§ 24. Mr. HARDIEasked the Home Secretary whether, in any cases where asylum for any person or persons in this country is being considered by him, he will bring the matter to this House for decision?
§ Mr. HARDIEWhat would be the position of the Home Office in the case, say, of Mr. Bourbon, late of Madrid? Has the Home Office taken that into consideration?
§ Mr. SPEAKERrose—
§ Mr. KIRKWOODOn a point of Order. I would like to ask you what is your Ruling which forbids us raising questions like this—putting a question like this quite legitimately and calmly in the House of Commons? Where can we raise this question, if not here?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI allowed the question on the Paper; I did not rule it out of order.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODFurther on that point of Order. As to the supplementary question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Springburn (Mr. Hardie), I want to know what is your Ruling that forbids him putting that supplementary question? What is out of order?
§ Mr. SPEAKERMy Ruling with regard to supplementary questions is, in the first place, that they can only be put in order to elucidate the answer to a question on the Paper; and, secondly, that they should be put in proper form.
§ Mr. HARDIErose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERDoes the hon. Member wish to raise another point of Order?
§ Mr. HARDIEIf you please, Sir. I desire for the time being and for the future to know this: When it comes to a question of names, when it is an ordinary, as we say, civil individual, any liberty is granted that may be asked in this House; but when it comes to a question of another individual, who is assumed by some people to be something superior, do we cease to have the same rights as in speaking of ordinary civil individuals? [Interruption.]
§ Mr. KIRKWOODShut up, please; let the Speaker answer.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am not quite clear what the hon. Member means.
§ Mr. HOLFORD KNIGHTMay we take it that this House is no respecter of persons in these matters?
§ Mr. BROCKWAYOn the first point of Order. May I ask you whether your attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of questions relating to ex-King Alfonso have been ruled out of order by the Clerks at the Table? Is it not possible for an issue of this kind to be raised in this House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERCertainly it is, but questions must be submitted to me first of all, and, according to the Rules of the House, I must rule them out, or not, as I think fit.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODFurther on that point of Order. If we put down a ques- 1793 tion and present it to the Clerks—and this question has got to be discussed on the Floor of the House of Commons—that here is a man who has been driven out from his country, without doubt—[Interruption]. I will allow the Speaker to put me down, but nothing else.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not want to deal severely with the hon. Member, but I shall have to do so if he misbehaves himself.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODYou can deal as severely with me as you like—
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. Mander.
§ Mr. KIRKWOOD—and you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must tell the hon. Member that he will have to leave the House if he does not behave himself.