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Proceedings

of Committee of Selection, &c.

Preliminary

the Chairman of Ways and Means (who when present shall be ex-officio Chairman of every such Committee), the Deputy Chairman, two Members from time to time selected by the Chairman of Ways and Means from a panel to be appointed by the Committee of Selection at the commencement of every Session, and Counsel to Mr. Speaker; and three shall be the quorum thereof.

110. THE Committee of Selection shall give each Member not less than notice to Members. Seven Days' notice, by publication in the Votes or otherwise, of the week in which it will be necessary for him to be in attendance for the purpose of serving, if required, as a Member, not locally or otherwise interested, of a Committee on a Private Bill.

Notice of Appointment and Declaration.

Members returning no answer to be reported.

Committee of

111. THE Committee of Selection shall give to each Member sufficient notice of his appointment as a Member of a Committee on any Private Bill, or Group of such Bills, and, in every case where a Declaration is required to be signed and returned by such Member, shall transmit to him a blank form of the Declaration required, with a request that it may forthwith be returned properly filled up and signed.

112. THE Committee of Selection shall report to The House the name of every Member from whom they shall not have received in due time such Declaration, so filled up and signed, or, in lieu thereof, an excuse which they shall deem sufficient.

113. THE Committee of Selection shall have the power of discharging substitute Members any Member or Members of a Committee, and of substituting other

Selection may

for others.

Committee of

Members.

114. THE Committee of Selection shall have power, in the execution of Selection may send their duties, to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.

for Persons, &c.

Proceedings

of Committees on Opposed Bills.

Committees on opposed Railway and Canal Bills.

Committees on opposed Private Bills.

Declaration of
Members.

Quorum.

Members not to absent themselves.

PROCEEDINGS OF COMMITTEES ON OPPOSED BILLS.

115. THE Committee on every opposed Railway and Canal Bill, or Group of Railway and Canal Bills, shall be composed of Four Members and a Referee, or Four Members not locally or otherwise interested in the Bill or Bills referred to them; the Chairman to be appointed by the General Committee on Railway and Canal Bills, and Three other Members by the Committee of Selection.

116. THE Committee on every opposed Private Bill (not being a Railway, Canal, or Divorce Bill), or Group of Bills, and the Committee on any Bill, to confirm any Provisional Order or Provisional Certificate, shall be composed of a Chairman and Three Members and a Referee, or a Chairman and Three Members not locally or otherwise interested in the Bill or Bills referred to them, to be appointed by the Committee of Selection.

117. EACH Member of a Committee on an opposed Private Bill, or Group of such Bills, shall, before he be entitled to attend and vote on such Committee, sign the following Declaration :

I do hereby declare, That my constituents have no local interest, and that I have no personal interest, in such Bill; and that I will never vote on any question which may arise without having duly heard and attended to the Evidence relating thereto.

And no such Committee shall proceed to business until the said Declaration shall have been so signed by each of such Members.

118. COMMITTEES shall not be allowed to proceed if more than One of their Members be absent, unless by special leave of the House.

119. No Member of a Committee on an opposed Private Bill shall absent himself from his duties thereon, except in the case of sickness, or by order of the House.

120. IF

Proceedings

of Committees on

Opposed Bills.

120. IF the Chairman shall be absent from the Committee, the Member next in rotation on the List of Members who shall be present shall act as Chairman, but in the case of Railway and Canal Bills, only until the General Committee on such Bills shall have appointed, if they shall so think fit, Chairman's absence. another Chairman,

present.

121. IF at any time during the sitting of any Committee more than One Proceedings to of the Members be absent, the Chairman shall suspend the proceedings of be suspended if such Committee; and if at the expiration of One Hour from the time fixed quorum not for the meeting of the Committee, or from the time when the Chairman shall so have suspended the proceedings, more than One Member be absent, the Committee shall be adjourned to the next day on which The House shall sit, and then shall meet at the hour on which such Committee would have sat, had no such adjournment taken place.

House.

122. IF any of the Members shall not be present within One Hour after Members absent to the time appointed for the meeting of the Committee, or if any Member be reported to The shall absent himself from his duties on such Committee, every such Member shall be reported to The House at its next sitting.

123. IF, at any time after the Committee on a Bill shall have been formed, a Quorum of Members required by the Standing Orders cannot attend in consequence of any of the Members who shall have duly qualified to serve on such Committee having become incompetent to continue such service by death or otherwise, the Chairman shall report the circumstances of the case to The House, in order that such measures may be taken by The House as shall enable the Members still remaining on the Committee to proceed with the business referred to such Committee, or as the emergency of the case may require.

Absence of

Members by
Death or other-

wise to be reported.

124. ALL questions before Committees on Private Bills shall be decided Method of deciding by a majority of voices, including the voice of the Chairman; and whenever Questions. the voices are equal, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

125. THE Committee on each Group of Bills shall take the Bill or Bills Order in which first into consideration which shall have been named by the Committee of considered. Selection, or by the General Committee on Railway and Canal Bills; and the Committee shall, from time to time, appoint the day on which they will enter upon the consideration of each of the remaining Bills, and on which they will require the parties severally promoting or opposing the same to enter appearances; and Two clear Days' notice, at the least, of such appointment shall be given by the Clerk attending the Committee to the Clerks in the Private Bill Office; and in case the Committee shall postpone the consideration of any Bill, notice shall be given of the day to which the same is postponed.

126. EVERY Committee on an opposed Private Bill shall report specially to The House the cause of any Adjournment over any day on which The

House shall sit.

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127. No Petition against a Private Bill, or a Bill to confirm any Provisional Petition against Order or Provisional Certificate, shall be taken into consideration by the Bill must distinctly specify grounds of Committee on such Bill, which shall not distinctly specify the ground on objection. which the Petitioners object to any of the provisions thereof; and the Petitioners shall be only heard on such grounds so stated; and if it shall appear to the said Committee, that such grounds are not specified with sufficient accuracy, the Committee may direct that there be given in to the Committee a more specific statement, in writing, but limited to such grounds of objection so inaccurately specified.

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Proceedings

of Committees on Opposed Bills.

Limit of time for

presenting Petition against Bills.

Competition to be a ground of locus standi.

Locus standi of
Shareholders.

Locus standi of dissenting shareholders.

Locus standi of Railway Companies.

Locus standi of trades, &c.

128. No Petitioners against any Private Bill, or any Bill to confirm any Provisional Order or Provisional Certificate, shall be heard before the Committee on the Bill, unless their Petition shall have been prepared and signed in strict conformity with the Rules and Orders of this House, and shall have been presented to this House by having been deposited in the Private Bill Office, in the case of Private Bills, on or before the 12th day of February, and in the case of Bills originating in this House to confirm any Provisional Order or Provisional Certificate, not later than Seven clear Days after notice shall have been given of the day on which the Bill will be examined, except where the Petitioners shall complain of any matter which may have arisen during the Progress of the Bill before the said Committee, or of any proposed additional provision, or of the Amendments as proposed in the filled up Bill deposited in the Private Bill Office. Provided that in the case of

(a) any Bill brought from the House of Lords; and

(b) any Bill as to which compliance with the Standing Order as to
the time for depositing the Bill has been dispensed with; and
(c) any Bill promoted by the London County Council and introduced
under Standing Order 194;

a petition against the Bill may be deposited at any time not later than Ten
clear Days after the First Reading of the Bill."

129. IT shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills to admit Petitioners to be heard upon their Petitions against a Private Bill, on the ground of competition, if they shall think fit.

130. WHERE a Bill is promoted by an Incorporated Company, Shareholders of such Company shall not be entitled to be heard before the Committee against such Bill, unless their interests, as affected thereby, shall be distinct from the general interests of such Company.

131. In case any Proprietor, Shareholder, or Member of or in any Company, Society, Association, or Co-partnership, shall by himself or any person authorised to act for him in that behalf, have dissented at any Meeting called in pursuance of Standing Orders 62 to 66, or at any Meeting called in pursuance of any similar Standing Order of the House of Lords, such Proprietor, Shareholder, or Member shall be permitted to be heard by the Committee on the Bill on a Petition presented to the House, such Petition having been duly deposited in the Private Bill Office.

132. WHERE a Railway Bill contains provisions for taking or using any part of the Lands, Railway, Stations or Accommodations of another Company, or for running Engines or Carriages upon or across the same, or for granting other facilities, such Company shall be entitled to be heard upon their Petition against such provisions or against the Preamble and Clauses of such Bill.

133. WHERE any body of persons corporate or unincorporated sufficiently bodies representing representing a particular trade, business, or interest, in any district to which any Railway Bill relates, petition against the Bill, alleging that such trade, business, or interest will be injuriously affected by the rates and fares proposed to be authorized by the Bill, or is injuriously affected by the rates and fares already authorized by Acts relating to the Railway undertaking, it shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills, if they think fit, to admit the Petitioners to be heard, on such allegation, against the Bill, or any part thereof, or against the rates and fares authorized by the said Acts, or any of them.

The provisions of this Order relative to rates and fares already authorized,. extend to Traders and Freighters, and to a single Trader, in any case where a locus standi would have been allowed to them or him, if this Order had not been made.

Nothing

Nothing in this Order shall authorize the Referees to entertain any question within the jurisdiction of the Railway Commissioners.

Proceedings of Committees on

Opposed Bills.

133a. WHERE any society or association sufficiently representing a trade, Locus standi of business, or interest in any district to which any Bill relates, petition against associations, &c. the Bill, alleging that such trade, business, or interest will be injuriously affected by the provisions contained therein, it shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills, if they think fit, to admit the Petitioners to be heard on such allegations against the Bill or any part thereof.

134. It shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills to admit the Locus standi of Petitioners, being the Municipal or other authority having the local manage- Authorities and Municipal ment of the Metropolis, or of any Town, or the Inhabitants of any Town or Inhabitants of District alleged to be injuriously affected by a Bill, to be heard against such Towns, &c. Bill, if they shall think fit.

134a. THE Municipal or other local authority of any town or district Local authorities alleging in their Petition that such town or district may be injuriously affected to have a locus stundi against by the provisions of any Bill relating to the lighting or water supply thereof, Lighting and or the raising of capital for any such purpose, shall be entitled to be heard Water Bills. against such Bill.

1346. It shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills to admit the Locus standi of Petitioners, being the Council of any Administrative County or County County Councils Borough, or being a Joint Committee of Councils of Administrative Counties or County Boroughs the whole or any part of which is alleged to be injuriously affected by a Bill, to be heard against such Bill if they think fit.

134c. THE Council of any Administrative County alleging in their Petition County Council that such Administrative County, or any part thereof, may be injuriously to have a locus standi against a affected (A) by the provisions of any Bill relating to the water supply of Water Bill or a any town or district, whether situate within or without such County, or (B) Tramway Bill. by the provisions of any Bill proposing to authorise the construction or reconstruction of any Tramway along any main road, or along any other road to the maintenance and repair of which the County Council contributes, within the Administrative County, shall be entitled to be heard against such Bill.

134d. WHERE any owner, lessee, or occupier, or where any Conservancy or other authority charged with the control of river or other waters, petitions against a Bill alleging that under its provisions any water or water supply of which they may legally avail themselves will be diminished or injuriously affected, it shall be competent to the Referees on private Bills, if they think fit, to admit the Petitioners to be heard against the Bill or any part thereof.

134e. It shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills, if they think fit, to admit the Petitioners, being the Conservators, constituted under Act of Parliament, or under a scheme or an order of the Board of Agriculture, having the control, regulation, or management of any forest, common, or open space alleged to be injuriously affected by a Bill, to be heard against

such Bill.

Locus standi of Owners of Rivers servancies, &c.

or River Con

Locus standi of
Conservators of
Forests, Commons,
or open spaces.

owners, &c., against

135. THE owner, lessee, or occupier of any house, shop, or warehouse in Locus standi of any street or road through which it is proposed to construct any Tramway, Tramway Bills. and who alleges in any Petition against a Private Bill or Provisional Order that the construction or use of the Tramway proposed to be authorized thereby will injuriously affect him in the use or enjoyment of his premises, or in the conduct of his trade or business, shall be entitled to be heard on such allegations before any Select Committee to which such Private Bill, or the Bill relating to such Provisional Order, is referred, and it shall be competent to the Referees on Private Bills to admit the Petitioners, being

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the

Proceedings

of Committees on Opposed Bills.

When opposed Bill
may be treated
as unopposed.

the owners, lessees, or occupiers of any house, shop, or warehouse having its access materially dependent on such street or road, and making the aforesaid allegations, to be heard against the Bill, if they think fit.

136. In all cases of opposed Private Bills, in which no parties shall have appeared on the Petitions against such Bills, or having appeared shall have withdrawn their opposition before the evidence of the Promoters shall have been commenced, the Committees on such Bills shall forthwith refer them back, with a statement of the facts, if not Railway or Canal Bills, to the Committee of Selection, and if Railway and Canal Bills, to the General Committee on Railway and Canal Bills, who shall deal with them as Unopposed

Bills.

Proceedings of Committees on Bills.

Copies of filled-up

Bill to be laid

before each Member.

Local Member not to vote.

Names of Members

to be entered on Minutes.

Committee on Bill not to inquire

PROCEEDINGS OF, AND IN RELATION TO, COMMITTEES ON BILLS, WHETHER
OPPOSED OR UNOPPOSED.

137. At the first Meeting of the Committee, Copies of the Bill, as proposed to be submitted to them, and signed by the Agent, shall be laid by him before each Member of the Committee.

138. No Member, locally or otherwise interested, of a Committee on any Unopposed Private Bill shall have a Vote on any question that may arise, but every such Member shall be entitled to attend and take part in the proceedings of the Committee. `

139. THE Names of the Members attending each Committee shall be entered by the Clerk on the Minutes of the Committee; and if any Division shall take place in the Committee, the Clerk shall take down the Names of Members voting in any such Division, distinguishing on which side of the question they respectively vote, and such Lists shall be given in with the Report to The House.

140. No Committee shall have power to examine into the compliance or into certain Stand non-compliance with such Standing Orders as are directed to be proved before the Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills, unless by special order of The House.

ing Orders.

Committee may

proof of compliance with Standing

141. THE Committee on any Private Bill may admit Affidavits in proof of admit its in the compliance with such Standing Orders of the House as are directed to be proved before them, or may require further evidence; and such Affidavits shall be sworn, if in England or in Ireland, before a Justice of the Peace, or a Commissioner for Oaths, and if in Scotland, before any Sheriff Depute or his substitute, or a Justice of the Peace.

Orders.

Proof of Consents.

Rights of Petitioners.

Clause compelling payment of Subscriptions.

142. THE Committee may admit proof of the Consents of Parties concerned in interest in any Private Bill, by Affidavits sworn as aforesaid, or by the Certificate in writing of such Parties, whose Signatures to such Certificate shall be proved by one or more Witnesses, unless the Committee shall require further Evidence.

143. A PETITIONER against a Bill originating in the House of Lords who has discussed clauses in that House shall not on that account be precluded from opposing the Preamble of the Bill in this House.

144. In all Bills presented to The House for carrying on any Work by means of a Company, Commissioners or Trustees, provision shall be made for compelling Persons who have subscribed any Money towards carrying any such work into execution to make payment of the Sums severally subscribed by them.

145. WHERE

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