§ MR. NEWDEGATESir, I am about to adopt a course which is only resorted to when something unusual has occurred in the Business of this House. Yesterday, when the House resumed at 9 o'clock, and the Business had recommenced, the hon. Member for the Denbigh Boroughs (Mr. Watkin Williams) at two minutes and a-half past 9 o'clock, called your attention to the fact that there were not 40 Members in the House. At exactly 5 minutes past 9 you counted, and there were only 32 Members present. On yesterday week, and on the preceding Tuesday the same thing occurred. This is a matter that has attracted the attention of the Committee of this House on Public Business, and who unanimously passed a Resolution to the effect that if any hon. Member should call your attention to the fact that if there were not 40 Members present at 9 o'clock, or soon after, you should not count the House until a quarter past 9 o'clock. Now, I observe, that, on the Journal of the House, which is the record of our proceedings, it is entered that you, Sir, counted the House at a quarter past 9 o'clock yesterday; but it happened that the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Hardcastle) was sitting next to me at that time and I called his attention to the exact time when the hon. Member for Exeter (Mr. Bowring) was counted out. The Committee on Public Business unanimously came to the conclusion that the counting of the House so soon after it resumed, was taking an unfair advantage of the general body of the Members of this House; because it is impossible, considering the difference of time according to different clocks and watches, 1950 that hon. Members should be in their places here precisely at the moment that this clock points to 9 o'clock. The right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer has given Notice, as Chairman of the Committee on Public Business, of a Resolution of that Committee. I shall, therefore, to-morrow, ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will not propose to the House to give effect to the Resolution of the Committee, and that I shall also move that, when an hon. Member calls your attention to the fact that there are not 40 Members in their places, the name of the hon. Member shall be taken down by the Clerk at the Table before you, Sir, proceed to count the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERThere being no Question before the House, and no Motion having been made by the hon. Member, the observations he has made are quite out of Order.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, he had inadvertently omitted to do so, but would then move the adjournment of the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, it could not then be done, as he had directed the Clerk at the Table to proceed with the Orders of the Day.