§ MR. W. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick's)proposed to move: That it be an Instruction to the Committee that it is undesirable that permanent powers shall be given as sought for by the Bill, but that they shall be granted for a period of ten years.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe Instruction is not in order, because it raises precisely the same issue which the hon. Member invited the House to consider yesterday, and upon which the House came to a decision.
§ MR. FIELDIn respect to the Vote of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for South Antrim, who is a director of the London and North Western Railway Company, I wish to state that he not only voted against the Motion, which I moved upon the Second Reading of the Measure concerning his Company, but he also, by his speech, influenced the Members of the Government, I see by the Division List that 18 Members of the Government voted against my Motion. 534 The Conservative Whip seized hold of all the Conservatives who were going in—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That is not a point of order or privilege. If the hon. Member confines himself to the Question of disallowing a vote, that is another matter.
§ MR. FIELDI shall be glad, Sir, to have your ruling on the point as to whether the vote of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for South Antrim, should be disallowed, as I see his name appears on the Division List, he being a director of the London and North Western Railway Company and having a direct pecuniary interest in that Company.
§ MR. SPEAKERAs I told the hon. Member yesterday, this is not a matter of order. It is not a question for my decision. It is a question for the House itself to decide. At the same time, it would be rather unusual for the hon. Member to make a Motion for the disallowance of a vote on the day following the discussion and Division, in the absence of the hon. Member who voted, and without giving him due notice. He should communicate with the hon. Member whose vote is in question, and thus afford him an opportunity of being present at the Debate on such vote.
§ MR. FIELDAs a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I did communicate with the right hon. Gentleman last night, and I told him verbally, in the presence of several other hon. Members, that I intended to bring this matter up for discussion to-day. However, in obedience to your suggestion, I will put a notice down for to-morrow, and I will ask the right hon. Gentleman to be present on that occasion.
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is not necessary to put it down. If the hon. Member gives the hon. Member for South Antrim notice when he intends to bring forward the subject of the disallowance of his vote that will be quite sufficient.