Section 1 When committee report “preamble not proved,” opponents to be entitled to recover costs.C1

When the committee on a private bill shall decide that the preamble is not proved, or shall insert in such Bill any provision for the protection of any petitioner, or strike out or alter any provision of such Bill for the protection of such petitioner, and further unanimously report, with respect to any or all of the petitioners against the Bill, that such petitioner or petitioners has or have been unreasonably or vexatiously subjected to expense in defending his or their rights proposed to be interfered with by the Bill, such petitioner or petitioners shall be entitled to recover from the promoters of such Bill his or their costs in relation thereto, or such portion thereof as the committee may think fit, such costs to be taxed by the taxing officer of the House as herein-after mentioned; or the committee may award such a sum for costs as they shall think fit, with the consent of the parties affected.