§ MR. CHAPLIN (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I wish to put to you, Sir, a question on a point of order. If, on the Amendment of the Leader of the Opposition, you put the Motion that all words after "That" stand part of the Question, it will preclude the discussion of the other Amendments dealing with details, and I beg, therefore, to ask whether you will so put the Amendment of the Leader of the Opposition to the Motion of the Leader of the House, to be moved later on, as not to exclude other Amendments on points of detail of which notice has also been given. There are two exact precedents for putting it in that way.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman told me just now that he proposed to ask this Question, but I think I can answer what my course should be. Ordinarily speaking, Amendments are not reserved on a Resolution about the business of the House. On the first occasion on which a Resolution of this kind was proposed, that is on the Crimes Act of 1887, a debate, or rather a conversation, took place on the question respecting whether Amendments as to details could be reserved. On the first Amendment of the Resolution proposing to leave out all the words after "That," the question arose whether other Amendments should be reserved, and, after considerable conversation, Mr Speaker Peel determined to put the Question so as to reserve those Amendments. That course was followed, also, on the Home Rule Bill, and the only other occasion which arose was on the Evicted Tenants (Ireland) Act, 1894. I think I am right in saying that there were there a number of Amendments as to details, but no general Amendment. Following those precedents, and without making any precedent as to ordinary Resolutions, not of this very exceptional character, I shall follow the same course, and reserve these Amendments.