§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEwished to put a question as to the privileges of the House. He did not know what the custom might be as to Committees of the House; but he had always understood that these Committees were open to the attendance of Members of Parliament except during the time of division. There was a Committee (the Irish Poor Law Committee) in which many Members took a strong interest; and he understood that that Committee had come to a resolution to prevent the attendance of all Members of Parliament. This not being a Secret Committee, he asked whether such a course of proceeding was in conformity with the rules of Parliament?
§ MR. SPEAKERAccording to the rules of the House, every hon. Member is privileged to attend in a Committee, unless the Committee is secret. The usual practice has been that, during the deliberations of the Committee, other hon. Members have left the room. There have been instances where hon. Members would not leave the room, and where, on the application of the Committee, the House granted a power to exclude hon. Members.
§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEAm I to understand that they cannot turn me out of the room?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe Committee have no power to exclude the hon. Member, unless they have a definite power from the House.
§ MR. BRIGHTsaid, as no other Member of the Committee rose to explain the matter, perhaps he might say a few words. The hon. Member (Mr. B. Osborne) had not stated the facts quite accurately. So far, no evidence had been taken by the Committee. When the evidence came to be taken, it was agreed that any hon. Member might be present; but during the discussion of certain resolutions, and dividing upon them, it was considered that hon. Members had no right to be in the room. For himself, he could have wished that the rule had not been drawn so tightly, but he thought it right to state these facts, as the hon. Member had not stated them with perfect accuracy.
§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEI give the hon. Gentleman notice that to-morrow I shall attend the discussions of the Committee.
§ SIR JOHN YOUNGsaid, it was the invariable practice of hon. Gentlemen who were not Members of a Committee to absent themselves from the Committee-room while a deliberation or a division was taking place.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, the hon. Member was quite correct in his statement of the practice; but if hon. Members persisted in attending a Committee, there was no power to exclude them, unless by application to the House.
§ SIR J. PAKINGTONThe course taken this morning on the Irish Poor Law Committee is the only course which I have seen taken in every Select Committee of which I have been a Member.