HC Deb 27 June 1831 vol 4 c359
The Speaker

said, that before the House proceeded to public business, it would be as well for him to mention a subject to which his attention had been called in former Parliaments, and which had again, during this Parliament, been made a matter of complaint— he alluded to the practice of summoning Members of that House upon Juries during the continuance of the Session. At times, and, of course, when Members had only recently entered that House, they were in doubt as to the course they ought to pursue, for not only was there a summons served on them, to attend in the Courts, but if they neglected that summons there was afterwards a notice of distress issued against them for non-compliance with the summons. Members must know, upon a little consideration of the case, that it was their first duty to attend in their place in that House, and for that reason, and that reason only, they were exempt from attendance on Juries during the Session of Parliament. He was convinced, that the summons to attend the Courts, and the notice of distress afterwards issued, could only proceed from the inadvertence of the officers; and he hoped that from the time of this public notice, there would be, in the first place, no summons served on a Member during the sitting of Parliament, and certainly not a notice of distress issued in case he did not attend.

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