1884 — 9th August

That The House do meet every Wednesday, at Twelve o'clock at noon, for Private Business, Petitions, Orders of the Day, and Notices of Motions, and do continue to sit until Six o'clock, unless previously adjourned.

That when such business has been disposed of, or at Six o'clock precisely, notwithstanding there may be business under discussion, Mr. Speaker do adjourn The House, without putting any Question.

That the business under discussion, and any business not disposed of at the time of such Adjournment, do stand as Orders of the Day for the next day on which The House shall sit.

That at a quarter before Six o'clock on Wednesday, the Debate on any business then under discussion shall stand adjourned to the next day on which the House shall sit; after which no opposed business shall be proceeded with.

That whenever the House shall be in Committee on Wednesday at a quarter before Six o'clock, the Chairman do report Progress, and Mr. Speaker do resume the Chair.

That whenever the House shall meet, for despatch of business, before Two o'clock, except Wednesday and Saturday, unless The House shall otherwise order, The House will resume its sitting at Six o'clock; and when business has not been disposed of at Ten minutes before Four o'clock, unless The House shall otherwise order, Mr. Speaker shall adjourn the Debate on any business then under discussion, or the Chairman shall report Progress, as the case may be, and no opposed business shall then be proceeded with.

That when such business has not been disposed of at Four o'clock, unless The House shall otherwise order, Mr. Speaker (or the Chairman, in case The House shall be in Committee) do leave the Chair, and The House will resume its sitting at Six o'clock, when the Orders of the Day not disposed of at the morning sitting, and any Motion which was under discussion at Ten minutes to Four o'clock, shall be set down in the Order Book after the other Orders of the Day.

That whenever The House shall be in Committee at Four o'clock, the Chairman do report Progress when The House resumes its sitting.

That no Motion for the Adjournment of The House shall be made until the Questions on the Notice Paper have been disposed of, and no such Motion shall be made before the Orders of the Day, or Notices of Motions have been entered upon, except by leave of The House, unless a Member rising in his place shall propose to move the Adjournment, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, and not less than forty Members shall thereupon rise in their places to support the Motion; or unless, if fewer than forty Members and not less than ten shall thereupon rise in their places, The House shall, on a Division, upon Question put forthwith, determine whether such Motion shall be made.

That when a Motion is made for the Adjournment of a Debate or of The House during any Debate, or that the Chairman of a Committee do Report Progress, or do leave the Chair, the Debate thereupon shall be confined to the matter of such Motion; and no Member, having moved or seconded any such Motion, shall be entitled to move, or second, any similar Motion during the same Debate.

That, if Mr. Speaker, or the Chairman of a Committee of the whole House, shall be of opinion that a Motion for the Adjournment of a Debate, or of The House, during any Debate, or that the Chairman do Report Progress, or do leave the Chair, is an abuse of the Rules of the House, he may forthwith put the Question thereupon from the Chair.

That, whenever any Member shall have been named by the Speaker, or by the Chairman of a Committee of the whole House, immediately after the commission of the offence of disregarding the authority of the Chair, or of abusing the Rules of The House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business of The House, or otherwise, then, if the offence has been committed by such Member in The House, the Speaker shall forthwith put the question, on a Motion being made, no amendment, adjournment, or debate being allowed, "That such Member be suspended from the service of The House;" and, if the offence has been committed in a Committee of the whole House, the Chairman shall, on a Motion being made, put the same question in a similar way, and if the Motion is carried shall forthwith suspend the proceedings of the Committee and report the circumstance to The House; and the Speaker shall thereupon put the same question, without amendment, adjournment, or debate, as if the offence had been committed in The House itself.

If any Member be suspended under this Order, his suspension on the first occasion shall continue for one week, on the second occasion for a fortnight, and on the third, or any subsequent occasion, for a month:

Provided always, That suspension from the service of The House shall not exempt the Member so suspended from serving on any Committee for the consideration of a Private Bill to which he may have been appointed before his suspension:

Provided also, That not more than one Member shall be named at the same time, unless several Members present together, have jointly disregarded the authority of the Chair:

Provided always, That nothing in this Resolution shall be taken to deprive The House of the power of proceeding against any Member according to ancient usages.

That Mr. Speaker, or the Chairman of Ways and Means, may call the attention of the House, or of the Committee, to continued irrelevance or tedious repetition on the part of a Member; and may direct the Member to discontinue his Speech.

That when it shall appear to Mr. Speaker, or to the Chairman of Ways and Means in a Committee of the whole House, during any Debate, that the subject has been adequately discussed, and that is the evident sense of the House, or of the Committee, that the Question be now put, he may so inform the House or the Committee; and, if a Motion be made "That the Question be now put," Mr. Speaker, or the Chairman, shall forthwith put such Question; and, if the same be decided in the affirmative, the Question under discussion shall be put forthwith: Provided that the Question, "That the Question be now put," shall not be decided in the affirmative, if a Division be taken, unless it shall appear to have been supported by more than two hundred Members, or unless it shall appear to have been opposed by less than forty Members and supported by more than one hundred Members.

That when the Chairman of a Committee has been ordered to make a Report to the House, he shall leave the Chair without Question put.

That every Report from a Committee of the whole House be brought up without any Question being put.

That this House will, in future, appoint the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means, at the commencement of every Session, so soon as an Address has been agreed to, in answer to Her Majesty's Speech.

That the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means shall be fixed for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and may also be appointed for any other day on which the House shall meet for despatch of business.

That, while the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means are open, the House, when it meets on Friday, shall, at its rising, stand adjourned until the following Monday, without any Question being put, unless the House shall otherwise resolve.

That, while the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means are open, the first Order of the Day on Friday shall be either Supply or Ways and Means, and that on that Order being read, the Question shall be proposed, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair."

That, whenever the Committee of Supply stands as the first Order of the Day on Monday or Thursday, Mr. Speaker shall leave the Chair without putting any Question, unless on first going into Supply on the Army, Navy, or Civil Service Estimates respectively, or on any Vote of Credit, an Amendment be moved, or Question raised, relating to the Estimates proposed to be taken in Supply.

That on Wednesdays and other Morning Sittings of the House, all Committees shall have leave to sit, except while the House is at Prayers, during the sitting, and notwithstanding any adjournment of the House.

That no Select Committee shall, without leave of The House, consist of more than Fifteen Members; that such leave shall not be moved for without Notice; and that in the case of Members proposed to be added or substituted after the first appointment of the Committee, the Notice shall include the Names of the Members proposed to be added or substituted.

That every Member intending to move for the appointment of a Select Committee, do endeavour to ascertain previously whether each Member proposed to be named by him, on such Committee, will give his attendance thereupon.

That every Member intending to move for the appointment of a Select Committee, shall, One day next before the nomination of such Committee, place on the Notices the Names of the Members intended to be proposed by him, to be Members of such Committee.

That lists be affixed in some conspicuous place in the Committee Office, and in the Lobby of the House, of all Members serving on each Select Committee.

That to every Question asked of a Witness under examination, in the Proceedings of any Select Committee, there be prefixed in the Minutes of the Evidence the Name of the Member asking such Question.

That the Names of the Members present each day on the sitting of any Select Committee be entered on the Minutes of Evidence, or on the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Committee (as the case may be), and reported to the House on the Report of such Committee.

That in the event of any Division taking place in any Select Committee, the Question proposed, the Name of the Proposer, and the respective Votes thereupon of each Member present, be entered on the Minutes of Evidence, or on the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Committee (as the case may be), and reported to The House on the Report of such Committee.

That if, at any time during the sitting of a Select Committee of this House, the Quorum of Members fixed by The House shall not be present, the Clerk of the Committee shall call the attention of the Chairman to the fact, who shall thereupon suspend the Proceedings of the Committee until a Quorum be present, or adjourn the Committee to some future day.

That every Select Committee having power to send for Persons, Papers, and Records, shall have leave to report their Opinion and Observations, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken before them, to The House, and also to make a Special Report of any matters which they may think fit to bring to the notice of The House.

That there shall be a Standing Committee, to be designated "The Committee of Public Accounts," for the examination of the Accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the Public Expenditure, to consist of Eleven Members, who shall be nominated at the commencement of every Session, and of whom Five shall be a Quorum.

That any oath or affirmation taken or made by any Witness before a Select Committee may be administered by the Chairman, or by the Clerk attending such Committee.

That any oath or affirmation taken or made by any Witness before The House, or a Committee of the whole House, be administered by the Clerk at the Table.

That the Serjeant-at-Arms attending this House do, from time to time, when The House is going to Prayers, give Notice thereof to all Committees; and that all proceedings of Committees, after such Notice, be declared to be null and void, unless such Committees be otherwise empowered to sit after Prayers.

That, unless The House shall otherwise direct, all Orders of the Day set down in the Order Book for Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, shall be disposed of before The House will proceed upon any Motions of which Notices shall have been given, the right being reserved to Her Majesty's Ministers of placing Government Orders at the head of the list on every Order Day, except Wednesday.

That at the time fixed for the commencement of Public Business, on days on which Orders have precedence of Notices of Motions, and after the Notices of Motions have been disposed of on all other days, Mr. Speaker do direct the Clerk at the Table to read the Orders of the Day, without any Question being put.

That the Orders of the Day be disposed of in the order in which they stand upon the Paper; the right being reserved to Her Majesty's Ministers of placing Government Orders at the head of the List, in the rotation in which they are to be taken on the days on which Government Bills have precedence.

That all Dropped Orders of the Day be set down in the Order Book after the Orders of the Day for the next day on which the House shall sit.

That no Notice shall be given beyond the period which shall include the Four Days next following on which Notices are entitled to precedence; due allowance being made for any intervening adjournment of The House, and the period being in that case so far extended as to include Four Notice Days falling during the sitting of The House.

That, except for a Money Bill, no Order of the Day or Notice of Motion be taken after half-past Twelve of the clock at night, with respect to which Order or Notice of Motion a Notice of Opposition or Amendment shall have been printed on the Notice Paper, or if such Notice of Motion shall only have been given the next previous day of sitting, and objection shall be taken when such Notice is called.

That Motions for the appointment or nomination of Standing Committees and Proceedings made in accordance with the provisions of any Act of Parliament or Standing Order, Motions for leave to bring in Bills, and Bills which have passed through Committee of the whole House, be excepted from the operation of this Order.

Provided, That every such Notice of Opposition or Amendment be signed in the House by a Member, and dated, and shall lapse at the end of the week following that on which it was given.

Provided also, That this Rule shall not apply to the nomination of Select Committees.

That so soon as the voices have been taken, the clerk shall turn a two-minute sand-glass, to be kept on the table for that purpose, and the doors shall not be closed until after the lapse of two minutes, as indicated by such sand-glass.

That the doors shall be closed so soon after the lapse of two minutes as the Speaker or the Chairman of the Committee of the whole House shall think proper to direct.

That, after The House has entered upon the Orders of the Day or Notices of Motions, when, after the House has been cleared for a Division, upon a Motion for the Adjournment of a Debate, or of the House during any Debate, or that the Chairman of a Committee do report Progress, or do leave the Chair, the decision of Mr. Speaker, or of the Chairman of a Committee, that the Ayes or Noes have it is challenged, Mr. Speaker or the Chairman may, after the lapse of two minutes, as indicated by the sand glass, call upon the Members challenging it to rise in their places, and, if they be less than twenty in a House of forty Members or upwards, he may forthwith declare the determination of The House or of the Committee.

That no Bill relating to Religion, or the alteration of the Laws concerning Religion, be brought into this House, until the Proposition shall have been first considered in a Committee of the whole House, and agreed unto by The House.

That no Bill relating to Trade, or the alteration of the Laws concerning Trade, be brought into The House, until the Proposition shall have been first considered in a Committee of the whole House, and agreed unto by The House.

That when any Bill shall be presented by a Member, in pursuance of an Order of this House, or shall be brought from the Lords, the Questions "That this Bill be now read a first time," and "That this Bill be printed," shall be decided without Amendment or Debate.

That when a Bill or other matter (except Supply, or Ways and Means) has been partly considered in Committee, and the Chairman has been directed to report Progress, and ask leave to sit again, and The House shall have ordered that the Committee shall sit again on a particular day, The Speaker shall, when the order for the Committee has been read, forthwith leave the Chair, without putting any question, and The House shall thereupon resolve itself into such Committee.

That Bills which may be fixed for consideration in Committee on the same day, whether in Progress or otherwise, may be referred together to a Committee of the whole House, which may consider on the same day all the Bills so referred to it, without the Chairman leaving the Chair on each separate Bill; provided that, with respect to any Bill not in Progress, if any Member shall object to its consideration in Committee, together with other Bills, the Order of the day for the Committee on such Bill shall be postponed.

That it be an Instruction to all Committees of the whole House to which Bills may be committed, that they have power to make such Amendments therein as they shall think fit, provided they be relevant to the subject matter of the Bill; but that if any such Amendments shall not be within the Title of the Bill, they do amend the Title accordingly, and do report the same specially to The House.

That, in Committee on a Bill, the Preamble do stand postponed until after the consideration of the Clauses, without Question put.

That the Questions for reading a Bill a First and Second Time in a Committee of the whole House be discontinued.

That in going through a Bill no Questions shall be put for the filling up words already printed in italics, and commonly called blanks, unless exception be taken thereto; and if no alterations have been made in the words so printed in italics, the Bill shall be reported without Amendments, unless other Amendments have been made thereto.

That on a Clause being offered in the Committee on the Bill, or on the consideration of Report of a Bill, Mr. Speaker or the Chairman do desire the Member to bring up the same, whereupon it shall be read a First Time without Question put, but no Clause shall be offered on consideration of Report without notice.

That at the close of the Proceedings of a Committee of the whole House on a Bill, the Chairman shall report the Bill forthwith to The House, and when Amendments shall have been made thereto, the same shall be received, without debate, and a time appointed for taking the same into consideration.

That, when the Order of the Day for the Consideration of a Bill, as amended in the Committee of the whole House, has been read, The House do proceed to consider the same without Question put, unless the Member in charge thereof shall desire to postpone its consideration, or a Motion shall be made to re-commit the Bill.

That no Amendments, not being merely verbal, shall be made to any Bill on the Third Reading.

That Lords' Amendments to Public Bills shall be appointed to be considered on a future day, unless The House shall order them to be considered forthwith.

That with respect to any Bill brought to this House from the House of Lords, or returned by the House of Lords to this House, with Amendments, whereby any pecuniary penalty, forfeiture or fee shall be authorized, imposed, appropriated, regulated, varied, or extinguished, this House will not insist on its ancient and undoubted privileges in the following cases:

1. When the object of such pecuniary penalty or forfeiture is to secure the execution of the Act, or the punishment or prevention of offences.

1. Where such fees are imposed in respect of benefit taken or service rendered under the Act, and in order to the execution of the Act, and are not made payable into the Treasury or Exchequer, or in aid of the Public Revenue, and do not form the ground of public accounting by the parties receiving the same, either in respect of deficit or surplus.

1. When such Bill shall be a private Bill for a Local or Personal Act.

That the precise duration of every Temporary Law be expressed in a distinct Clause at the end of the Bill.

That whenever The House shall be informed by the Clerk at the Table of the unavoidable absence of Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means do perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker in relation to all proceedings of this House, as Deputy Speaker, until the next meeting of The House, and so on from day to day, on the like information being given to The House, until The House shall otherwise order; provided that if The House shall adjourn for more than twenty-four hours, the Deputy Speaker shall continue to perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker for twenty-four hours only after such adjournment.

That Members may take and subscribe the Oath required by Law, at any time during the Sitting of The House, before the Orders of the Day and Notices of Motions have been entered upon, or after they have been disposed of; but no debate or business shall be interrupted for that purpose.

That every person returned as a Member of this House, who may claim to be a person for the time being by Law permitted to make a solemn Affirmation or Declaration instead of taking an Oath, shall henceforth (notwithstanding so much of the Resolution adopted by this House on the 22nd day of June last as relates to Affirmation) be permitted, without question, to make and subscribe a solemn Affirmation in the form prescribed by "The Parliamentary Oaths Act, 1866," as altered by "The Promissory Oaths Act, 1868," subject to any liability by statute.

That no Member's name be affixed to any seat in the House before the hour of Prayers; and that the Speaker do give directions to the doorkeepers accordingly.

That any Member having secured a seat at Prayers shall be entitled to retain the same until the rising of The House.

That this House will receive no Petition for any Sum relating to Public Service, or proceed upon any Motion for a Grant or Charge upon the Public Revenue, whether payable out of the Consolidated Fund or out of Monies to be provided by Parliament, unless recommended from The Crown.

That this House will not proceed upon any Petition, Motion, or Bill, for granting any Money, or for releasing or compounding any Sum of Money owing to The Crown, but in a Committee of the whole House.

That if any Motion be made in The House for any Aid, Grant, or Charge upon the Public Revenue, whether payable out of the Consolidated Fund or out of Monies to be provided by Parliament, or for any Charge upon the People, the consideration and debate thereof shall not be presently entered upon, but shall be adjourned till such further day as The House shall think fit to appoint, and then it shall be referred to a Committee of the whole House before any Resolution or Vote of The House do pass therein.

That this House will not receive any Petition for compounding any Sum of Money owing to The Crown, upon any branch of the Revenue, without a Certificate, from the proper Officer or Officers, annexed to the said Petition, stating the Debt, what Prosecutions have been made for the Recovery of such Debt, and setting forth how much the Petitioner and his Security are able to satisfy thereof.

That this House will not proceed upon any Motion for an Address to The Crown, praying that any money may be issued, or that any expense may be incurred, but in a Committee of the whole House.

That this House will not receive any Petition, or proceed upon any Motion for a Charge upon the Revenues of India, but what is recommended by the Crown.

That every Member offering to present a Petition to The House, not being a Petition for a Private Bill, or relating to a Private Bill before The House, do confine himself to a statement of the Parties from whom it comes, of the number of signatures attached to it, and of the material allegations contained in it, and to the reading of the prayer of such Petition.

That every such Petition not containing matter in breach of the Privileges of this House, and which, according to the Rules or usual Practice of this House, can be received, be brought to the Table by the direction of The Speaker, who shall not allow any Debate, or any Member to speak upon, or in relation to, such Petition; but it may be read by the Clerk at the Table, if required.

That, in the case of such Petition complaining of some present personal grievance, for which there may be an urgent necessity for providing an immediate remedy, the matter contained in such Petition may be brought into discussion on the presentation thereof.

That all other such Petitions, after they shall have been ordered to lie on the Table, be referred to the Committee on Public Petitions, without any Question being put; but if any such Petition relate to any matter or subject, with respect to which the Member presenting it has given Notice of a Motion, and the said Petition has not been ordered to be printed by the Committee, such Member may, after Notice given, move that such Petition be printed with the Votes.

That, subject to the above regulations, Petitions against any Resolution or Bill imposing a Tax or Duty for the current service of the year, be henceforth received, and the usage under which The House has refused to entertain such Petitions be discontinued.

That the Serjeant-at-Arms attending this House do, from time to time, take into his custody any Stranger whom he may see, or who may be reported to him to be, in any part of the House or Gallery appropriated to the Members of this House, and also any Stranger who, having been admitted into any other part of the House or Gallery, shall misconduct himself, or shall not withdraw when Strangers are directed to withdraw, while The House, or any Committee of the whole House, is sitting; and that no person so taken into custody be discharged out of custody without the special order of The House.

That no Member of this House do presume to bring any Stranger into any part of the House or Gallery appropriated to the Members of this House, while The House, or a Committee of the whole House, is sitting.

That, except when Mr. Speaker or the Chairman of a Committee of the whole House shall otherwise direct, his order for the withdrawal of Strangers during a Division, shall be understood to apply to Strangers occupying seats below the Bar and in the Front Gallery, and shall be enforced by the Serjeant-at-Arms accordingly.

That, to prevent the intercepting or losing of Letters directed to Members of this House, the person appointed to bring Letters from the General Post Office to this House, or some other person to be appointed by the Postmaster-General, do for the future, every day during the Session of Parliament, Sundays excepted, constantly attend, from Ten of the clock in the morning till Seven in the afternoon, at the place appointed for the delivery of the said Letters, and take care during his stay there, to deliver the same to the several Members to whom they shall be directed, or to their known servant or servants, or other persons bringing notes under the hands of the Members sending for the same.

That the said Officer, do, upon his going away, lock up such Letters as shall remain undelivered; and that no Letter be delivered but within the hours aforesaid.

That the said Orders be sent to the Postmaster-General at the commencement of each Session.

That, when any Letter or Packet directed to this House shall come to Mr. Speaker, he do open the same; and acquaint the House, at their next sitting, with the contents thereof, if proper to be communicated to this House.

That in all Contracts extending over a period of years, and creating a public Charge, actual or prospective, entered into by the Government for the Conveyance of Mails by Sea, or for the purpose of Telegraphic Communications beyond Sea, there should be inserted the condition that the Contract shall not be binding until it has been approved of by a Resolution of the House.

That every such Contract, when executed, should forthwith, if Parliament be then sitting, or, if Parliament be not then sitting, within Fourteen days after it assembles, be laid upon the Table of the House, accompanied by a Minute of the Lords of the Treasury, setting forth the grounds on which they have proceeded in authorizing it.

That, in cases where any such Contract requires to be confirmed by Act of Parliament, the Bill for that purpose should not be introduced and dealt with as a Private Bill, and that Power to the Government to enter into agreements by which obligations at the public charge shall be undertaken should not be given in any Private Act.