§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That in all cases where the seat of any Member has been declared void on the ground of corrupt practices or illegal practices, no Motion for the issue of a new Writ shall be made without two clear days' previous notice on the Notice Paper of the House, and that such Notice be considered before Orders of the Day and Notices of Motions."—(Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer).
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Seeing the Chief Whip of the Opposition in his place I would ask him whether he can now answer the question I put yesterday, namely, whether in the case of the issue of Writs—say, the Writs for Rochester, Hexham and Walsall—the Opposition claim the right to move them?
§ *MR. AKERS DOUGLAS (Kent, St. Augustine's)I should have preferred that this question should have been answered by my hon. Friend the Secretary of the Treasury; but in his absence, and knowing that we hold similar views on the matter, I have no hesitation in telling the hon. Member what has hitherto been the practice. The general practice has been that new Writs should he moved by the Whip of the Party to which the late Member belonged, mid no difference has been made in cases where the late Member has been unseated on Petition. Thus the Whip of the Party to which the unseated Member belonged has moved. As a matter of courtesy, the Government and Opposition Whips give each other a day's notice of their intention to move Writs, and I should be glad if the hon. Gentleman's friends would adopt a similar course.
§ Motion agreed to.