§ Mr. BOOTHMr. Speaker, I wish to draw your attention to what I find to be an innovation in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I think in these revolutionary days one cannot be too careful. In column 699 [3rd August, 1911], in the course of an interesting speech made by the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Pollock) the reporter has inserted in one place "laughter" in brackets, and in another place "cheers." That is the first 719 time that I, at any rate, have noticed this. On the same day the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer made a speech in connection with which the cheers were loud and prolonged, but no record of them was made. I have only to say that if this is done by your instructions I am satisfied. I feel quite sure that many of my poor speeches would be helped considerably by interpollations of this kind, but I think it would be an inconvenient practice if it applies only to one or two Members. I presume that it is by accident that this occurred. Our reporters have a difficult task. I am sure we all appreciate it. Some of us I am sure make that difficulty greater for them. It really is a marvel how the work is done as well as we find it done, and I wish to express my confidence in them. At the same time, I want to draw your attention to this innovation.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not think that the matter to which the hon. Member has called my attention is an innovation. It has always been customary wherever cheers or laughter led to some observation on the part of the speaker that they should be included. Where they are genuine cheers and laughter, and do not call for any remark from the speaker, then they are not mentioned, If the hon. Member will turn to the Report he will see that the "laughter" is referred to in the next sentence by the speaker, who says, "If there are some hon. Members who feel this to be merely a matter for jeering," and so on; and subsequently the cheers are referred to by the hon. Member who says, "I felt quite sure that that would provoke a considerable cheer." The whole report of the speech would be made ridiculous if the words "laughter" and "cheers" were not inserted, where they are inserted, in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Their insertion is only following the custom which has obtained for some time in similar circumstances.
§ Mr. BOOTHI mentioned it because I have not seen it done before, though I think cases almost exactly parallel have occurred repeatedly. I quite agree that in that case it is convenient to readers of the speech to have these words, but I have not noticed them in other cases.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf I had time to look through the volumes of the Reports I think that I could find many instances in which the same thing was done.