HC Deb 27 April 1883 vol 278 cc1272-3
LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, seeing the very great interests represented by the signatories to the Petitions against the Circular of the Inland Revenue Department, and the fact that the wives or families of many public servants depend on the signatories retaining their places or prospects under the Inland Revenue Board, he does not see his way to giving the House an assurance that no servant of the Board shall be in any way molested or damaged for having petitioned the House of Commons?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)

To this Question I gave the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of Cambridge (Mr. Raikes) yesterday a most plain answer; and that is that Her Ma- jesty's Government, with respect to any such Petition, would do nothing to come into collision with the well-known Privileges of the House of Commons. If any public officer pleases—and this question does not concern alone servants of; the Board of Inland Revenue; butit concerns every soldier, every sailor, every man of the Civil Service—everybody, in fact, who receives Government pay—if he pleases to address a proper Petition to the House of Commons, undoubtedly the Government would not dream, nor has the Inland Revenue ever dreamt, of interfering with it. But the Question of the noble Lord goes much further than that; and in respect to Petitions which it would not be proper to present, I can only repeat what I have said before, that the limits of the question can only be dealt with in debate. As to proper Petitions there is no question whatever.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

I beg to give Notice that on Monday next I shall present 250 Petitions, signed by nearly 2,000 servants of the Board of Inland Revenue, against the Circular issued by the Department.

MR. GORST

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether by proper Petitions he means Petitions proper according to the Rules of the House of Commons, or proper Petitions in the view of Her Majesty's Government?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)

I should have thought that there could have been no question upon that point. A proper Petition is a Petition that is fit to be presented to the House of Commons, and which is in accordance with the Rules of that House.