HC Deb 01 December 1882 vol 275 cc514-5

Motion made, and Question proposed, That all Bills which shall have been Committed to one of the said Standing Committees, shall, when reported to the House, be proceeded with as if they had been reported from a Committee of the whole House."—(The Marquess of Hartington.)

MR. GIBSON

said, that he had an Amendment on the Paper to add to the Resolution the following words:— And may be re-committed to a Committee of the whole House if the House shall so direct. The object of the Amendment was to prevent the 11th Resolution applying to cases under the present Resolution, and to reserve the power of re-committing to a Committee of the Whole House Bills reported from a Standing Committee. But he would not press his Amendment if he was assured that the Government would not treat the 11th Resolution as applicable to Bills reported from a Standing Committee.

MR. DODSON

said, he would repeat what he had before stated—namely, that beyond all doubt, according to the law of the House, a Bill might be committed and re-committed any number of times; and it was the distinct intention of the Government, and the true interpretation of the present Rule, that a Member should be at liberty to move to re-commit a Bill as often as he chose.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)

said, in order to obviate any doubt as to the meaning of the Rule, he would move to add the following Froviso:— Provided, That the provisions of the Standing Order (Consideration of a Bill, as amended), shall not apply to a Bill reported to the House by a Standing Committee.

Amendment proposed, At the end of the Question, to add the words "Provided, That the provisions of the Standing Order (Consideration of a Bill, as amended), shall not apply to a Bill reported to the House by a Standing- Committee."—(Mr. Attorney General.)

Question proposed, "That those words be there added."

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

, asked if the Speaker would state whether, in his opinion, Resolution 11 would conflict in any way with this Resolution?

MR. SPEAKER

said, that the law of the House on this point had been correctly laid down by the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Local Government Board.

Question put, and agreed to.

Main Question, as amended, put. (4.) Resolved, That all Bills which shall have been committed to one of the said Standing Committees, shall, when reported to the House, be proceeded with as if they had been reported from a Committee of the whole House: Provided, That the provisions of the Standing Order (Consideration of a Bill, as amended), shall not apply to a Bill reported to the House by a Standing Committee