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Standing Orders of the House of Commons.

BILLS FOR MAKING RAILWAYS.

VI. That parties desiring to make an application for a bill to vary, extend or enlarge any line of railway, for making which an act of parliament shall have been passed, shall be permitted so to do, provided that no one de

To be proved before committee on petition. I. That the line of the railway marked upon the section shall correspond with the upper surface of the rails. (See line S. S,viation shall exceed one mile in length, and Fig. 2.)

II. That a vertical measure from the datum line to the line of the railway shall be marked in feet and inches at each change of the gradient or inclination (see E. F., Fig. 2), and that the proportion or rate of inclination between each such change shall also be marked. (See G. G. in Fig. 2.)

III.-That the height of the railway over or under the surface of every turnpike road, public carriage road, navigable river, caual or railway, or junction with a railway, shall be marked in figures at every crossing thereof (see 1. I. I., Fig. 2); and if there shall be no such crossing in every half mile, then the height over or under the surface of the ground shall be marked once in that space (see O. O. O., Fig. 2); and if any alteration in the present level or rate of inclination of any turnpike road, carriage road or railway, be intended, then the same shall be stated on the said section. (See P. Fig. 2.)

IV. That where tunnelling as a substitute for open cutting, or arching as a substitute for solid embankment, is intended, the same shall be marked both on the plan and section. (See | Q. R., Figs. 1 and 2.)

provided a plan and section, as before described, of such variation, extension or enlargement, together with a book of reference thereto, shall be deposited with the clerk of the peace of every county, riding or division in England or Ireland, and in the office of the principal sheriff-clerk of every county in Scotland, in or through which such variation, extension or enlargement is proposed to be made, and a plan and section, as before described, so far as relates to each parish, together with a book of reference thereto, with the parish clerks of each such parish in England, the schoolmaster of each such parish in Scotland, (or in royal burghs with the town clerk,) and the post-master of the post-town in or nearest to each such parish in Ireland in which such variation, extension or enlargement is intended to be made, on or before the 30th day of November, in the year immediately preceding that in which such application is intended to be made, and that the intention to make the application for such variation, extension or enlargement shall be advertised in manner next before directed, in October and November; and that on or before 31st December immediately preceding such apV.-That parties desiring to make any al-plication to parliament, personal application teration in the line of any railway, the plans for which shall have been deposited, and the notices for which shall have been given as before mentioned, shall be permitted so to do, provided no one deviation shall exceed one mile in length, and provided a plan and section, as before described, of such alteration, VII. That parties desiring to renew any applitogether with a book of reference thereto, cation to parliament in respect of any railway, shall be deposited with the clerk of the peace the plans for which shall have been deposited, of every county, riding or division in England and the notices for which shall have been given, or Ireland, and in the office of the principal as directed by the standing orders in force at the sheriff-clerk of every county in Scotland, in time of such deposit, shall be permitted so to which such alteration is proposed to be made, do, provided that no one deviation shall exand a plan and section so far as relates to each ceed one mile in length, and provided a plan parish, together with a book of reference and section, as before described, of such thereto, with the parish clerks of each such railway, together with a book of reference parish in England, the schoolmaster of each thereto, shall be deposited with the clerk of such parish in Scotland, (or in royal burghs the peace of every county, riding or division with the town clerk,) and the postmaster of in England or Ireland, and in the office of the the post-town in or nearest to each such parish principal sheriff-clerk of every county in in Ireland in which such alteration is intended Scotland, in or through which such railway is to be made, on or before the 30th day of No-proposed to be made; and a plan and section, vember, in the year immediately preceding as before described, so far as relates to each that in which such application is intended to be made, and that the intention to make such alteration shall be published in manner before directed, in three successive weeks in the months of October and November, or either of them, and that personal application shall be made to the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, or in their absence from the United Kingdom to their agents respectively, and to the occupiers of lands through which any such alteration is proposed

to be made.

shall be made to the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, or in their absence from the United Kingdom to their agents respectively, and to the occupiers of the lands through which any such variation, extension or enlargement is proposed to be made.

parish, together with a book of reference thereto, with the parish clerks of each such parish in England, the schoolmaster of cach such parish in Scotland, (or in royal burghs with the town clerk.) and the postmaster of the post-town in or nearest to each such parish in Ireland through which such railway is proposed to be made, on or before the 30th day of November, in the year immediately preceding that in which such application is intended to be made, and that the intention to make such application shall be advertised

Standing Orders of the House of Commons.

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in manner next before directed, in October | mit, in what respects the proposed line is and November; and that personal application superior or inferior to the other lines, but shall be made to the owners or reputed owners, lessees or reputed lessees, or in their absence from the United Kingdom to their agents respectively, and to the occupiers of the lands through which any such railway is proposed to be made.

that no line of railway shall be deemed a competing line in contemplation, unless the plan, section and book of reference for the same shall have been deposited with the clerks of the peace and in the private bill office respectively, as required by the standing orders.

9.-To state what planes on the railway are To be proved before the committee on the bill, proposed to be worked, either by assistant who are directed to report specially there-engines, stationary or locomotive, with the respective lengths and inclinations of such

upon.

10. To advert to any peculiar engineering difficulties in the proposed line, and to report the manner in which it is intended they should be overcome.

1. That no such company shall be autho-planes. rized to raise, by loan or mortgage, a larger sum than one-third of their capital; and that, until fifty per cent. on the whole of the capital shall have been paid up, it shall not be in the power of the company to raise any money by loan or mortgage.

2. That no railway whereon carriages are propelled by steam shall be made across any turnpike road or other public carriageway on the level, unless the committee on the bill report that such a restriction ought not to be enforced, with the reasons and facts upon which their opinion is founded.

3. As to the proposed capital of the company formed for the execution of the project, and the amount of any loans which they may be empowered to raise by the bill; the amount of shares subscribed for, and the deposits paid thereon, the names and places of residence of the directors or provisional committee, with the amount of shares taken by each; the number of shareholders who may be considered as having a local interest in the line, and the amount of capital subscribed for by them, and the number of other parties, and the capital taken by them; a statement of the number of shareholders subscribing for 2,000l. and upwards, with their names and residences, and the amount for which they have subscribed.

4.-The sufficiency or insufficiency for agricultural, commercial, manufacturing or other purposes, of the present means of conveyance, and of communication between the proposed termini, stating the present amount of traffic by land or water, the average charges made for passengers and goods, and time occupied. 5.-The number of passengers, and the weight and description of the goods expected upon the proposed railway.

6.-The amount of income expected to arise from the conveyance of passengers and goods, and in what proportion; stating also generally the description of goods from which the largest revenue is anticipated.

7. Whether the proposed railway be a complete and integral line between the termini specified, or a part of a more extended plan now in contemplation, and likely to be hereafter submitted to Parliament, and to what extent the calculations of remuneration depend on such contemplated extension of the line.

8.-Whether any, and what, competing lines of railway there are existing, and whether any, and what, are in progress or contemplation, and to state, so far as circumstances will per

11. To state the length, breadth and height, and means of ventilation, of any proposed tunnels, and whether the strata through which they are to pass are favourable or otherwise.

12.-To state whether in the lines proposed the gradients and curves are generally favourable or otherwise, and the steepest gradient, exclusive of the inclined planes above referred to, and the smallest radius of a curve.

13. To state the length of the mean line of the proposed railway, and of its branches respectively.

14. To state generally the fitness, in an engineering point of view, of the projected line of railway.

15. If it be intended that the railway should pass on a level any turnpike road or highway, to call the particular attention of the house to that circumstance.

16. To state the amount of the estimates of the costs or other expences to be incurred up to the time of the completion of the railway, and whether they appear to be supported by evidence, and to be fully adequate for that pur

pose.

17. To state what is the estimated charge of the annual expenses of the railway when completed, and how far the calculations on which the charge is estimated, have been sufficiently proved.

18. Whether the calculations proved in evidence before the committee, have satisfactorily established that the revenue is likely to be sufficient to support the annual charges of the maintenance of the railway, and still allow a profit to the projectors.

19. The number of assents, dissents, and neuters upon the line, and the length and amount of property belonging to each class traversed by the said railway, distinguishing owners from occupiers; and in the case of any bill to vary the original line, stating the above particulars with reference to such parties only as may be affected by the proposed deviation.

20. To state the name or names of the engineers examined in support of the bill, and of those, if any, examined in opposition to it.

21. To state the main allegation of any petition or petitions which may have been referred to the committee in opposition to the pre

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Standing Orders of the House of Commons.

amble of the bill, or to any of its clauses; and whether the allegations have been considered by the committee, and if not considered, the cause of their not having been so.

22. To state, in addition, any circumstances which, in the opinion of the committee, it is desirable the house should be informed of.

II.—That in all such bills there be inserted

the following clauses.

be made in any place to an extent exceeding the rate of three feet per mile: and where in any place it is intended to carry the railway on an arch or arches, as marked on the said plan or section, the same shall be made accordingly and where a tunnel is marked on the said plan or section as intended to be made at any place, the same shall be made accordingly, unless the owners, lessees, and occupiers of the land in or through which such tunnel is 1. And be it further enacted, that it shall intended to be made shall consent that the not be lawful for the said company to proceed same shall not be so made; provided neverthein the execution of the said railway herein be- less, that it shall be lawful for the said compafore authorised to be made, unless the said ny, with such consent as aforesaid, and not company shall have, previously to the com- otherwise, to make a tunnel or an arch or arches mencement of such work, deposited with the as aforesaid not marked on the said plan or clerk of the peace of the several counties in section, so that no such tunnel shall be of England or Ireland, and in the office of the greater length than two hundred yards, and principal sheriff-clerk in every county in Scot- that no two tunnels be at least distant from each land, in or through which the said railway other[more] than one hundred yards measured hereby authorised to be made is intended to on the line of the railway: provided always, pass, a plan and section of all such alterations that notice of every petty sessions to be holden from the original plan and section as shall have for the purpose of obtaining such consent as been approved of by parliament, on the same aforesaid shall, fourteen days previous to the scale and containing the same particulars as holding of such petty sessions, be given in some the original plan and section of the railway; newspaper circulating in the county, and also and also with the clerks of the several parishes to be affixed upon the church door of the parish in England, the schoolmasters of the several in which such deviation or alteration is intenparishes in Scotland, or in royal burghs with ded to be made, or, if there be no church, the town clerk, and the post masters of the some other place to which notices are usually post towns in or nearest to such parishes in fixed; and provided also, that for the purIreland in or through which such alterations pose of consenting to any such deviation from shall have been authorised to be made, copies the said sections, and to any tunnelling or archor extracts of or from such plans and sections ing as aforesaid, the word "owners" shall be as shall relate to such parishes respectively; deemed and taken to mean such persons as are and all persons interested shall have liberty to herein capacitated to agree for the sale of and to inspect and make extracts from or copies of the convey land for the making of the said railway, said plans and sections, or extracts or copies and the consent of such persons, with or withthereof, paying to the officer having the cus-out the consent of any other persons interested tody of such plan and section, or of such ex- as owners in the said lands, shall be deemed tract or copy, the sum of one shilling for every and taken to be sufficient for such purposes. such inspection, and after the rate of sixpence 3. And be it further enacted, that it shall not for every one hundred words copied there- be lawful to diminish the radius of any curve from. as described on the plan deposited with the clerk of the peace, or principal sheriff-clerk, unless such radius exceed one mile, nor to diminish it in any such case so that it shall become less than one mile, nor to diminish any greater radius by any more than a quarter of a mile, unless where it exceeds two miles, or by more than half a mile, unless where it exceeds three miles on the said plan.

2. And be it further enacted, that in making the said railway it shall not be lawful for the said company to deviate from the levels of the said railway as referred to the common datum line described on the section so approved of by parliament, and as marked on the same, to any extent exceeding in any place five feet or in passing through towns two feet, without the consent of the owners, lessees, and occupiers of the land in, through or over which such deviation is intended to be made; or in case any street or public carriage road shall be affected by such deviation, then the same shall not be made without the consent of the trustees or commissioners, or, if there be no such trustees or commissioners, without the consent of two or more justices of the peace in petty sessions assembled for that purpose, and acting for the district in which such street or public carriage road may be situate, or without the consent of the commissioners for any public sewers, or the proprietors of any canal or navigation affected by such deviation; and that no increase in the inclination or gradients of the said railway, as denoted by the said section, shall

III. That the house will not proceed with the further consideration of report of any such bill, until it has received from the committee specific replies in answer to each of the questions contained in the foregoing resolutions.

IV. That in order to afford time for the proper discussion of the reports on railway bills, this house will upon every Tuesday proceed in the first place to the consideration of reports on such bills.

BILLS for maintaining, lodging or employing the POOR.

That the chairman of the committee, upon any such bill, upon the report thereof, do acquaint the house that the bill contains no

Standing Orders of the House of Commons.

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That before any bill of divorce for adultery do pass this house, evidence be given before the committee to whom the said bill shall be committed that an action for damages has been brought in one of her Majesty's Courts of Record at Westminster, or in any one of her Majesty's Courts of Record in Dublin, against the persons supposed to have been guilty of adultery, and judgment for the plaintiff had thereupon; or sufficient cause be shown to the said committee why such action was not brought, or such judgment was not obtained.

PRIVATE BILL OFFICE.

1. That a book, to be called "The Private Bill Register," be kept in a room, to be called "The Private Bill Office," in which book shall be entered, by the clerks to be appointed for the business of that office, the name, description, and place of residence of the parliamentary agent in town, and of the agent in the country, if any, soliciting the bill; and all the proceedings from the petition to the passing of the bill:-Such entry to specify, briefly, each day's proceeding in the house, or in any committee to which the bill or petition may be referred; the day and hour on which such committee is appointed to sit; the day and hour to which such committee may be adjourned, and the name of the committee clerk. Such book to be opened to public inspection daily, in the said office, between the hours of eleven and six.

2. That all plans, sections, books of reference, lists of owners and occupiers, estimates and copies of the subscription contracts required by the standing orders of the house, be lodged in the private bill office; and that the receipt thereof be acknowledged accordingly, by one of the clerks of the said office, upon

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the said documents, and upon the petition, before it is presented.

3. That all notices required to be given in the private bill office, be delivered in the said office before six of the clock in the evening.

4. That every private bill, after it has been read the first time, and the title copied and examined for the votes, be in the custody of the clerks of the private bill office, until laid upon the table for the second reading; and when committed. be taken by the proper committee clerk into his charge, till reported.

5. That after each private bill has been read the first time, its name or short title shall be copied by the clerks of the private bill office, from the clerk's minute book of the day, into a separate book, to be called "The Examination Book"-wherein shall be noted the number of such bill, according to the priority of its being read, and the date of the day of such first reading.

6. That between the first and second readings, every such bill shall, according to its priority, be examined, with all practicable dispatch, by the clerks of the private bill office, as to its conformity with the rules and standing orders of the house; and the breviate thereof be compared with such bill; and the examining clerk shall, at the foot of such breviate, state that the bill is or is not prepared in due form;

and if not in due form, he shall specify the folio in which any irregularity occurs; and shall moreover, in all cases sign and date the breviate of such bill, with the day of such examination, and shall also enter the like date, together with his own name, in the examination book.

7. That the points to which the duty of the examining clerk shall extend, be the following; viz. That the title and provisions of the bill are comprehended within the allegations of the petition, and within the order of leave; and that bills for confirming letters patent have a copy of the letters patent annexed.

8. That the examining clerk do moreover compare the breviate with the bill, and see that the subject-matter of each clause or set of clauses is sufficiently pointed out ;-The form of the breviate to be such as the speaker shall from time to time direct.

9. That ten clear days' notice be given to the clerks in the private bill office of the meeting of any sub-committee on a petition for a private bill.

10. That notice in writing, of the day proposed for the second reading of every private bill, be given by the agent soliciting the bill, to the clerks in the private bill office, three clear days before such second reading.

11. That notice of the day and hour on which the committee on the bill, is appointed to sit, be given in writing three clear days beforehand, by the agent soliciting the bill, to the clerks in the private bill office, and that all committee proceedings, of which such notice shall not have been given, be void.

12. That a filled up bill, signed by the agent for the bill, as proposed to be submitted to the committee, be deposited in the private bi!!

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Proposed New Buildings for Courts, Offices, &c.

office at the time of giving notice of the meeting of the committee on the bill; and that all parties shall be entitled to a copy thereof, upon payment of the charges for making out amendments of such bill.

13. That no postponements of the first meeting of any committee on a private bill or petition for a private bill, shall take place, unless notice be given in the private bill office one clear day before the time fixed for such meeting.

14. That a note, in writing, of the day and hour to which each committee is adjourned, be given by the committee clerk to the clerks in the private bill office.

15. That the clerks in the private bill office do prepare, daily, lists of all private bills, and petitions for private bills upon which any committee is appointed to sit; specifying the hour of meeting; and the room where the committee shall sit; and that the same be hung up in the lobby of the house.

16. That the committee clerk, after the report is made out, do deliver into the private bill office a printed copy of the bill, with the written amendments made in the committee; in which bill all the clauses added by the committee shall be regulary marked in those parts of the bill wherein they are to be inserted.

17. That notice in writing of the day on which the bill is to be reported, be given by the agent soliciting the bill, to the clerks in the private bill office, at least one clear day before the day of the report: and in all cases where reports on bills are ordered to lie on the table, notice in writing of the day on which such report is intended to be taken into consideration, be given to the clerks in the private bill office, at least one clear day before such report shall be taken into consideration.

18. That the amendments, if any, which are made upon the report and upon the third reading, be entered by one of the clerks in the private bill office, upon the printed copy of the bill as amended by the committee; which clerk shall sign the said copy so amended, in order to its being deposited and preserved in the said office.

19. That to insure the accuracy of the engrosment of all private bills, the clerk of the house be required to provide a sufficient number of clerks, to be called "Examiners of Ingrossments."

20. That notice in writing of the day proposed for the third reading of every private bill be given by the agent soliciting the bill to the clerks in the private bill office, one clear day before such third reading.

21. That no bill be read the third time, until a certificate is indorsed upon the paper bill, and signed by one or more of the said examiners of ingrossments, declaring that the ingrosments thereof has been examined, and agrees with the bill, as amended by the committee, and on the report.

PROPOSED NEW BUILDING FOR

COURTS, OFFICES, &c.

THE late act 1 Victoria, c. 46, vests the Rolls estate in the Crown, with authority to the Commissioners to appropriate any part thereof for the purpose of Courts of Law, Equity, or Bankruptcy, or for the Offices of any of the Courts, or for a depository of Records. This, therefore, is a favourable opportunity for suggesting any plans that may be expedient for carrying the object of the act into effect; and with this view we introduce to the notice of our readers the following suggestions of Mr. Illingworth, which we received long ago, and we understand they form the substance of a plan prepared by him as early as any of those already before the public.

The records of the four Courts at Westminster ought, for the more convenient access to the public, to be kept in one grand repository or building, similar to that in the new town of Edinburgh, for the conservation of the records of Scotland; and to be erected on the site of the Rolls estate, or in the centre of Lincoln's Inn Fields, or on some other spot, as near as possible to the Inns of Court, and remote from any other building.

The expense of building the general repository for the records of Scotland, amounted to 37,6437. 11. 7d., as appears by the account of the particular items, attested by Mr. George Home, printed in the First Report on the Public Records in 1800, page 399. The several plans of the basement, entrance, and onepair stories, the elevation and the longitudinal section are engraved in the same Report; and a minute description of the several compartments will be found in the return of the Lord Justice Clerk's Deputies to the Committee of the House of Commons, printed in the same Report, page 395.

Considering the great difference in the price of labour between England and Scotland, and the encreased ratio, in consequence of the change of times, both as regards the price of labour, and the value of building materials; and looking to the necessity of a much larger building for the reception of the English Records, (which in consequence of the great number of bills, answers, and depositions in the Chancery and Exchequer, is absolutely necessary), perhaps the estimate for the building and fitting up of one grand repository for the reception of the Records of the four Courts and of the state papers, may be fairly estimated at 60,000.

In regard to the site of such proposed building, it is submitted, that the Rolls house and garden present a desirable spot. If, therefore, the Rolls house and offices in the yard, and that part of the Rolls estate on the eastern side of Chancery Lane up to Cursitor Street, and along Cursitor Street on the north, and down Fetter Lane on the western side, were

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