§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—(Mr. Jackson.)
414§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)Upon this Motion, Sir, I rise to a point of Order. It will be within your recollection that I raised the question earlier in the day, in regard to a Motion made by the First Lord of the Treasury, to which neither I nor anyone else offered any opposition. The point on which I asked your ruling was in reference to the Resolution passed by the House that the several stages of the Criminal Law Amendment (Ireland) Bill should have precedence as the first Business of the day whenever it was set down. Now, what I have to submit for your ruling, Sir, is—and I do so only because it is a thing that may occur again—the fact that the first Business of the day was the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman——
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! It is not competent for the hon. and learned Gentleman to dispute my ruling; but I may tell him, for his information, that Motions at half-past 4 are not included in the ordinary Motions for the day; they stand in a category by themselves. In that sense I gave my ruling, which I shall not permit the hon. Gentleman to dispute.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYOf course, Sir, I know I must not attempt to do that without Notice of a distinct Motion; but what I want to point out is—and I ask the question, because it may occur again in another case—that the discussion of such a Motion as we had early in the day might last an entire night, and would it not, therefore, be the first Business of the day?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe duration of a debate on a Motion brought on at half-past 4 does not affect the principle at all.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ House adjourned at Four o'clock.