A NOVEL SITUATION.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 76, 27 September 1898, Page 4

A NOVEL SITUATION.

» When the House reassembled last night some doubts seem to have existed as to the actual position. The Chairman took the chair at 7.30, in accordance "with his statement when the debate was interrupted at 12 o'clock ou Saturday night, and was prepared to proceed with the continuous Bitting of the Committee on the Old Age Pensions Bill, jnsb as if the interval had only been such as intervenes every sitting * day between the 5.30 p.m. rising and the reassembly at 7.30. Such a course' apparently has no precise precedent; since the Suuday interruption of a discussion in Committee of the Whole has never before occurred under the 1894 Standing Order*. No. 55 of those Orders explicitly declares that "the Speaker or Chairman shall leave the chair at 12 o'clock on Saturda}' night, and no sitting of the House shall take place between 12 o'clock on Saturday night aud 1 o'clock on Monday morning." Thus it is quite evident that the business before the House on Saturday night was of necessity interrupted for the 25 hours mentioned in the StandingOrder. The motion before the House when the interruption occurred was one to report progress. This the Chairman of Committees held to have lapsed under Standing Order 79, which reads "If at the hours fixed by the Standing Orders for Mr. Speaker or the Chairman of Committees to interpose to interrupt the business under discussion a motion has been proposed for the adjournment of the House, or of the debate, or, in Committee, that the Chairman do report progress or do leave the cuair, every such dilatory motion shall lapse without question put." Two points, then, were generally admitted as established — namely, that the Committee on the Bill was interrupted from 12< o'clock Saturday night to 1 o'clock on Monday morning, and also that the dilator}' motion to report progress lapsed at 12 o'clock. Had the Committee reassembled at 1 o'clock yesterday morning there would have been no difficulty in the matter, and the Committee could, provided there were a quorum, linve proceeded with the subsection under discussion before the motion to report progress was moved. Instead of resuming the chair at 1 a.m. Mr. Guinness delayed until 7.30 p.m., the time fixed by the House for meeting yesterday. The question then arose whether at 7.30 the Speaker should not take tho chair and the House proceed to its ordinary business instead of the Committee running on continuously when it hud not mot at 1 a.m., and when by resolution tho House hud decided to sit at 7.80 last night. Captain llussell roso to the point of order immediately upon Mr. Guinness taking tho oluiir, and contended that a fresh fitting oE tho House and not the continual sitting of tho Committee should tako placo. Tho Chairman ruled that tho llouso was still in Committoe, and that tho consideration of the Old Age Peiißione liill should be proceeded with ut tho stago it hud reached before tho lapsed dilatory motion of Saturday night. Tho Speaker's ruling on tho matter, which was of somo imporlnnue, was asked for, and Sir Maurioo O'Rorko supported Mr. Guinuew, holding apparently that tho Standing Orders should bo interpreted with a sort of equity latitude rather than a strict observance of tho lottor. Tho whole question hinged upon tho tima when the "interrupted business" of Saturday could be resumed. The Chairman vsontended this could be done at 7.30 yesterday because it was the next sitting day, and the Speaker upheld tho | ruling. On the other Bide it was urged that the House had already decided upon special business for 7.30 on "Monday, aud that the "interrupted business" could not be resumed then. A previous ruling of Sir Maurice O'Rorke and the common practice in the Imperial House are worthy of notoin this connection. In 188S Sir Maurice ruled that " when a special order has been made for taking certain business at 7.30 p.m. the debate interrupted at 6.30 continues interrupted until the 7.30 business is disposed of." In the House of

Commons, when the hour for terminating a sitting bas arrived and a Bill is under consideration in Committee, it is for " the Chairman of Committee to leave the chair and make his report to the House." The business under discussion remains adjourned, and the member in charge, at the Speaker's request, names the day for resuming the debate. This procedure was not followed on Saturday night, and the vagueness both of the Standing Orders and of the rulings given leave the matter still in doubt.