however, has been somewhat changed during the last few sessions (with respect to railway bills), by resolutions adopted by the House and superseding, temporarily, the Standing Orders upon the subject. These alterations were effected on the suggestion and recommendation of a select committee on railways in the session of 1844.

The practice since has been (and still remains, except where changed or modified by the resolutions adopted this year, 1846, for the regulation of railway business in Parliament during the present session-for which see the subsequent chapter of this work upon that amended and special practice) as follows:

By this new practice of the last two sessions, unopposed as well as opposed railway bills (the Standing Orders still prevailing with regard to other private bills) are referred, not to the differently constituted committees as before described-but to a committee chosen by the Committee of Selection, without any reference to the Speaker's list of the county or division of a county to which the bills may more immediately relate. To this committee, opposed and unopposed railway bills are referred, either separately or in groups, the latter consisting of all bills for competing lines of railway. These groups are arranged by the CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE. That committee consists of five members (three being a quorum), and forms all railway bills or projects brought

before the House into groups,

such arrangement

being guided by the committee's opinion as to which schemes should be properly and expediently submitted to the same committees on bills. The Classification Committee is appointed and nominated at the commencement of the session by the Committee of Selection. The rule adopted last session by the former in the classification of railway bills and projects into separate and distinct groups, was that all lines of railway passing through one particular district of country, in similar directions, were to be regarded as "competing lines," and accordingly arranged in one group for investigation and consideration before one and the same committee. Also all railways that professedly are competing lines, or for any reasons are likely to become so, and all having the same terminus. The latter, however, has not always been observed, as in one instance at least, an exception was made where four proposed lines were intended to have the same terminus, and yet were not referred to the same committee.

The mode in which bills are grouped by the Classification Committee, however, will perhaps be best illustrated by the following instances contained in their first report during the present session (1846).

Your committee recommend that the following bills be referred to a distinct committee:-ENGLAND. Group, No. 1. -London and York; Direct Northern; Eastern Counties

(Cambridge and Lincoln line); Eastern Counties (Lincoln and Milford); Eastern Counties (March and Lincoln Extension); Cambridge and Lincoln Extension; Eastern Counties (Hertford to Huntingdon); Ely and Huntingdon (Bedford Extension); Stamford and Spalding; Midland Railway (Swinton to Lincoln); Manchester, Midland, and Great Grimsby Junction; Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction; Sheffield and Lincolnshire Extension; Doncaster, Wakefield, and Leeds; Lynn and Ely (Extension to Spalding); Axholme, Gainsborough, Goole, and York and North Midland. Group, No. 2.-North Devon; Taw Vale Extension; Bideford and Tavistock; Ashburton, Newton, and South Devon; Dartmouth, Brixham, and Exeter; Launceston and South Devon; No. 1; Ditto, No. 2; South Devon (Tavistock and other branches), No. 1; South Devon, No. 2.

Group, No. 3.-Direct London and Portsmouth; Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth; Guildford, Chichester, Portsmouth, and Fareham; Epsom and Dorking.

Committee on Bill.

The committee on any railway bill has to be nominated by the Committee of Selection (as before stated). In the past session, each such committee consisted of a chairman and four members, (as proposed in the resolutions laid before the House in March, 1845, and most of which have been adopted this session-see second report H. C. committee on railways.)* Each of such members before attending and voting is also

* Chapter on Special Practice for the present Session (1846).

thereby required to sign a declaration that neither he nor his constituents possess any personal or local interest in favour of or against any bill or project that would come before him as member of such committee.

As a full and detailed account, however, will be given in a separate chapter of the practice as temporarily altered to meet the exigencies of the present session, the following description of the constitution and mode of procedure of committees on railway bills is founded on the still existing (though for the session superseded) Standing Orders of the House of Commons. It may therefore be regarded as the real practice of that House; though changed for a time on account of peculiar and temporary pressure from the mass of railway business brought before the Parliament this session. It has therefore been deemed advisable here to give a careful account of the practice according to the Standing Orders of the House, repeating the caution that, as regards the practice of the present session, the before mentioned special chapter must be consulted.

After a committee on any private bill has been formed, no member can be added thereto without the special order of the House. (H. C. 8.)

There must be seven clear days between the second reading of, and first sitting of a committee on any private bill. (H. C. 117.)

Subject to the preceding order, the committee of

selection is to fix the time for holding the first sitting of the committee on the bill. (H. C. 55.)

The first sitting of the committee cannot be postponed unless such postponement, and the duration of it has been sanctioned by the committee of selection. (H. C. 56.) The clerk to the latter committee has to give notice in writing to the clerks in the Private Bill Office, of the postponement of the first meeting of the committee on the bill. (H. C. 137.)

Seven clear days' notice must be given in writing 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 bill. (H. C. 135.) If such notice be not given, all the proceedings of any committee will in consequence be null and void.

A filled up bill, signed by the agent, as proposed to be submitted to the committee, has to be deposited in the Private Bill Office one clear day before the meeting of the said committee. (H. C. 136.)

If any report made under the authority of the Board of Trade upon any bill on the objects thereof has been laid before the House, such report must be referred to the committee on the bill. (H. C. 117 a.)

The names of members attending the committee are to be entered by the clerk on the minutes; and he is to take down also the names