BALLOT FOR NOTICES—RULES OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 12 February 1852)

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
begged leave to call the attention of the right hon. the Speaker, as well as that of the House, to the position in which he unexpectedly found himself placed at that moment by the omission, though he was sure most unintententional, of the clerk at the table. He had given instructions to the clerk to put his name in the glass when the ballot took place for Motions; but under this circumstance he would move that the ballot be repeated.

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, that if the hon. Baronet wished to give notice of a Motion, he should write it down on paper and also his name, for every Member was responsible for his own name appearing upon the notice paper. If the clerk wrote down the name of the Member upon such paper, it 437 should be considered merely as an act of courtesy upon his part.

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
thought he was placed in a most unfair position. It was no doubt desirable that the rules of the House should be observed. He believed it was the constant practice of Members to walk up to the clerk and to request him to add their names to the list in the usual way. He (Sir J. Pakington) had uniformly proceeded in that way he did not believe that he had ever done otherwise. In this case he had received the distinct promise of the clerk, and he would remind the clerk that at the same time he informed him (Sir J. Pakington) that it would be irregular for him to put more than one notice on the paper. He therefore put in only one notice, and he now requested the right hon. (the Speaker), when the names of those balloting had been called over, that he would be kind enough to call upon the clerk for the second notice. It was clear that the omission was accidental; but he submitted that he should not be placed in this position. The ballot should be fairly carried out, and be therefore moved that it be repeated.

§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL
said, that Mr. Speaker had explained that the rule of the House was, that each Member should write down his own name when handing in his notice to be balloted for. The hon. Gentleman had then no great ground for complaint, as the omission was his own. It was obvious that the clerk might have other business to attend to at the same time these notices were being handed in. It would, therefore, be unjust to make the clerk responsible in such matters. He would, however, admit that some inconvenience was suffered on the present occasion by the hon. Baronet. There would be some advantage in the hon. Baronet calling attention to the matter, because hon. Members will in future see that they will be responsible for putting clown their own names.

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
said, that if that was the sense of the House in regard to its rules he was ready to bow to it, and to submit with the greatest deference to the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman in the chair. He, however, felt that he had not been well treated. He did not know what the practice of others was, but he did not remember any one instance in which he had ever written his own name upon the paper. He therefore considered that he 438 was subject to an unexpected disadvantage to which no Member of that House should be exposed. He would now give notice that he would postpone to that day fortnight his Motion in respect to the Sugar Duties. On Wednesday next he gave notice of his intention to move for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the present system of Punishing Juvenile Criminals, and to consider the propriety of making some arrangement which would combine industrial training with the adequate punishment.