§ Mr. Roebucksaid, before the first Order of the Day was read, he wished to put a question to the Speaker. It had been attributed to the Speaker, that he had declared his opinion that no Member of that House had the power to move in the House, as distinguished from the House being in committee, such a resolution as that there should be no duty levied on foreign corn. He wished to know from the Speaker 334 whether it were not competent for him (Mr. Roebuck), or any other Member, to move in the House, as distinguished from committee, such a resolution as, "that this House is not prepared to adopt any plan proposing that there should be any duty on corn imported from foreign countries?" He wished to know whether he could not propose in the House a resolution of this description, distinct altogether from that of the noble Lord the Member for London, which was against the principle of a sliding scale.
§ The Speakersaid, according to the standing orders, the House must resolve itself into a committee of the whole House before any resolution could be considered that had reference to trade or taxation. At the same time, it was quite possible so to frame a resolution on such a subject as that an hon. Member should be able to take the sense of the House on the general question of duty or no duty on corn. But such a course though possible, was not regular. The regular course, as he had said, was to move first that the House do resolve itself into a committee of the whole House.