HC Deb 01 March 1901 vol 90 cc207-8
MR. STUART-WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury upon how many occasions in the fourteen years 1887 to 1900 has the debate on the Address been finished to admit of the second Wednesday in the session being open for private Members' Bills.

MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid)

I rise to order. I wish to know if this is not a question dealing with facts which appear on the journals of the House, and which are as accessible to the hon. Member who asks the question as to the Leader of the House? I wish to know, too, in regard to the insinuation it is meant to convey, whether—

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! The hon. Member is now commenting on the motives of the hon. Gentleman who asks the question. As to his point of order, I may say that if this question had been brought to my notice I think I should have said that the Clerk was justified in refusing it, on the ground that it asks for information not in the special possession of Ministers, and which can be obtained out of Hansard by the hon. Member himself.

SIR E ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

Are not questions of this kind constantly asked in order to draw in an easy way public attention to an important subject?

*MR. SPEAKER

I quite admit that an effort is frequently made to make a speech by means of a question, but that is irregular.

MR. STUART-WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)

Is it not true that resistance to; form of question—which is frequently used— generally conies from those who anticipate that the answer will be inconvenient to them?

[No answer was returned, and original question was not replied to.]