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. (H. C. 48.)

No further proceeding can be had until the report of the said committee has been brought up. (H. C. 122.)

The amendments that may be made upon the report (or consideration of report), must be entered by one of the clerks in the Private Bill Office upon the printed copy of the bill as amended in committee. This clerk has to sign the said copy so amended, in order to its being deposited and preserved in the said office. (H. C. 143.)

Every private bill, after report, is ordered to be engrossed by the House, the expense of which is rather considerable.

Consideration of Report.

Each bill, as amended in committee, except where the committee reports the amendments merely to be verbal or literal, must be printed after report; and delivered to the door-keepers for the use of members, three clear days at least before the consideration of the report. (H. C. 120.)

A breviate of the amendments made in committee on the bill is to be submitted to the chairman of the committee of ways and means, and

also laid upon the table of the House, at least the day previous to the consideration of the report of such bill. (H. C. 119.)

One clear day's notice in writing of the day proposed for the consideration of the report must be given by the agent for the bill to the clerks in the Private Bill Office (the same as on report). (H. C. 139.)

By an order of the clerk of the House (March 30, 1844) every agent at the time he gives notice at the Private Bill Office of the day for the consideration of the report on the bill, must produce a certificate from the door-keeper, that copies of the amended printed bill have been delivered to him on the proper day (namely three clear days before the consideration of the report, by Standing Order 120.)

When it is intended to bring up any clause, or to propose any amendment on the consideration of the report, notice thereof must be given in the Private Bill Office on the day previous. (H. C. 141.)

Any clause or amendment offered upon the consideration of the report has to be referred to the Standing Orders Committee, and to be printed. (H. C. 121.)

That committee has to report to the House thereon, whether the proposed clause or amendment is 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. (H. C. 48.)

No further proceeding can be had in the bill until the report of the said committee has been brought up. (H. C. 122.)

The reports on railway bills are to be considered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (H. C. 123.)

There was formerly only one day in the week named for the consideration of reports on railway bills,—viz. Tuesday; but, last Session, owing to the great increase in those bills, another day in each week was fixed, and the above Standing Order altered to its present form.

Where the report from the Standing Orders Committee is that the clauses or amendments proposed in any private bill (either on report or consideration of report, as the case may be) are of such a nature that the House ought not to adopt them without the recommitment of the bill, the House generally, upon the reception of that report from the committee on Standing Orders, directs the

Re-committal of the Bill.

The entire bill is then subject to reconsideration by the committee, unless such recommittal be limited to some particular clause or amend

ment.

In case of a recommittal of the bill, three clear days' notice, in writing, must be given by the agent for the bill to the clerks in the Private Bill Office, of the day and hour appointed for the meeting of the committee on the said bill. (H. C. 135.)

In the case of a recommitted bill, too, a filledup bill, as proposed to be submitted to the committee on recommittal, must be deposited in the Private Bill Office one clear day before the assembling of such committee. (H. C. 136.)

Third reading.

One clear day's notice in writing must be given by the agent for the bill, to the Private Bill Office, of the day proposed for the third reading. No such notice, however, can be given until after the bill shall have been reported, or the report thereof considered. (H. C. 142.)

Notice must be given in writing at the Private Bill Office the day previous to the third reading, where it is intended to bring up any clause or to propose any amendment in that stage of the bill. (H. C. 141.)

Any amendments that may be made on third reading are entered by one of the clerks of the Private Bill Office, upon the printed copy of the bill as amended in committee; and that copy is signed by the clerk and preserved. (H. C. 143.)

Before the bill is read a third time, a certificate has to be indorsed upon the paper bill and signed by one or more of the examiners of ingrossments, declaring that the ingrossment thereof has been examined, and that it agrees with the bill as amended in committee and on consideration of report. (H. C. 145.)

To insure accuracy, the clerk of the House has to provide a sufficient number of clerks to be called "Examiners of Ingrossments." (H. C. 144.)

On the third reading, when any clause or amendment is proposed at that stage of the bill, it is referred to the Standing Orders Committee, and has to be printed. (H. C. 121.)

That committee has thereupon to report to the House whether such clause or amendment ought or ought not to be adopted by the House at that stage. (H. C. 49.)

This, though a Standing Order, is rarely attended to, as the Standing Orders Committee have about this time, which is usually very far advanced in the Session, ceased to sit.

No further proceeding can be had until the report of the said committee has been brought up. (H. C. 122.)

The bill having been "read a THIRD time and passed" in the House of Commons, it is next sent up to the House of Lords. Its progress there will form the subject of the ensuing chapter.