§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to a Notice of Motion impugning the conduct of the Chairman of Ways and Means, and disputing the correctness of his interpretation of a Standing Order of this House; and, whether, considering the necessity that the decisions of the Chairman should possess the full confidence of the House, it is his intention to give facilities for the early disposal of such Motion?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I am cognizant of the fact that there is a Notice of a Motion of this kind—indeed, more than one Notice of Motion—upon the Books of the House, and I admit, as a general proposition, it is not desirable that Notices of this kind should remain upon the Books of the House without being disposed of some way or other; but, at the same time, it would be an entirely different and a very novel proposition to admit—which I do not admit—that when a Motion of this kind is given Notice of by a private Member of the House, and expressing his own views, or possibly only the views of his immediate Friends, this constitutes a call upon the Government to interrupt the consideration of Business of vital consequence to peace and order in the country. I am not in a position to give any promise on the subject.
§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONwished to ask Mr. Speaker a Question arising out of the answer he had just received. Was there any precedent for a Chairman continuing to preside over a Committee of the Whole House while a number of Motions calling in question his conduct in the Chair were printed daily in the Orders of the House, under the sanction of the Speaker?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has put a Question to me upon a point of Order not now arising, and I must respectfully decline to answer him.