§ MR. RITCHIEasked the honourable Member for West Cumberland, Whether, seeing it has been stated from the Chair, that according to the Rules of the House a Member could give Notice of only one Motion with a view of obtaining under the ballot priority for such Motion, and that if several Members combined to enter their names on the Notice Paper with the view of giving Notice of one and the same Motion the rule of the House was thereby practically evaded, he intends to proceed with the Motion which stands in his name for Friday 14th July?
§ MR. PERCY WYNDHAMSir, I think the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets will see, upon consideration of the whole of this case, that in asking me this Question it is practically whether I consider there has been such a breach of the Rules of this House as should induce me to withdraw my Motion from the Order Book. He is asking me to decide a point which it is not for me to decide, and putting upon my shoulders a responsibility which rests upon the shoulders of the House. This is a question of very great interest to private Members, and the object of the Motion is of very great interest to people in this House and out-of-doors. Had the question been decided on Monday there might have been a possibility of bringing the matter forward this Session. We have just heard on high authority that we are very near the close of the Session. The Motion of the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Butler-Johnstone) was withdrawn on the very day when I gave Notice of my Motion, and therefore practically to erase this Motion from the Order Book would prevent its coming on again this year. I have always understood that the universal practice 260 amongst Members of this House not to take up any question or Bill which was in the hands of another Member was a matter purely of courtesy and good feeling between Members, and had nothing whatever to do with the Rules of the House. If there is a question of sufficient interest to engage the attention of many Members instead of one, I do not see why on that account it should be deprived of the greater chance of gaining the attention of the House which it would otherwise possess. There are two ways of getting rid of a Motion—one by the action of the Member himself, and the other by the action of the House after debate, and sometimes on division. I do not intend to put the House to that trouble; but I understand, Sir, that the Question of the hon. Member is exactly the same as that twice put to you by the hon. Member for Glasgow (Mr. Anderson), and which you refused to answer. I therefore cannot, on the suggestion or hint of any one, withdraw this Motion. If you, Sir, from the Chair, say you think there has been an evasion of the Rules, or of the spirit of the Rules, of the House, which should necessitate my withdrawing this Motion, I shall not hesitate to give Notice of its withdrawal.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has imposed on me rather a serious responsibility. He says if I am prepared to state that, in my judgment, such an evasion of the Rules of the House has taken place as to justify the striking out of his Motion from the Paper, he will abide by my decision. Now, if the hon. Member was acting in combination with other Members to get undue priority for his Motion under the Ballot, I do think that such an evasion has taken place of the Rules of the House as would involve the striking out of the Motion from the Paper on the day on which it was put down. But I must leave it to the hon. Member himself to determine whether he has been acting in good faith to the House, or whether he has been acting in combination with other Members to obtain undue priority for his Motion.