§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green. S.W.)I beg most respectfully to put a question to the Chair respecting the Debate on the Address. It is whether, in the event of the Amendment to the Address relating to the Chartered Company of South Africa being pressed to a Division, hon. Members who are either directors or shareholders of that Company will be entitled to vote? [Cheers.]
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe question whether an hon. Member is entitled to vote or not is one for the House and not for me, and can only be decided by a Motion, in case he should vote, that his vote should be disallowed. The only assistance I can give is to state that the rule is that a Member who has a direct pecuniary interest in a question ought not to 350 vote. [Opposition cheers.] But there have been some conflicting decisions From time to time on such questions by the House, and I cannot give any further assistance than that which I have indicated.
§ Mr. W. THORBURN (Peebles and Selkirk)May I ask whether a Member, being a shareholder with a direct interest in a railway, is not entitled to vote on any Bill affecting that company.
§ MR. SPEAKERI can only give the same answer. The House has on more than one occasion allowed the vote of a director of a company on a Bill promoted by the directors. On some other occasions it has given a decision which is somewhat conflicting with that. It is for the House and not for me to decide.