§ Mr. N. MACLEANI wish to raise a question of privilege. The matter I refer to is a statement made in a book called "England" written by Dean Inge. [An HON. MEMBER: "Why are you interested in England?"] As a Scotsman I am entitled to protect the good name of England. In this book the author makes certain reflections upon certain Members sitting in a particular part of this House, and deductively he makes a reflection upon the Speaker, the Deputy-Speaker, and the Chairman of Ways and Means when in control of the business of this House. The words to which I refer are as follow:
In the Latin nations incompetence and corruption of public men thrown up by universal suffrage are almost taken for granted, and the personnel of our own House of Commons is visibly deteriorating. The new type of Labour Member is sometimes a drunken blackguard, and turns the House of Commons into a bear garden.
§ Mr. MACLEANNo, not "a beer garden," but "a bear garden." I want to make the suggestion that the fact that this reflection is made upon one section of this House—namely, the Labour Members or some Labour Members, constitutes a breach of the privileges of this House. It is an attack made upon a certain section of the Members of this House, and is calculated, by the publication and circulation of this book with that passage in it, to do a certain damage to a particular party of a particular colour. I also want to draw attention to the fact that the statement that this type of Member turns the House of Commons into a bear garden is a reflection upon the power and influence of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Deputy-Speaker, and the Chairman of Ways and Means when they are in control of the proceedings of this House, because it suggests that they have not power or influence to restrain such conduct. I think I am perfectly correct in raising this point because, speaking personally, I can claim that this statement cannot apply to me, because I am a life long abstainer.
§ Sir H. CROFTDo you take tea?
§ Mr. MACLEANAt any rate, I cannot be included in the expression "drunken blackguard," referred to in the passage I have quoted. I feel, however, that my colleagues in this House and every individual Member in regard to an attack of this kind are colleagues of mine, and they have a right to be protected against the circulation of this sort of thing. I wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether it is possible in any way either by summoning the very reverend gentleman who has written this book to the Bar of the House, or by a reference of this matter to the Committee of Privileges to get this matter settled, and get this particular reference deleted from this book.
§ Mr. SPEAKERAccording to our rules a matter complained of as a breach of Privilege must be raised at the first available opportunity, and raised with the production of the paper or book in which the passage is contained. I find that the book to which the hon. Member refers was published more than a month ago, and consequently his plea fails clearly on the point of time. I do not, therefore, give 701 any ruling on the question of the substance of the passage complained of. Perhaps it may be sufficient for me to say that in my experience, now a somewhat long one, the present Parliament can compare favourably with any of its predecessors.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I put to you, Sir, the point that an earlier opportunity to raise this question was not supplied, in view of the fact that the House was not sitting at the time when this book was issued?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe House has sat on three days since the publication of this book, and, therefore, there have been earlier opportunities when the matter might have been raised.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I be allowed to say that I read the statement at the time, and at once deemed it to be untrue and contemptible?
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I say that this book did not come into my possession and this reference in it did not come under my observation until after the last Emergency Session which we had? I want to submit, Sir, that, if that ruling is to be carried into general effect, it means that a book which may have a very limited circulation and which may have very wide-sweeping references to the habits and morals of the Members of this House, may have escaped the observation of any Member of this House, and, therefore, it may not be possible to bring it before your notice when it was originally published; but that if, as soon as ever an opportunity had arisen, the book with the references in it were produced here, according to your ruling it would not constitute a breach of the privileges of this House. I want to submit that where a book is recently published, and the matter is raised at the very first opportunity given to any Member to raise any point in it with reference to the House of Commons, that particular matter can be brought within the discussion of this House, or be referred to the Committee of Privileges, if it in any way transgresses what might be called the limits of public decency.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere are very sound reasons for the Rule of the House with regard to raising these matters at the 702 first available opportunity. I myself have frequently had to rule out questions where a Member had not acted in accordance with that Rule. It would be quite impossible for me to distinguish between one case and another; I must apply the same rule to all the cases.
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I raise this further point? Had this House been in ordinary Session, I could quite accept your point that the matter ought to have been raised earlier; but where the House met only for two days a month ago, and has had a vacation of about a month, this is the earliest opportunity at which this matter could be brought before the House by anyone who has had an opportunity of perusing the book.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am afraid I cannot accept that.
§ Mr. STEPHENI myself desired to raise this point at the previous meeting of Parliament, but I found it impossible to get possession of a copy of the book in time. I would also desire to point out in this connection that I tried to get a copy of it in the Glasgow University Library, in order that I might bring the matter forward, but, the book having such a limited circulation, it was very difficult to get. With Parliament only meeting once a month, surely we are not asking for any relaxation of the Rule, but are taking the first available opportunity for putting forward this matter, which is a reflection upon a large number of people in this House, and surely you are going to give us some opportunity of having the individual who traduces in this foul way the Members of the House brought before the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI cannot distinguish between different cases.