced, they would be in a worse position next session than
during the present.
Sir R. PEEL said he acquiesced in the propriety of the su_g-
gestion made by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite He
thought it would be highly desirable to appoint a Committee to
consider and frame rules with regard to the futere proceedings
of the House in the matter of railways. He did not s y this
with a view o f relieving her Majesty's Government from any
responsibility, but he thought with the Right Hon. Gentleman
that it would be exceedingly desirable that a Committee should
be appointed for the purpose referred to in the resolutions.
Mr. S. WORTLEY agreed with the Right Hon. Gentle-
man that some rules were absolutely necessary for the purpose
of expediting the railway business of the country.
Mr. W. COLLETT thought it was rather hard that the
promoters of railway projects should be:required, first, to undergo
the ordeal of the Board of "trade, and afterwards that of the
Parliamentary Committees. He thought that this system
should be amended. .

Lord \VORSLEY hoped that a more effectual course would
be taken on the subject, as great inconvenience hatl resulted to
the public from the present state of thiogs. There were a
great many railway Bills which, although connected with some
of the most important towns in the north of England, and
although there was little or no opposition to them, could not
yet be passed through Parliament.
The motion was withdrawn; and the amendment carried.