A list of petitions for private bills to be kept in the Private Bill Office, in the order of their deposit according to regulations to be made by the Speaker. 142.

All plans, sections, books of reference, lists of owners and occupiers, estimates, copies of subscription contracts, and declarations required by the standing orders, to be lodged in the Private Bill Office, and the receipt thereof acknowledged upon the said documents, and upon the petition when deposited. 139.

Copies of the subscription contract, with the names of the subscribers arranged in alphabetical order, and the amount of the deposit respectively paid up by each such subscriber, or where a declaration and estimate of the probable amount of rates and duties are substituted in lieu of a subscription contract, copies of such declaration, or of such declaration and estimate, to be printed at the expense of the promoters of the bill, and delivered at the Vote Office for the use of members previous to the deposit of the petition. 40.

A copy of the bill annexed to the petition to be deposited in the office of the railway department of the Board of Trade, on or before the thirty-first day of December. 45.

EXAMINATION OF PETITION FOR BILL.

The Speaker to appoint one or more officers to be called "The Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills," and from time to time remove the same, and appoint others in their stead, as he shall see occasion. 1.

One of the examiners to be appointed chief examiner. 2.

The examination of petitions to commence on the 15th January, in such order and according to such regulations as shall be made by the Speaker, the chief examiner making arrangements for the distribution of the business amongst the examiners. 9.

The chief examiner to give seven clear days' notice in the Private Bill Office of the day appointed for the examination of each petition, and if the promoters do not appear at the time when the petition shall come on to be heard, the examiner to strike the petition off the list, and not reinsert the same except by order of the House. 10, 143.

The compliance with certain standing orders to be proved before one of the examiners, and any parties may appear and be heard, by themselves, their agents, and witnesses, upon any memorial addressed to the examiner, complaining of a non-compliance with the standing orders, provided the matter complained of be specifically stated in such memorial, and that the party affected by the noncompliance with the Standing Orders have signed such

memorial, and that it be deposited in the Private Bill Office three clear days before the day first appointed for the examination of the petition. 11.

All petitions for additional provision in private bills, with the proposed clauses annexed, to be referred to the examiner of peti

tions. 114.

In the case of an application for a private bill relating to England or Scotland, the examiner may admit proof of the compliance with the standing orders which refer to the affixing to the church doors the requisite notices, and to the applications to owners, lessees, and occupiers, on the production of affidavits sworn before a justice of the peace in England, or before any sheriff depute or his substitute in Scotland, unless the examiner shall require further evidence. 12, 13.

In the case of an application for a private bill relating to Ireland, the examiner may admit proof of the compliance with the standing orders on the production of affidavits sworn before any judge or assistant barrister in Ireland, unless the examiner require further evidence.

14.

The examiner to certify by endorsement on each petition for a bill whether the standing orders have or have not been complied with, and when they have not been complied with he is to report the facts upon which his decision is founded, and any special circumstances connected with the case. 15.

When petitions for additional provisions are referred to the examiner, he is to report to the House whether the standing orders have or have not been complied with, and if not complied with, the grounds of his decision, and any special circumstance connected with the case. 16.

In case the examiner shall feel doubts as to the due construction of any standing order in its application to a particular case, he is to make a special report of the facts without deciding whether the standing order has or has not been complied with, and in such case he is to endorse the petition with the words " special report," either alone, or if non-compliances with other standing orders have been proved, in addition to the words "standing orders not complied with." 17.

PRESENTATION OF PETITION FOR BILL.

No private bill to be brought in but upon a petition first presented, with a printed copy of the proposed bill annexed, such petition to be signed by some of the parties who are suitors for the bill, and be duly endorsed by the examiner of petitions for private bills, 112.

The petition for the bill to be presented to the House on or before a day to be appointed by the House at the commencement of every session. 113.

COMMITTEE ON STANDING ORDERS.

The committee to be nominated at the commencement of every session, and to consist of eleven members, of whom five are to be a quorum. 3.

All reports of the examiner of petitions, to be referred to the committee on standing orders. 115.

The committee on standing orders to report to the House whether such standing orders as have not been complied with ought or ought not to be dispensed with, and whether in their opinion the parties should be permitted to proceed with their bill, or any portion thereof, and under what (if any) conditions. 57.

When any special report from the examiner of petitions as to the construction of a standing order is referred to the committee on standing orders, they are to determine according to their construction of the standing order, and on the facts stated in such report, whether the standing orders have or have not been complied with, and either report to the House that the standing orders have been complied with, or proceed to consider the question of dispensing with the standing orders, as the case may be. 58.

Petitions for leave to dispense with any of the sessional orders of the House, or for the reinsertion of the petition for bill in the examiner's list, to be referred to the committee on standing orders. 116.

The committee on standing orders to report to the House whether such sessional orders ought or ought not to be dispensed with. 59.

And also whether the petition for bill ought or ought not to be reinserted in the examiner's list, and if reinserted, under what (if any conditions. 60.

When any clause or amendment offered upon the report, or the consideration of the report, or the third reading, is referred to the committee on standing orders, they are to report to the House whether such clause or amendment be of such a nature as not to be adopted by the House without the recommitment of the bill, or of such a nature as to justify the House in entertaining it without recurring to that proceeding, or of such a nature as not in either case to be adopted by the House. 61, 62.

FIRST READING.

The bill to be printed, and printed copies delivered to the doorkeepers for the use of members before the first reading. 119.

A copy of the bill, printed on paper of the size ordered by the Speaker, to be presented to the House, with a cover of parchment, upon which the title of the bill is to be written; and the short title of the bill as first entered on the votes, must correspond with that at the head of the advertisement, and not be changed, unless by special order of the House. 117.

The proposed amount of all rates, tolls, and other matters, heretofore left blank in bills when presented to the house, to be inserted in italics in the printed bill. 118.

SECOND READING.

There are to be three clear days between the first and second reading of the bill. 120.

Three clear days' notice, in writing, of the day proposed for the second reading to be given by the agent for the bill to the clerks in the Private Bill Office. 147.

The bill not to be read a second time until after the expiration of two calendar months from the day the last notice was given in the newspapers, 122; or until three clear days after the breviate thereof has been laid on the table of the house and been printed, 124; or unless fees are paid for the same.

125.

COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.

The chairman of the committee on standing orders, and the members of the general committee of elections, to ex officio constitute the committee, of whom three are to be a quorum. 4.

The bill, after being read a second time and committed, to be referred to the committee of selection. 126.

The committee of selection to refer every private bill referred to them, when it be opposed, to the Speaker's list of that county, or that division of a county, to which the bill specially relates, and to such number of members not locally interested in the bill, as the circumstances of the case shall in their judgment require. 63.

The committee of selection in each case to direct what number of the members (not locally interested in the bill) selected and added to the Speaker's list, by them, are to be a quorum of such members. 64.

The clerk attending the committee of selection to give notice to each selected member of his name having been added to the com

mittee on the bill, and of the time when such committee has been appointed to meet. 65.

The committee of selection to consider no bill as an opposed private bill where no petition has been presented in which the petitioners pray to be heard, by themselves, their counsel, or agents, unless in cases where the chairman of ways and means shall report to the House that in his opinion the bill should be so treated. 66.

The committee of selection to refer every unopposed bill, to the chairman of the committee of ways and means, together with the members ordered to prepare and bring in the bill. 67.

The committee of selection, subject to the order that there be seven clear days between the second reading of every private bill and the sitting of the committee thereupon, to fix the time for holding the first sitting of the committee on the bill, but in the case of unopposed bills, after communication with the members who are to form the committee on such bill. 68.

COMMITTEE ON THE BILL.

Orders specially applying to the proceedings of the Committee on an Opposed Bill.

The committee on an opposed bill to consist of the members on the Speaker's list of that county, or that division of a county, to which the bill specially relates, and of such number of "selected members" not locally interested in the bill, and in such proportion as the circumstances of each case shall, in the judgment of the committee of selection, require, of which committee five (including the quorum of selected members) are to be a quorum. 5.

Each member of the committee, before he is entitled to attend or vote, to sign a declaration according to the form required by the standing orders. 69, 70, 71.

No member to be entitled to attend or vote who has not delivered his declaration to the clerk previous to the door of the committee room being locked for the appointment of the chairman, and who was not present at such appointment. 72.

So soon after the expiration of ten minutes after the time appointed for the first sitting of the committee as there shall be present at least five members, (including a quorum of selected members,) the clerk to direct the messenger in attendance on the committee to clear the room of all strangers, and to lock the door of the committee-room, and the members then present are to proceed to appoint a chairman. 74.

The member to be appointed the chairman of the committee to be one of the selected members. 75.