VISCOUNT DUNCANpresented a petition from the parish of St. James, Bath, against the measure proposed by Her Majesty's Government for the modification of the window tax. The petitioners prayed that the House should repeal the window tax unconditionally, without the substitution of any other tax.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe petition is informal, and cannot now be received.
§ MR. WAKLEYbegged Mr. Speaker would let them know precisely the regulations of the House on the subject, for probably there would be numerous petitions with reference to the measure before the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe rule is that no person shall allude to what takes place in a debate in this House by petition or in any other manner; but if a proposition be once submitted to the House for an alteration in the window tax, and that proposition forms part of your proceedings, then the public arrive at the information in a legitimate manner, and may petition the House against it. But it is not competent for parties to petition against a matter that can only have come to their knowledge from having been mentioned in debates in this House.