§ MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)said the Instruction which he proposed to move spoke for itself, its intention being that equal treatment should be given to all Member's of the House alike, and he ventured to think that the present was a most opportune time for moving such an Instruction, having regard to the fact that this was a new Parliament. A practice had of late grown up to exempt barristers and others who did not care to serve on Select Committees. No such intention existed when such Committees were originally set up, and the practice should no longer be permitted. In the minds of most lion. Members, serving upon these Committees was nothing less than drudgery, and in many cases only performed from a high sense of public duty. A Return which was published in connection with this subject showed that half the Members of the House never served on a single Committee throughout the last Parliament, the result being that half the Members of the House had done the whole of this unpleasant work.* A large number of those who did none of this work were barristers, who claimed exemption, and what lie desired to put a stop to was any favour of this kind being granted to a particular class. Of all people in the world, of all Members of the House, barristers were least entitled to this privilege. They were specially fitted, from their legal training, to sit upon Committees, where the duties consisted of hearing and sifting evidence, and they were men who made the least sacrifices and had most to gain of any class of men who entered Parliament.
§
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That it be an Instruction to the Committee that, in selecting Members to serve on Committees for the consideration of Private Bills, exemption shall not be granted to any Member on the ground of
*The Returns showing the service of Members on Private Bill and Select Committees are included in the Appendices to the last volume of Debates each session.
781
his private profession, business, or avocation, and all Members shall receive equal treatment and consideration."— (Mr. D. A. Thomas.)
§ *MR. HALSEY (Hertfordshire, Watford),as Chairman of the Committee of Selection, objected that the motion, if carried, would limit the scope and would take away all discretion from the Committee of Selection as to the choice of Members who should serve. If it were carried, the Selection Committee would be no longer able to select: they would have no choice; they would have merely to establish a sort of rota, every Member in turn having to serve, no matter how unsuitable he might be for the particular Committee for which he was selected. The existing instructions to the Committee were sufficient, in his opinion, and in the opinion of his predecessor, Sir John Mowbray. Therefore he thought the motion should not be accepted, but that the hands of the Committee of Selection should be left free. Neither practising barristers nor any other class had a right to be exempted on the ground of their profession or avocation, but on the other hand it was not right to say that no exemption should be given to any person on any ground. Every application for exemption should be considered on its merits, and the Committee should deal with each case as it came before them. All Members were bound to serve on Committees when called upon, and they ought not to be relieved of their duty except under special circumstances. The power in the hands of the Committee of Selection was a very great power; it was exercised with the greatest care. The way in which the Committee did its work was advantageous to Parliament, and, in. his opinion, it would be undesirable to reconsider the rules. Admittedly committee work was much more arduous than in former times, owing to so many more measures coming before it, and it was as much the duty of Members to serve on Committees as to attend the sittings of the House. He was glad to say that
| AYES. | ||
| Abraham, Wm. (Rhondda) | Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Barlow, John Emmott |
| Allen, Chas. P. (Glouc., Stroud | Bagot, Capt. Josceline FitlRoy | Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) |
| Allhusen, Augustus Henry E. | Bam, Colonel James Robert | Beaumont, Wentworth C. B. |
| Ambrose, Robert | Balcarres, Lord | Bell, Richard |
§ there were encouraging signs that Members were becoming more alive to this duty, and this session fewer Members had endeavoured to raise objections than had been the case for a long time past. On the other hand, he was pleased to say he had had many applications from, young embers eager to serve on Committees, and those applications would be encouraged. Under those circumstances lie urged the House to leave well alone and not to accept the motion of the hon. Member.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork Co., N.)did not desire to occupy the attention of the House for more than a momont, but as admittedly there were many Members of me House who never sat on Committees, he thought the motion ought to be supported.
§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington. W.)supported the Instruction on the ground of the equality of all Members of the House so far as their duty to their constituencies was concerned. He was glad to learn that many new Members were, as had been suggested, desirous of serving on these Committees, but many new Members not in the position of distinguished lawyers, bankers, or merchants— Members representing Labour constituencies—devoted their time and did their duty as members of these Committees, whilst others were allowed to shirk their duty by obtaining exemptions. This was a matter which affected the whole of the Members of the House, and it was monstrous that one set of Members should receive exemptions which were not extended to all. The fact of the matter was that a certain number of Members wished to have the honour of sitting in the House, but shirked doing their fair share of this arduous and distasteful work. He cordially supported the Instruction.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Aves, 130; Noes, 282. (Division List No. 41.)
785| Boland, John | Hayden. John Patrick | Partington, Oswald |
| Boyle, James | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- | Pemberton, John S. G. |
| Brand, Hon. Arthur G. | Helme, Norval Watson | Pirie, Duncan V. |
| Brigg, John | Hermon-Hodge, Robert T. | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Bullard, Sir Harry | Hobhouse, C. E. H.(Bristol, E.) | Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward |
| Burns, John | Hope, J. F. (Shef'ld, Brightside | Rasch, Major Frederic. Carne |
| Burt, Thomas | Horniman, Frederick John | Reddy, M. |
| Caine, William Sproston | Hutton, Alfred E. (Morley) | Redmond, William (Clare) |
| Caldwell, James | Joicey, Sir James | Renshaw, Charles Bine |
| Cameron, Robert | Jones, William (Carnarvonsh.) | Roberts, John Bryn (Eifion) |
| Carew, James Laurence | Joyce, Michael | Russell, T. W. |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Kearley, Hudson E. | Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford- |
| Churchill, Winston Spencer | Kennedy, Patrick James | Sandys, Lt.-Col Thos. Myles |
| Cogan, Denis J. | Kenyon-Slaney, Col.W.(Salop) | Schwann, Charles E. |
| Colville, John | Labouchere, Henry | Skewes-Cox, Thomas |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Lambert, George | Smith, Abel H.(Hertford, East) |
| Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) | Layland-Barratt, Francis | Smith, Samuel (Flint) |
| Delany, William | Leng, Sir John | Soares, Ernest J. |
| Dickinson. Robert Edmond | Lloyd-George, David | Stevenson, Francis S. |
| Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) | Lough, Thomas | Strachey, Edward |
| Duffy, William J. | Lowther, C. (Cumb., Eskdale) | Sullivan, Donal |
| Elibank, Master of | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) | Taylor, Theodore Cooke |
| Fardell, Sir T. George | MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. | Thomas, F. Freeman-(Has tings |
| Farrell, James Patrick | Mather, William | Thompson, F.W.(York, W.R.) |
| Flower, Ernest | Molesworth, Sir Lewis | Warner, Thos. Conrtenay T. |
| Flynn, James Christopher | Moon, Edward Robert Pacy | Weir, James Calloway |
| Furness, Sir Christopher | Morton, E. J. C. (Devonport) | White, George (Norfolk) |
| Garfit, William | Murphy, J. | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Goddard, Daniel Ford | Newnes, Sir George | Williams, Osmond (Merioneth) |
| Gordon, Maj. Evans (T'rH'mlts | Norton, Capt. Cecil William | Wilson, Fred. W. (Norfolk, Mid) |
| Grant, Corrie | Nussey, Thomas Willans | Wilson, Henry J.(York, W.R.) |
| Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) | Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.) |
| Greville, Hon. Ronald | O'Brien, K. (Tipperary, Mid) | Wodehouse, Hn. Armine (Essex |
| Gurdon, Sir William Brampton | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | Wodehouse, Sir J.T (Huddersfd |
| Guthrie, Walter Murray | O'Connor, James (Wicklow, W. | Young, Commander (Berks, E. |
| Hammond, John | O'Donnell, John (Mayo, S.) | Yoxall, James Henry |
| Hardie, J. Keir (Mcrthyr Tydvil | O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) | |
| Harmsworth, R. Leicester | O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Harrington, Timothy | O'Kelly. J. (Roscommon, N.) | Mr. D. A. Thomas and Mr. Fenwick. |
| Harwood, George | O'Mara, James | |
| Haslem, Sir Alfred S. | O'Shaughnessy, P. J. |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex. F. | Bowles, Capt. H.F. (Middlesex) | Cross, H. Shepherd (Bolton) |
| Agg-Gardner, James Tynte | Bowles, T. G. (King's Lynn) | Cubitt, Hon. Henry |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Brassey, Albert | Dalrymple, Sir Charles |
| Aird, Sir John | Broadhurst, Henry | Davies, M. Vaughan-(Cardigan |
| Allsopp, Hon. George | Brodrick, Rt Hon. St. John | Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh.) |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Brookfield, Colonel Montagu | Dewar, T.R (T'rH'mlets, S. Geo. |
| Anstruther, H. T. | Brunner, Sir John Tomlinson | Dickson-Povnder, Sir John P. |
| Arkwright John Stanhope | Burdett-Coutts. W. | Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles |
| Arrol, Sir William | Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Dillon, John |
| Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir Ellis | Carble, William Walter | Dimsdale, Sir J. Cockfield |
| Atherley-Jones, L. | Causton, Richard Knight | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lanes.) | Doxford, Sir William Theodore |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Cavendish, V. C.W.(Derbysh) | Duncan, James H. |
| Baird, John George Alexander | Cawley, Frederick | Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Dyke. Rt. Hon. Sir Wm. Hart |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. A. J. (Manch'r | Chamberlain, J Austen (Worc'r | Edwards, Frank |
| Balfour, Rt Hn Gerald W (Leeds | Chaplin, lit. Hon. Henry | Elliot, Hon. A. Ralph Douglas |
| Balfour, Maj. K.R. (Christch.) | Charrington, Spencer | Ellis, John Edward |
| Banes, Major George Edward | Clare, Octavius Leigh | Emmott, Alfred |
| Barry, Sir Francis T (Windsor | Coddington, Sir William | Faber, George Denison |
| Bartley, George C. T. | Coghill, Douglas Harry | Farquharson, Dr. Robert, |
| Bathurst, Hn. Allen Benjamin | Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edw. |
| Beach, Rt. Hn. Sir M. H. (Bristol | Colomb,Sir John Charles Ready | Ferguson, R. C. Mun'ro (Leith) |
| Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Colston, Chas. Edw. H. Athole | Fergusson, Rt. Hn Sir J. (Manc'r |
| Bigwood, James | Corbett, T. L. (Down, North) | Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst |
| Bill, Charles | Cox, Irwin Edw. Bainbridge | Finch, George H. |
| Black, Alexander William | Craig, Robert Hunter | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne |
| Blake, Edward | Cranborne, Viscount | Fisher, William Hayes |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Cripps, Charles Alfred | Fison, Frederick William |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Crombie, John William | Fitzroy, Hon. E. Algernon |
| Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth | Radcliffe, R. E. |
| Fletcher, Sir Henry | Macartney, Rt. Hn W.G. Ellison | Redmond, John E.(Waterford) |
| Forster, Henry William | Macdona, John dimming | Reid, James (Greenock) |
| Foster, Sir M. (London Univ. | Maconochie, A. W. | Rentoul, James Alexander |
| Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | M'Ciae, George | Ridley, Hn. M.W. (Stalybridge |
| Gibbs, Hn A.G.H. (CityofLond. | M'Dermott, Patrick | Ratcme, Rt. Hn. Chas Thomson |
| Gibbs, Hn.Vicary (St. Albans) | M'Kenna, Reginald | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) |
| Gordon, Hn. J.E. (Elgin&Naim | M'Killop, James (Stirlingshire | Roche, John |
| Gordon, J. (Londonderry, S.) | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, N.) | Rolleston, Sir John F. L. |
| Gore, Hon. F. S. Ormsby- | M'Laren, Charles Banjamin | Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye |
| Greene, Sir EW (B'ry S. Edm'ds | Majendie, James A. H. | Ropner, Colonel Robert |
| Gretton, John | Malcolm, Ian | Royds, Clement Molyneux |
| Griffith, Ellis J. | Manners, Lord Cecil | Sadler, Col. Samuel Alexander |
| Groves, James Grimble | Markham, Arthur Basil | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse |
| Hain, Edward | Martin, Richard Biddulph | Samuel, S. M. (Whitechapel) |
| Hambro, Charles Eric | Maxwell, Rt Hn Sir H E.(Wig'n | Sassoon, Sir Edward Albert |
| Hamilton, Rt Hn. Lord G (M'd'x | Maxwell, W. J.H. (Dumfriessh. | Saunderson, Rt. Hn. Col. Edw. J |
| Hamilton, Marq of (L'nd'nd'rry | Mellor, Rt. Hon. J. William | Seely, Chas. Hilton (Lincoln) |
| Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Sir William | Middlemore, John T. | Seton-Karr, Henry |
| Hare, Thomas Leigh | Milner. Rt. Hon. Sir Eredk. G. | Sharpe, William Edward T. |
| Harris, E. Leverton (Tynem'th | Milton, Viscount | Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) |
| Haslett, Sir James Horner | Montagu, G. (Huntingdon) | Shaw-Stewart, M. H.(Renfrew |
| Hay, Hon. Claude George | Montagu, Hn. J. Scott (Hants) | Simeon, Sir Barrington |
| Heath, A. Howard (Hanley) | Mooney, John J. | Sinclair, Louis (Romford) |
| Heath, Jas. (Staffords., N.W. | Moore, William (Antrim, N.) | Smith, James Parker (Lanarks. |
| Heaton, John Henniker | Morgan, D. J. (Walthamstow) | Smith, Hon. W. F. D. (Strand) |
| Helder, Augustus | Morgan, J. Lloyd (Carmarthen) | Spencer, RtHnC. R. (Northants |
| Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. | Morley, Charles (Breconshire) | Stanley, Hn.Arthur (Ormskirk |
| Hickman, Sir Alfred | Morley, Rt. Hon. J. (Moutrose) | Stanley,Edw.James (Somerset |
| Hoare, Edw. B. (Hampstead) | Morrell, George Herbert | Stanley, Lord (Lanes.) |
| Hobhouse, Hy. (Somerset, E.) | Morris, Hon. Martin Henry F. | Stone, Sir Benjamin |
| Horner, Frederick William | Morton, A. H. A. (Deptfo'rd) | Stroyan, John |
| Houldsworth, Sir Wm. Henry | Mount, William Arthur | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) |
| Hoult, Joseph | Mowbray, Sir Robert Grav C. | Talbot, RtHn.J.G.(Oxt'd Univ.) |
| Howard, Capt J (Kent, Faversh. | Murray, Rt Hn A Graham (Bute | Thorburn, Sir Walter |
| Hozier, Hon. James Henry Cecil | Murray, Col. Wyndham (Bath) | Thornton, Percy M. |
| Hudson, George Bickersteth | Myers, William Henry | Tollemache, Henry James |
| Hughes, Col. Edwin | Nannetti, Joseph P. | Tomkinson, James |
| Jackson, Rt. Hon. Wm. L. | Newdigate, Francis Alexander | Tomhnson, Wm. Edw. Murray |
| Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick | Nicholson, William Graham | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| Johnston, William (Belfast) | Nicol, Donald Ninian | Tritton, Charles Eruest |
| Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) | Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N. | Tufnell, Colonel Edward |
| Jones, David B. (Swansea) | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) | Tully, Jasper |
| Kenyon, James (Lancs., Bury) | O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) | Valentia, Viscount |
| Kimber, Henry | O'Malley, William | Vincent, Sir Edgar (Exeter) |
| Kinloch, Sir J. George Smyth | Orr-Ewing, Charles Lindsay | Wallace, Robert |
| Kitson, Sir James | Palmer, Sir C M. (Durham) | Walrond, Rt. Hon. Sir W. H. |
| Knowles, Lees | Palmer, George W. (Reading) | Wanklyn, James Leslie |
| Law, Andrew Bonar | Palmer, Walter (Salisbury) | Warr, Augustus Frideriek |
| Lawrence, William E. | Parkes, Ebenezer | Wason, E. (Clackmannan) |
| Lawson, John Grant | Paulton, James Mellor | Wason, John C. (Orkney) |
| Lecky, Rt. Hon. Wm. Edw. H. | Pease, H. Pike (Darlington) | Welby, Lt-Col A. C. E (Taunton |
| Lee, Capt A. H. (Hants, Fareh'm | Percy, Earl | Wharton, Rt. Hn. John Lloyd |
| Leese, Sir J. F. (Accrington) | Perks, Robert William | Whitley, J. H. (Halifax) |
| Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage | Pilkington, Richard | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset) |
| Leigh-Bennett, Henry Currie | Platt-Higgins, Frederick | Williams, Rt Hn J Powell-(Birm |
| Leighton, Stanley | Plummer, Walter R. | Wills, Sir Frederick |
| Leveson-Gower, Frederick N.S. | Powell, Sir Frances | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine | Pretyman, Ernest George | Wilson-Todd, Wm. H. (Yorks.) |
| Long, Col. Chas. W. (Evesham) | Price, Robert John | Wrightson, Sir Thomas |
| Long, Rt. Hn. Walter (Bristol, S | Purvis, Robert | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| Lonsdale, John Brownlee | Pym, C. Guy | Young, Samuel (Cavan, East) |
| Lowe, Francis William | Quilter, Sir Cuthbert | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Lowther, Rt. Hon. J. (Kent) | Randies, John S. | Mr. Halsey and Mr. Sydney |
| Loyd, Archie Kirkman | Rankin, Sir James | Buxton. |