§ Sir F. BANBURYOn a point of Order. May I ask your ruling as to what a Member should do in the event of ascertaining that another hon. Member—the hon. Member for West Rhondda (Mr. W. John)—has made a statement in the Press—
§ Mr. SPEAKERA question on that point is to be put by another hon. Member.
Sir J. D. REESMr. Speaker, it is, I believe, the usual rule that any question of privilege should be raised as soon as possible after any breach of privilege has occurred. That, I hope, will be regarded as a sufficient excuse for my raising this matter, of which I only heard this morning, without previous notice to yourself. The hon. Member for West Rhondda (Mr. William John) is reported to have said as lately as Sunday afternoon
I should like to take some of the Rhondda miners to witness a Debate in the House of Commons, to see the wealthy land-lords coming up from their dining-rooms three-parts drunk. Some of them cannot stand, and some there are who have to hold on to their chairs in order to speak in the House of Commons.—[Laughter.] I see nothing ludicrous in this—
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is a serious matter. The hon. Member will be good enough to address me, and not other hon. Members.
Sir J. D. REESI apologise. That remark was provoked by some laughter opposite. I wish to ask you whether such a gross breach of privilege, making such scandalous and unauthorised charges against his brother Members, can be permitted to pass unrebuked and unpunished by the Chair on behalf of the House, when made by an hon. Member concerning his colleagues?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis paper has only been put into my hands since I came into the Chair, and I have not had time to do more than glance at it, but it is so serious a matter that I can hardly believe the hon. Member (Mr. John) has been correctly reported in what the paper reports that he said about his colleagues in this House. I understand that the hon. Member is not available to-day, and I 50 would suggest, therefore, that we might further consider the matter to-morrow. The hon. Member (Sir J. D. Rees) is quite right in raising it to me at the earliest opportunity, but I should like, if the House will grant me time between now and to-morrow, to consider what is the right course to pursue, and also to hear whether the hon. Member (Mr. John) has anything to say.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I be allowed to say I conclude that my hon. Friend the Member for West Rhondda (Mr. John) has not had notice of any intention to raise this question; otherwise I am certain that he would have been here. If my hon. Friend has been correctly reported, I am quite confident, in view of the gravity of the statement attributed to him, that he will immediately see his way to make amends.