A Cure for Stonewalling.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3951, 27 August 1881, Page 3

A Cure for Stonewalling.

The following is M-r Hall's notice of motion for Monday :—" Whereas Standing Order No. 382 declares that in al] cases not hereinbefore provided for, the Speaker shall desire take for his guide tke rules, forms, and usages of,the House of Commons, so far as the same can be applied to the proceedings of this House, and whereas doubts exist as to whether rules for the guidance of the House of Commons agreed to subsequent to the adoption of the above Standing Order are applicable to the proceedings of this House ; and whereas on the 2Slh day of February. 1880, the House ot Commons adopted a Standing Order in reference to wilful obstruction of the business of the House, resolved that whenever any member shall have been named by the Speaker or by the, Chairman of a Committee of the whole House, ns disregarding the authority of the < hair, or abusing the rules of the House by p<r sistently and wilfully obstructing the business of the House, or otherise, then, if the offence has been committed in the House, the Speaker shall forthwith put the question. On a motion being made, no amendment or adjournment of debate being allowed, but such member be suspended from the service of the House dtiri>}£ the remainder of that day's sittibg, and if the offence has been committed in committee of the whole House, the Chair man shall, on a motion being made, put the same question in a similar way. If the motion is carried, he shall forthwith suspend the proceedings of the committee, and report the circumstance totl^e House, and the Speaker shall thereupon put the same question without amendment, adjournment, or debate, as if the offence had been committed in the House itself. If any members be suspended three times in one session, under this order, his suspension on the third occasion shall continue for one week, and until a motion has been made, upon which it shall be decided at one sitting of the House whether the suspension shall then cease or for what longer period it shall continue, and on the occasion of such motion the member so may .if he desires it, be heard in his place, provided always that nothing in this resolution shall be taken to deprive the House of the power of proceeding against any member according to ancient usages ; and whereas, by a resolution cf the House of Commons, of date 3rd February, 1881, the Speaker of the said House was authorised to frame rules for its governance in certain cases, and the Speaker did lay on the table, on the 3rd and 9th February, 1881, the following standing orders :—The following are the rules framed by the Speaker for the regulation of the business of the House : While the state of public business is urgent, that no motion for the adjournment of the House shall be made, except by leave of the House, before the orders of the day or notices of motions have been entered upon. (2) That, when a motion is mado for the adjournment of the debate, or of the House during any debate, the debate shall be strictly confined to the matter of rule motion. (3) That if, during any debate, a motion be made for the adjournment of the debate or of the House, the Speaker may decline to put the question; there upon if in his judgment such motion is made for the purpose of obstruction, or, if he thinks fit, put such question from the chair forthwith. (4) That no member, having spoken to a motion for the adjournment of a debate, shall be entitled to move or to speak to any similar motion during the same debate. (5) That the Speaker may call the attention of the House to continued irrelevancy or tedious repetition on the part of a member, and may direct the member to discontinue his speech. (6) That when it shall appear to the Speaker, during any debate to the general sense of the House, that the question be now put, he may so inform the House, and on a motion being made, that the questions be now put, " no Speaker shall forthwith put such questions, and if the same be decided in the affirmative by a majority of three to one, the question previously under debate shall be forthwith put from the chair. (7.) That when the Order of the' Day for the Committee on any bill or other matter declared urgent is read, no Speaker shall forthwith leave the chair without putting any questions, and the House shall thereupon resolve itself into committee. (8) 'I hat on reading j the Order of the Day for the consideration of a bill (declared urgent) as amended the House do proceed to consider the same without the question being put. (9) That when before a division on. the Speaker's decision that the ayes or noes have ;it is challenged no speaker • rutty call upon the members challenging it to rise in their places, and they do not exceed 20, he may forthwith declare the determination of the House. The rules regulating the proceedings of the committee of the whole House upon any bill or other matter declared urgent are as follows : (10) That when a motion is made that the chairman do report progress, or do leave the chair, the debate shall "strictly be confined to the matter of such motion. (11) That if a motion that the chairman do. report progress or do leare the chair be made, the chairman may decline to put the question, if in his judgment such motion is made for the purpose of obstruction, or if that he think fit to put such question, he may put it from the chair forthwith. (12) That no jmesaber having spoken to a motion that thcr^hairman do report progress, or do leave the chair, shall be entitled to move or to speak to any similar motion during the same sitting of the committe. (13) Thatthe,chairman may call the attention of the committee to continued irrevelance or tedious repetition on the part, of the member, and direct the member4odisp.ontin.np his speech. (14) That no member shall he allowed to speak more than once to the

same question, unless the member in charge of the bill or any other member * who has made a motion or moved an amendment desires to offer an explanation. (15) That the. preamble of a bill do stand postpoiied until after the considerutionof the clauses without the question be-

ing put. (16) That when before a division the^.Ghairman's decision that the ayes or noes hare it is challenged, the Chairman may call upon the members challenging it to rise in their places, and, if they do not accede, he may forthwith declare the determination of the committee. (17) That, when in any of the rules framed by the Speaker, a question ia to be put from the chair forthwith, no amendment, adjournment, or debate, shall be allowed ; „ and whereas it is expedient that the said rules of the House of Commons should govern the proceedings of the House of .Representatives, this House resolves that it ia within the power of the Speaker to take the aaid Standing Grisrs for his guide in cases not pumde-cl for.