§ Sir H. CRAIKI wish to put a question to you, Mr. Speaker, which is of some importance in regard to the usages of this House. It is whether your attention has been called to the fact that a large gathering, composed to a considerable extent of persons not Members of this House, took place on the evening of 8th June in one of the Committee Rooms of the House in order to listen to a debate between a Member of the other House and a speaker who belongs to neither of the Houses of Parliament; whether you think rooms provided for the business purposes of this House should be used for such public meetings; and whether you do not consider that public meetings of this kind, consisting largely of persons not amenable to the Rules of this House, are liable to lead to serious abuses?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have made inquiries, and find that the usual practice of the House was followed. The room was applied for by an hon. Member, and where such application is made—subject, of course, to the Parliamentary business of the House—the application is granted for a conference or for a private meeting if the subject be a political one. With regard to persons not Members of this or the other House being admitted to this meeting, again the usual course was followed. An application was made by the hon. Member who had applied for the room, giving a list of persons, and to those persons passes were issued in the usual form. I do not see any ground for interfering with a practice which is one of long standing in the House.
§ Sir H. CRAIKIs it not a serious evil if two persons, not Members of this House, are allowed to carry on an oratorical duel in the presence of members of the public not subject to the Rules of this House, and may it not lead to disorder and scenes which would be a scandal to the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member who applies for a room takes upon himself the responsibility during the period it is at his disposal. I have not heard of anything happening which would call for any intervention. If anything should happen, then it will be time enough to act.
§ Mr. KENNEDYMay I ask if one of the participants in the debate of last 2068 night did not take part in a similar meeting a few weeks ago, and if any objection was taken by hon. Members opposite to the part he took on that occasion?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI heard of no objection to the antecedent meeting.
§ Mr. HOGGEIn view of the fact that a Count was called in this House, would it not be advisable to discourage these meetings upstairs?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYAre you aware, while this meeting was going on, the attraction was so great that this House was practically denuded?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am sorry I cannot take such a view of the hon. and gallant Member's eloquence.
§ Mr. BOTTOMLEYAre you aware that quite recently the hon. and gallant Member for Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) invited Carpentier to fight in one of the Committee rooms?