§ MR. MALINSsaid, that the House would doubtless remember, that yesterday he put a question to the right hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Admiralty, with regard to certain charges made by him against the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Lindsay) as to his being interested in Government contracts. He (Mr. Malins) then appealed to Mr. Speaker as to whether this did not involve a question of a breach of privilege, and received the answer he had expected—namely, that anything affecting a Member's seat in that House involved a question of a breach of privilege. He then gave notice that he would bring the question before the House 158 that evening, and handed to the clerk a notice to the following effect—that he would call the attention of the House to certain statements in the speech made by the First Lord of the Admiralty on Friday last, conveying to the House the impression that the hon. Member for Tynemouth was interested in the Government contracts. He found that an objection was taken to the form of this notice, because it referred to what had taken place in a bebate on Friday last; but, unless he could so refer to that debate, he felt it would be useless to bring this question before the House. The notice was given in direct terms, which would have required the hon. Member for Tynemouth either to admit or deny that he was interested in the Government contracts. If he denied that he was, the First Lord of the Admiralty would then have had to make the concessions which the case required. Finding, however, that he could not take this course, he was driven to give notice of an insignificant Motion, stating he should move for the contract with reference to the transport Robert Lowe. He was aware that, m moving for that contract, he should not be able to obtain, either for himself or the House, the slightest information on the subject he had in view, and he therefore wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman in the chair, whether he was at liberty to refer to the debate of Friday last? for, if he could not do so, it would be useless for him to proceed with his Motion.
§ MR. SPEAKERin reply, said, that, the notice of Motion which was given by the hon. Member was most irregular, as it stated that it was given for the purpose of calling attention to a speech and statements which had been made on a previous night. If the hon. Member intended to take notice of the speech, he ought to have done so on the night on which it was made, or, at all events, the part of the speech on which it was intended to found proceedings ought to have been taken down at the time; but this had not been done. The hon. Member, no doubt, might refer to that speech in general terms, but he could not do so in the special and particular way of which he had first given notice.