§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIn pursuance of the point of Order which I submitted to 1804 you on Monday last, Mr. Speaker, may I ask if you can now say, for the guidance of the House, whether the words "for a period of not less than twenty days" in Section 1, Sub-section (2), of the Census Act, 1920, and similar words in other Acts, mean 20 consecutive days, excluding days on which the House does not sit, or any 20 days on which the House is sitting, whether consecutive or not?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIn reply to the right hon. Gentleman, it seems to me that although the word "consecutive" does not occur in the Statute, it must be assumed that it is intended that the words "for a period of not less than twenty days" mean 20 consecutive days, excluding days on which the House does not sit.