were:-1. The Companies Clauses Consolidation Act, relating to the constitution and management of Joint Stock Companies, and entitled "An Act for consolidating in one Act certain Provisions usually inserted in Acts with respect to the constitution of Companies incorporated for carrying on undertakings of a public nature." 2. The Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, relating to the acquisition of lands required for undertakings of works of a public nature, and the compensation to be made for the same. 3. The Railways Clauses Consolidation Act, "for consolidating in one Act certain provisions usually inserted in Acts authorising the making of Railways." [These three Acts are given in the Appendix.]

These Acts were passed for the purpose of avoiding the necessity of repeating such provisions in each of the several Acts relating to such undertakings and for securing greater uniformity in the provisions themselves. By this means,

private Acts will be rendered much less voluminous, as it will not henceforth be requisite to give these various clauses in each separate instance, while time, expense, and trouble will be saved to the parties, and much useless fatigue to the committees of Parliament themselves; besides greater uniformity will be achieved by the adoption of these statutes. Committees on bills will only, in future, have now to examine each separate bill introduced into Parliament (so far as

regards the matters treated of in the three Acts above mentioned), and see whether the clauses of those Acts are incorporated with the particularised clauses contained in each bill.

The following provisions are also to be inserted in private bills, according to the Standing Orders of both Houses of Parliament.

In bills for carrying on any work by means of a company, commissioners, or trustees, a clause must be inserted for compelling the subscribers to make payment of the sums severally subscribed by them. (H. C. 76.) Also a clause for taking security from the treasurer and other officers for compelling the keeping full accounts, &c. (See H. C. Standing Order 77.)

Bills for making, maintaining, varying, extending or enlarging any railway must also contain the following additional provisions :

A clause to restrict the company from raising by loan or mortgage a larger sum than one-third of their capital, and to prohibit any money being raised, by loan or mortgage, until fifty per cent. on the whole of the capital has been paid up. (H. C. 84; H. L. 233, sec. 4, par. 1.)

A clause to provide that where the level of any road shall be altered in making any railway, the ascent of any turnpike-road shall not be more than one in thirty feet, and of any other public road not more than one in twenty feet, unless a report from some officer of the Railway Depart

ment of the Board of Trade shall be laid before the committee on the bill, recommending that steeper ascents than the above may be allowed, with the reasons and facts upon which such opinion is founded, and the committee shall report in favour of such recommendation; also, that a good and sufficient fence, of four feet high at the least, be made on each side of every bridge which shall be erected. (H. C. 85; H. L. 233, sec. 4, par. 2.)

A clause to prevent a railway whereon carriages are propelled by steam or by atmospheric agency, or drawn by ropes in connexion with a stationary steam-engine, from crossing any turnpike-road or other public carriage-way 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. (H. C. 86; H. L. 233, sec. 4, p. 3.)

Also clauses to prohibit a railway from being proceeded with until plans and sections are deposited with the same parties as the original plans and sections, showing the alterations therefrom which have been approved of by Parliament, also to limit alterations in the levels of the railway as described on the section approved of by Parliament, to five feet, or in passing through towns to two feet; also to require tunnels and arches to be made where marked on the plans and sections, unless with the consent of the owners, &c., of the

lands in, through, or over which such alteration is proposed to be made; also to prohibit any deviation from or alteration in the gradients, curves, tunnels, or other engineering works described in the plan and section, except within certain limits and under certain conditions. (H. C. 88; H. L. 233, sec. 5.)

A clause (according to the Standing Orders of the House of Lords only,) to enact that the directors appointed by the Act shall continue in office until the first ordinary meeting to be held after the passing of the Act, and at such meeting the shareholders present, personally or by proxy, . may either continue in office the directors appointed by the Act, or any number of them, or may elect a new body of directors, or directors to supply the places of those not continued in office, the directors appointed by the Act being eligible as members of such new body. (H. L. 233, sec. 6.)

Another clause (according to a Standing Order of the House of Lords alone,) to the effect that, in case the work intended to be carried into effect under the authority of the bill shall not have been completed, so as to answer the objects of such bill, within a time to be limited, all the powers and authorities thereby given are thenceforth to cease, save only as to so much of such work as shall have been completed within such time, with such provisions and qualifications as

the nature of the case shall require. (H. L. 233, sec. 4.)

[Notwithstanding this clause, the House always allows parties to re-appear before it with a bill for an extension of time or an enlargement of their powers, according to the circumstances of the case. The legislature, however, will be slow to sanction such favour if ignorant or wilful estimates, statements, or misconduct can be proved by any opponent presenting a petition against such extension of time or enlargement of powers.]

When leave has been given to bring in a bill, it may be brought in on the next or any subsequent day. In some instances, it is presented the same day and read a first time.

In addition to the copies to be delivered to the door-keepers, eight copies of every private bill have to be deposited at the Public Bill Office; and afterwards, a copy of an amended breviate of each such bill.

Proceedings requisite before Second Reading.

The bill having been read the FIRST time, various proceedings, as hereafter described, are requisite before it can pass through the next stage.

After the first reading, the name or short title of any railway (or other private) bill is copied, by the clerks of the Private Bill Office (into a book kept therein for the purpose, and called the "Examination Book") from the official clerk's