§ Captain W. BENNOn a point of Order. I gave notice of an urgent question to be asked of the Chief Secretary concerning the fate of two men under sentence of death. I understand you, Sir, have disallowed the question. Might I ask you to state on what grounds?
§ Mr. SPEAKEROn two grounds. Firstly, the hon and gallant Gentleman sent the question to me on Friday, so that he could quite clearly have put it down, and received an oral answer to-day. In the second place, the question asked the Chief Secretary about the reprieve of certain prisoners. That is a matter for the Lord Lieutenant, and it is a matter upon which my predecessor frequently disallowed questions.
§ Captain BENNAm I to understand that the Rule says questions that are urgent, which clearly this one is, may not be asked if it so happen that the Member knew about it two days before? Do you disallow it on the ground that it is not urgent?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI disallow it after a quarter to four on the ground that the hon. and gallant Gentleman has not 1524 availed himself of the proper opportunity of placing it on the Paper, and might be trying to get in front of other hon. Members who follow the Rules. That is the point.
§ Captain BENNWe are often told by Ministers that they have not had sufficient time when questions are sent. That is the sole reason I sent the question to the Chief Secretary on Friday. I understand you, Sir, disallow it on the ground that it cannot be urgent, because it might have been put on the Paper.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Gentleman had the opportunity given by the Rules of the House of an answer in the ordinary course. I can only take after a quarter to four questions which are so urgent that they could not have been put on the Paper in the ordinary course.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMay I call attention to the fact that the sentence of death passed upon these men is to take effect to-morrow? What can be more urgent than a matter of life and death? Unless the questions are allowed to be raised to-day, it will obviously be too late for the matter to be raised to-morrow.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is not my fault. The question might have been on the Paper. The hon. and gallant Gentleman could have handed it in at the Table.
§ Captain BENNYou have already ruled that you could not have called the question because it would have been the fourth question standing in my name, and therefore I had no means of putting it on the Paper.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Gentleman would have been entitled to take one of his other questions off the Paper at the same time.