UNOPPOSED RETURNS. (Hansard, 28 February 1912)

§ Mr. SPEAKER

I wish to refer to a matter which occurred at the commencement of business to-day. The hon. Member for North Somerset raised an objection to the fact that the Noble Lord on the Front Opposition Bench moved an unopposed Return which stood in the name of the Leader of the Opposition, and he quoted "The Manual of Procedure" as laying down that such a procedure could not take place. I was taken by surprise by the hon. Member, and I had to rule that if "The Manual of Procedure" and I differed, that my word governed the matter, and the Manual took second place. Since then I have had an opportunity of consulting the important work to which the hon. Member referred, and I find laid down in "The Manual of Procedure" quite clearly exactly the ruling which I gave this afternoon. It says:— A Government Motion may be moved by any Member of the Government, and an unopposed Return or a Motion for leave of absence may be moved by one Member on behalf of another. I am very glad to find that "The Manual of Procedure" and I are in agreement.