HC Deb 28 July 1877 vol 236 cc133-5

(Mr. Marten, Mr. Torr, Mr. Dodds.)

NOMINATION OF COMMITTEE.

Motion made, and Question proposed, That The O'Donoghue be one other Member of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary and Municipal Registration Bill."—(Mr. Marten.)

MR. BIGGAR

opposed the nomination, and said he had various reasons for so doing. It was, of course, an invidious task to take objection to any one Member specially, but in this case he did not think the hon. Gentleman was eligible. He objected to the hon. Member for Tralee, because the nomination emanated from a private Member merely, and was not on the authority of the Leader of any Party or section of a Party. The hon. Member for Tralee did not represent any Party, and was not recognized as belonging to the Party he (Mr. Biggar) belonged to. There were other reasons, which he would rather not state in that House, but they were of a very weighty nature. He was compelled to insist upon his objection, and moved that the name of The O'Donoghue be omitted from the Members of the Committee.

MR. MARTEN

expressed the hope that the objection would not be persisted in, but that the hon. Member for Cavan would rest satisfied with the opinion of the House as shown on a late Division, when, with the exception of his brother Teller, no support was given to his Motion. The name of the hon. Member for Tralee was proposed at the request of hon. Gentlemen representing Irish constituencies who desired that another Irish Member should be added. Although the increased number upon the Committee was attended with inconvenience, it was augmented expressly to meet the views of hon. Gentlemen from Ireland. He might say nothing in the Bill referred to Ireland, and he had taken pains to put upon the Committee the name of the hon. and learned Member for Kildare (Mr. Meldon), whose experience and knowledge of the subject would be most useful.

MR. O'CONNOR POWER

concurred with the hon. Member for Cavan. He had strong reasons against the appointment of the hon. Member for Tralee on this Committee; but in the absence of the hon. Member himself he did not feel himself justified in giving his reasons.

SIR GEORGE BOWYER

was of opinion that the observations of the hon. Member for Cavan, that he objected for reasons he did not choose to state, were unjustifiable, and casting imputations upon an hon. Gentleman who was an old Member of the House, and who was universally liked in public and in private life.

MR. PARNELL

wished to correct the statement of the hon. Baronet who had just spoken. It was not that the hon. Member for Cavan did not choose to state his grounds for objection, but that he thought he should not be justified in doing so in the absence of the hon. Member for Tralee. Firstly, he believed that in the formation of a Committee a principle of representation should be carried out. As regards the nomination of hon. Members who would represent certain feelings of Ireland in a certain proportion, the hon. Member for Tralee, so far as he knew, represented in the House no feelings or opinions but his own; and he, therefore, thought he ought not to be put on the Committee. There were other reasons, to which he would not refer in the absence of the hon. Gentleman, but he thought they were such as would have weight with many hon. Members.

MR. STACPOOLE

said, that the hon. Member for Tralee was an old and esteemed Member of the House, and such insinuations as had been made against him were highly improper unless they were substantiated.

Question put.

The House divided:—Ayes 56; Noes 2: Majority 54.—(Div. List, No. 262.)

SIR GEORGE BOWYER

said, he should rise to Order. The hon. Member for Cavan stated reasons which, in his opinion, were sufficient to exclude the hon. Member for Tralee from the Committee, and remarked that there were other reasons against the appointment, which he would not state in public. He wished to know whether it was competent or in Order for one hon. Member to make insinuations against another Member behind his back, that other Member not being present; at any rate, whether the hon. Member for Cavan was in Order in making that kind of statement without stating what the reasons were which he alleged against the hon. Member's character, so that they might be able to judge of their weight; and whether, if he did not state the reasons, the hon. Member for Cavan was not bound to retract those insinuations?

MR. SPEAKER

The point raised is scarcely a point of Order, but refers rather to the ordinary courtesies of debate. It seems to me that the hon. Member for Cavan would have been better advised if, before making the statement which he has made, he had informed the hon. Member for Tralee that it was his intention to make these remarks.

Mr. RATHBONE, Mr. RYDER, Mr. Serjeant SIMON, Mr. TORR, and Mr. MARTEN nominated other Members of the Committee:—Five to he the quorum.

House adjourned at half after Six o'clock till Monday next.