§ 46. Mr. RENDALLasked the Prime Minister if he will state who are the leaders of the political parties to whom the Government proposes to send the un-expurgated Report of the Dardanelles Commission; if such leaders of such parties include the various groups of Members which have an organised existence and elected chairmen, and which have largely replaced the political parties 224 which existed before the War; and, if not, will he give the Government's definition of a party leader?
§ 47. Sir W. ESSEXasked the Prime Minister how many copies of the complete Dardanelles Reports he has issued or proposes to issue to Members of this House; and whether, in selecting certain Members only as the recipients of these unabridged copies, he has considered to what extent such a course of action may foster party and other sectional divisions and by so much act adversely to Parliamentary unity in these days of national crisis?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe leaders of parties to whom copies will be sent are my right hon. Friend the late Prime Minister (Mr. Asquith), the hon. and learned Member for Waterford (Mr. John Redmond), and my hon Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Wardle). I do not think this action is likely to produce the bad result suggested in the last part of the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Sir W. Essex).
§ Mr. S. MacNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that never in the whole history of Parliament has a proposal been made to give special information by the Government to certain Members of the House in reference to a public document which will come before the House as the grand inquest of the nation to investigate, and likewise whether any preference given to Members is preference given under the rules and authority of the House and not by the Executive Government, and that such conduct is an Insult to the dignity of Parliament?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIf I had not been aware of the circumstance to which my hon. Friend has called my attention I was informed of it the other day. I do not myself think it is any insult to the House, and certainly none is intended.
§ Mr. MacNEILLThis is a very important matter if you value your own traditions. Does the right hon. Gentleman accept what I have stated, that there has been no precedent for this action at any time—not even in the corrupt times of the Stuart administration?
§ Sir W. ESSEXDo I understand that if I, as a duly elected Member of this House, ask for a copy of this Paper which has been laid by the order of the House on the Table, I am to be differentiated 225 from other Members of the House and supplied with an interior or inadequate copy; or will he give me an unabridged copy? And further, I should like to ask at this time, when national unity is necessary, to which party in the House he thinks himself entitled to allocate me?
§ Mr. GINNELLMay I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether this is not quite in keeping with what we have been accustomed to for the last thirteen months, when this unelected and therefore unconstitutional Parliament creates precedents of this sort in all directions?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI dealt with the point raised by my hon. Friend the other day. The sole object of the Government was to take the course which we thought would be most acceptable to the House of Commons. I see that it is not acceptable to some Members, but I am certain if we had taken any other course it would have been still more unacceptable. As regards the last part of the question, I have not yet devoted my mind to classifying the hon. Member (Sir W. Essex).
§ Sir W. ESSEXI beg to repeat my question: Will the right hon. Gentleman, when I ask him for the right which I believe I possess for a full copy of this Report to be laid on the Table, refuse to me what on his own act and by partiality he proposes to give to others?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNobody can refuse to any Member a copy of any document laid on the Table of the House, but I certainly shall not give to any Member other than those I have named a copy of the Report which came from the Commission.
§ Sir W. ESSEXWill the right hon. Gentleman state on what authority given him by this House and the Constitution he refuses me the right which I claim?
§ Mr. G. LAMBERTWhen may we expect the amended Report?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt is in the hands of the printers now, and will be presented either on Wednesday or Thursday—I think Wednesday.
§ Mr. PRINGLECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is the Report or a garbled Report which is laid on the Table?
§ Sir J. JARDINEMay I ask whether none of the Scottish Members are to have a copy of the full Report?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWMy hon. Friend is wrong. My right hon. Friend the late Prime Minister is a Scottish Member.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEIn reference to what occurred a little earlier in the Debate, I want to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether it is in order to lay on the Table, as the Report of a Committee, a Paper which is confessedly incomplete? Secondly, I desire to ask you whether if in Debate Ministers quote from the Report they are not compelled by the Standing Orders to produce to this House and lay the document in complete form?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Government must take the responsibility for any Report which they lay upon the Table. I cannot go behind the Report which is laid upon the Table. In regard to the second question, if a quotation is made from a document which is not produced, it is the rule of the House that the whole of the document should be produced. Of course, if that should occur, the rule of the House I have no doubt could be enforced.
§ Sir WALTER ESSEXI rise to ask a question as a matter of privilege, and I put the question to you, Mr. Speaker, as the guardian of the liberties and independence of Members of this House. I take it that under the principles of constitutional law Members of this House are elected on a footing of equality, and, as representatives of the several constituencies which elect them to this House, have common rights and privileges, the safeguarding of which is entrusted to yourself. May I ask you whether this House, having collectively agreed to the production of a Report, and instructed that it should, under your care and guidance, be laid on the Table of this House, where it shall be available to Members of this House, there is any constitutional authority which gives any particular person in this House—who, after all, can only claim the right to speak by the favour of this House primarily—the right to refuse to any properly elected Member of this House a copy of such Paper, called for by the united voice of the House? I hope I have put my question plainly. I have spoken without 227 preparation, as you know, and I desire your guidance, as you understand the constitutional question.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member introduced some words about me which are certainly not in the Statute. The Statute says that a Report is to be presented to the House, but it says nothing about that Report being presented "under the care and guidance of the Speaker." All that I can do is to see that a Report which is presented to the House is circulated to Members of the House, and that shall be done. If the hon. Member wishes the whole Report to be produced, his best plan would be to put a notice down, calling on the Government to produce the whole Report, notwithstanding anything that the Government have decided upon.
§ Sir W. ESSEXI am sorry if I have not made myself clear. May I ask whether there should be two Reports in answer to a demand for one, and whether I, as the representative of a borough which has sent a Member to this House since 1295, shall sit here, conscious that the rights of my Constituents in their Member have been abrogated in this House for the first time since those rights, whatever they may have been, have been built up in the Constitution of this country? I ask you to defend me as a Member of this House and to secure to me my full privileges.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member will be in exactly the same position as most hon. Members. He will receive a copy of the Report, which is presented. I cannot go further than that.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSESeeing the feeling that exists in a considerable part of this House as to the desirability of a complete Report, and not a bowdlerised edition, being presented to this House, may I address a question to the Leader of the House, although the time for questions is past, as to whether he will not reconsider his decision, only to present an abbreviated and bowdlerised form of Report?
§ Mr. PRINGLEIs there any likelihood, seeing that the Government have evaded a mandate laid upon them by Statute, that any Resolution of this House, which has less effect than a Statute, would have any effect upon them?
§ Mr. SPEAKERYou can always try.
§ Sir W. ESSEXI ask leave to move the Adjournment of this House on a matter of urgent public importance with regard to the privileges of Members of this House in Papers issued by the authority of this House to Members of Parliament.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has not introduced any definite question.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEMay I get some answer to the question I put to you, Mr. Speaker? I beg to ask the Leader of the House whether he will not lay upon the Table of the House an unexpurgated edition of this Report?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat has been answered two or three times.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEI ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House at the proper time upon an urgent matter of definite public importance, namely, the proposal of the Government to lay upon the Table of the House, for the first time in the history of the House, a Report which is confessedly not a complete Report of the Committee.
§ Mr. SPEAKERPerhaps the right hon. Member will give me the words.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEI will write them down.
Sir H. DALZIELMay I, on a point of Order, ask whether it is not the case that, as the Government announced their decision many days ago, the right hon. Member is not entitled at the present time to ask for the adjournment as a matter of urgency?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWMay I suggest that there can be no urgency in regard to the question of my right hon. Friend, because if it is desired later that the full Report should be published, it. is still possible for the House to take steps to secure that object.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have already pointed out what I think is the proper course, and that is that the right hon. Gentleman, or any other Member, can put down a Motion asking for the whole Report. Then the Government will probably give an opportunity for discussion, and the House can decide whether it should have the full Report.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEMay I ask the Leader of the House whether, if I put a Motion to that effect, he will give an early date for its discussion?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI really must not only see the Motion, but have some opportunity of judging whether the right hon. Gentleman is speaking only for himself or for those who sit behind him.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEI must persist in this Motion.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have already said that I think the proper course is to put a Motion down. There is no particular urgency about this.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEI accept your suggestion, and I will put a Motion down to that effect, and I trust it may get the early consideration of my right hon. Friend.