§ The Order for Consideration of Major O'Gorman's conduct towards the Chair having been read,
§ MR. O'SULLIVANrose and said: Before this Order of the Day is proceeded with, I beg leave to ask the 1439 indulgence of the House for a few moments with regard to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Water-ford. I beg leave to ask that he may be allowed to come before the House for the purpose of explaining his conduct of last evening. I can assure you, Sir, that there is no hon. Member of this House who would be less desirous than my hon. and gallant Friend to show disrespect to this House, or to disobey the ruling of the Chair. I will not do more than ask the House to allow my hon. and gallant Friend to come before it, and explain his conduct.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI am sure that the course proposed by the hon. Member for Limerick is one that the House will gladly agree to; and if, as I gather from the remarks of the hon. Member, it is possible that the hon. and gallant Member for Water-ford will make a statement that will be satisfactory to the House, I am sure that the House will be very glad to hear him.
§ MR. SPEAKERIs it the pleasure of the House that the hon. and gallant Member for Waterford be called in? [Loud cries of "Hear, hear!"]
The Serjeant-at-Arms was accordingly directed by Mr. Speaker to acquaint Major O'Gorman, That he had permission to return to his place. Who, having returned to the House, and taken his seat, being called upon by Mr. Speaker, rose and said: Mr. Speaker, Sir—I beg leave to submit myself to you and to this honourable House, and to express my deep regret at the occurrence which took place last night, and I hope that you and this honourable House will accept my apology. I trust that I may be allowed to add, Sir, that I acted under the influence of the greatest possible exasperation. That, however, is not now the question, and all that I have to do is to offer to you and this honourable House the expression of my deepest regret for what took place last night.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe House has now heard the statement and apology of the hon. and gallant Member for Waterford. If it should be the wish of the House to proceed no further in the matter, it would be an agreeable duty on my part to declare the will of the House in favour of indulgence. The House may be assured that, while jealous for 1440 the character of this House, and determined so far as lies in my power to maintain order in debate, it is with great reluctance that I have put in force the authority of the Chair, as I felt bound to do upon this occasion.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, the House will, I am convinced, upon all occasions be ready to support the authority of its Speaker, and I am quite sure I shall carry with me the sentiments of every hon. Member of this House when I say that we feel that you, Sir, always exercise the authority reposed in you with the greatest possible consideration towards hon. Members. I gather from what has fallen from you, Sir, that you take the view which I own I myself take—and which, I believe, is shared by the House—that the expression of regret which has been so frankly tendered by the hon. and gallant Member towards yourself and towards the House is of a satisfactory character, and will enable us to dispense with any further proceedings — which must necessarily have been most unpleasant to us all. I therefore beg, with your permission and that of the House, to move that this Order of the Day and the next be discharged.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI will not add anything to what has been said by the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, beyond saying that nothing, in my opinion, could be more frank, more satisfactory, and more ample than the apology which has been tendered to you, Sir, and to the House, by the hon. and gallant Member for Waterford. Every hon. Member in this House will, I am sure, feel great pleasure in agreeing to the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman.
§ Then, the House consenting that the said Order of the Day should be discharged, it was—
§ Ordered, That the said Order be discharged.—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)
§ Ordered, That the Order for the attendance of Major O'Gorman in his place be read and discharged.—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)
§ The entry of this discussion upon the Votes is as follows:—
1441§ Major O'Gorman,—The Order for Consideration of his conduct towards the Chair having been read;
§ The honourable Member for Limerick County rose, and said that he had been requested by Major O'Gorman to ask leave of the House that he might be allowed to submit a statement and apology for his conduct to the House;
§ Leave being given, the Serjeant was directed by Mr. Speaker to acquaint Major O'Gorman, That he had permission to return to his place:—Then Major O'Gorman returned to his place, and offered to the House and to the Chair the expression of his deepest regret for what took place last night, and submitted himself to the favourable judgment of the House:—
§ Whereupon Mr. Speaker addressed the House as follows:—
§ "The House has now heard the statement and apology of Major O'Gorman.
§ If it should be the wish of the House to proceed no further in the matter, it would be an agreeable duty on my part to declare the will of the House in favour of indulgence.
§ The House may be assured that, while jealous for the character of this House, and determined so far as lies in my power to maintain order in debate, it is with great reluctance that I have put in force the authority of the Chair as I felt bound to do upon this occasion."
§ Then the House after considering the apology of Major O'Gorman, and, in consequence of what Mr. Speaker had said, consented that the said Order of the Day should be discharged.
§ Ordered, That the said Order be discharged.—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)
§ Ordered, That the Order for the attendance of Major O'Gorman in his place be read and discharged.—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)