§ Major HUNTI wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, why a Member of this House is not allowed to put down on the Order Paper the two following questions, and by What Rule or Order they are excluded:
Whether Sir Ernest Cassel was born in Germany, of German parentage, and whether he has received the Order of the Crown of Prussia and the Order of the Red Eagle of Prussia?Whether Sir Ernest Cassel has a controlling interest in the National Bank of Turkey?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe answer is very obvious, namely, that there is no Government Department that has Sir Ernest Cassel under its charge. The same means of information are open to the hon. Gentleman as to anybody else, if he will turn to "Who's Who," or books of that sort. A Minister can only take exactly the same course as the hon. Member.
§ Major HUNTMay I ask you, Sir, why it is that Members of this House can ask questions about German-bred princes, and yet not about German-bred people?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman, I assume, is referring to those Princes who are Members of the other Chamber, and, 995 of course, if they are Members of Parliament, in that sense I presume that the Prime Minister would give a reply. But Sir Ernest Cassel is a private gentleman, and there is nothing officially known as to the place or date of his birth, or as to what Orders may happen to have been bestowed upon him. I would recommend the hon. Gentleman to himself write to Sir Ernest Cassel direct, though with regard to his birth, I am afraid the hon. Gentleman would only get second-hand information.
§ Mr. PRINGLEAre we, then, to understand that it would be in order to ask a Minister a question as to a gentleman of the same name, who has recently received a public appointment?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI should like to see what the question is. Does the hon. Gentleman mean the name of Hunt, or Cassel?