HC Deb 07 July 1881 vol 263 cc245-7
MR. SCHREIBER

I beg, before asking the Question which stands in my name, to request the permission of the House to read a short extract from the morning papers of Tuesday on which my Question is founded. The extract says— Enclosures will be reserved to the left of Her Majesty for the members of the Royal Household, the Press, the Four-in-Hand Club, the Eton Boys—at least, those of them who are not present with their corps on the field—officers on foot and in uniform. On the right of Her Majesty places will be reserved for the Park officials, the children of the Royal Schools, the students of Cooper's Hill Indian Engineering College, and with these exceptions the remainder of the line of view will be free to all comers"— that is to say, to Mr. Speaker, to the Lord Chancellor, and to Members of both Houses of Parliament. In answer to previous Questions on the same subject, I have hitherto been told that Members of this and the other House of Parliament could not have reserved places at the Review, because no places were to be reserved. After what has appeared in the newspapers on the subject, I have now to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether it could be arranged that Peers and Members of Parliament wishing to attend the Volunteer Review on Saturday should be admitted, on presentation of their cards, to the spaces which it now appears will be reserved on the right hand and on the left of the position to be occupied by Her Majesty?

MR. CHILDERS

My answer is that the whole of the arrangements rest not with me, but with the Ranger of the Park. I know nothing of, and have not even seen, the notice in the paper quoted by the hon. Member. I may add that I have no intention of making to the Ranger any representations on the subject.

MR. SCHREIBER

wished distinctly to understand whether the right hon. Gentleman, having seen the Question on the Paper for some days past, had not thought fit to communicate with His Royal Highness the Ranger of Windsor Park on a subject of so much interest to Members of both Houses of Parliament?

MR. CHILDERS

I have already twice answered the Question, and have distinctly stated that I have no authority in the matter. I do not propose to address to the Ranger any communication on the subject.

MR. LABOUCHERE

asked what Minister was responsible to Parliament for the action of the Ranger?

MR. CHILDERS

I myself most certainly am not. I believe the First Commissioner of Works is.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

asked what was the name of this Ranger who had put this snub on the House of Commons?

MR. CHILDERS

said, that, in his opinion, the concluding words of the hon. Member were decidedly un-Parliamentary.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

Mr. Speaker, I rise to Order. I beg to ask you, Sir, whether a right hon. Gentleman has a right to usurp your function, and describe as un-Parliamentary an observation made by another Member of the House?

MR. SPEAKER

made no reply to this Question.

MR. CHILDERS

What I said was that, in my opinion, the use of the word "snub" is not Parliamentary.

MR. O'KELLY

rose amid loud cries of "Order!"

MR. SPEAKER

The right hon. Gentleman was in possession of the House when the hon. Member rose.

MR. CHILDERS

I want only to add that the Ranger of Windsor Park is Prince Christian.

MR. SPEAKER

said, that the right hon. Gentleman was entitled to say that in his opinion the language of the hon. Member was un-Parliamentary.

MR. MACDONALD

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would state what claim the Four-in-Hand Club had to a place at the Review?

MR. CHILDERS

I told the House five times as distinctly as I could that I have no authority in the matter.

MR. A. M. SULLIVAN

I do not wish to add to the numerous Questions which have been showered upon the right hon. Gentleman; but I should like to know whether the First Commissioner of Works is in the House? If he is present, I would put the question to him as to whether he can throw any light upon this Four-in-Hand question?

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE

No, Sir; I am sorry to say that I cannot throw any light upon it. The Ranger of Windsor Park is not under my control.

MR. CHILDERS

I have to apologize for having, by a slip of the tongue, misled the House by saying that the Ranger of Windsor Park was under the control of the First Commissioner of Works instead of the Commissioner of Woods and Forests, which is a Department subject to the supervision of the Treasury.

MR. SCHREIBER

said, that, under these circumstances, he begged to give Notice that he would ask his Question of the Prime Minister.