AND

PRECEDENTS OF PROCEEDINGS

IN

PARLIAMENT;

COMPRISING THE

STANDING ORDERS OF BOTH HOUSES,
TO THE END OF THE YEAR 1801;

RELATIVE TO THE

APPLYING FOR, AND PASSING, BILLS

FOR

Inclosing or Draining Lands; making Turnpike Roads, Navigations,
Aqueducts; building Bridges; for the more easy recovery of Small
Debts; Paving, &c. Towns; confirming or prolonging the term of
Letters Patent; obtaining Divorces; and Bills called Estate Bills:
with an Introductory Chapter, containing Practical Directions for
soliciting Private Bills in general; and with occasional references to
Acts of Parliament, adjudged Cases, &c.

BY CHARLES THOMAS ELLIS,

OF THE INNER TEMPLE.

LEX ET CONSUETUDO PARLIAMENTI, AB OMNIBUS EST QUERENDA,

A MULTIS IGNORATA, A PAUCIS COGNITA.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY B. MCMILLAN, BOW-STREET, COVENT-GARDEN,
SOLD BY MESSRS. BROOKE AND RIDER, BELL-YARD, TEMPLE-
BAR; J. BUTTERWORTH, FLEET-STREET; AND

T. EGERTON, WHITEHALL.

1802.

D

·89

PREFACE.

THE great spirit which in the present age prevails for agricultural improvements; for ornamenting cities and towns; the growing prosperity and increasing wealth and population of this country; its extended commerce and flourishing manufactures; are circumstances (among others) which have rendered applications to Parliament for Private Bills, so frequently necessary, that it is rather singular, the practical forms and method of proceedings to be observed in order to obtain private Acts of Parliament, have not been collected and published for the use of the Gentlemen of the Law; and more particularly so, as the practical proceedings of almost all the Courts of Law and Equity, have for a series of years constantly occupied the attentions

a 3

tions and engaged the pens of various Gentlemen, whose united and successive labours have met with an uniformly favourable reception from the Profession. What has occasioned this deficiency, it is not the intention or object of the Compiler to investigate; but he is induced to hope that his endeavours to supply it, will not be considered altogether as an useless attempt.

For the better regulating, and for the sake of uniformity in, the proceedings upon Private Bills, each House of Parliament has made certain Standing Orders, which are expected to be strictly adhered to on all occasions, unless a good and sufficient reason can be given why the observance of them should be dispensed with. The wisdom and justice of Parliament, in adopting these rules, and in requiring this strict adherence, will be readily admitted, when it is considered what serious inconveniences were felt by individuals, before public no

tices were required to be given in the country, of intended applications to Parliament for Bills to inclose and drain lands, and to make canals, &c. At that time of day it too often happened, that persons residing at a distance from their estates, were put to great expence for an inclosure, or had their lands cut through by a canal, almost without any notice at all, or at least with too little to afford them an opportunity of considering the proposition maturely, and of laying their observations upon such Bills before Parliament with effect: But now, a previous notice being required to be given, persons interested, may at their leisure examine into the propriety of, and the advantages to be derived from such Bills, and prepare themselves to offer objections or amendments, as occasions may require*.

• See the Report made on the 15th November 1775, from the Committee appointed to take into consideration the Standing Orders of the House of Commons relating to Private Bills, 35 vol. Com. Journ. 443.