THE SPEAKER'S RULING.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 54, 1 September 1926, Page 8

THE SPEAKER'S RULING.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l have heard it said by many, and by some connected with Parliament, that the ruling of the Speaker of the Legislative Council on the Summer lime Bill was in accordance with Parliamentary practice, because the Counoil had not made up its mind. The practice is laid down in "May" as follows:—

On all occasions when the question was for or against giving any measure a further opportunity of discussion, he should always vote for the further discussion, more especially whoa it had advanced bo far as a third reading and that when the question turned upon the measure itself—for instance, that a Bill do or do not pass—he should then vote for or against it, according to his best judgment of its merits, assigning tho reasons on which such judgment would be founded.y(l2th May, 1792, Mr. Speaker Aldington, in May, Ed. XL, page 365.) On 24th October, 1797, Mr. Speaker Addington gave his casting vote in favour of going into Committee on a Bill, stating his reason, as given^ above, and he then stated "that upon any question which was to be governed by its merits, as, for instance, 'that this Bill do now pass,' he should always give his vote according to his judgment, and state the grounds for it.' 3

That shows plainly that when the final question comes '' That this Bill do now pass" tho Speaker can vote according to his conscience; therefore, if the Speaker voted with the Noes because the Council had not made up its mind, he voted wrongly. But if he voted with the Noes because he conscientiously disapproved of the Bill, he acted rightly.—l am, etc., T. 8.0.