HC Deb 07 May 1919 vol 115 cc920-1
Mr. ALFRED DAVIES (Lincoln) (by Private Notice)

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he means to tell the House that the leading features of the Peace Treaty will be made known in Paris this afternoon but that the British public will have to wait until to-morrow?

Sir H. DALZIEL

May I ask the Home Secretary when he anticipates that the Leader of the House will be in his place, and will he give an undertaking that the question of the circulation of the full Peace terms to Members of Parliament will be considered?

Mr. SHORTT

I understand the Leader of the House will be in his place either to-morrow or Friday.

Lieutenant-Colonel C. LOWTHER

Is there any reason why news which will be the property of the world to-morrow should not be communicated to Members of the House to-day?

Mr. DAVIES

May I have an answer to my question?

Mr. SPEAKER

Did the hon. Member give notice of it?

Mr. DAVIES

I gave notice this morning to you, Sir—to your office.

Mr. SPEAKER

Not to me. It is not my business to answer questions. To whom did the hon. Member give notice?

Sir H. DALZIEL

May I ask the acting-Leader of the House whether he will not consider, with his colleagues, whether the Peace terms should be circulated officially to Members of Parliament, having regard to the fact that they have already been seen by hon. Members and I have at present a copy in my pocket?

Mr. DAVIES

I will put my question on the Adjournment of the House to-night.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS (later)

Arising out of the statement made by the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy, that he has received a very important document as a Member of Parliament which has not been supplied to the other Members of Parliament, I desire to ask your ruling, Mr. Speaker, as a matter of privilege, how it is, when Members of Parliament are all equal, that a document of this importance should be supplied to one Member and not supplied to other Members?

Mr. SPEAKER

I do not know how the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy received the document. I do not think he received it as a Member of this House, but probably as a member of the Press.

Mr. JOHN JONES

Perhaps Lord Northcliffe can tell us how he got it.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS

The right hon. Member is not here as a member of the Press, but he is here as a Member of the House of Commons. He rose in his place as a Member of this House, and stated that he had been supplied with a copy of a certain document.

Sir H. DALZIEL

I shall be glad to show the document to the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. DEVLIN

The House of Commons counts for nothing.