SECRET SESSION OF HOUSE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21557, 20 January 1940, Page 5

SECRET SESSION OF HOUSE

“Speech” Published in

Munich

British Official Wireless

(Received January 19. 6.30 p.m.)

RUGBY. January 18.

The Transocean News Agency this morning cited a report from a Munich newspaper that purported to be an account of a speech delivered at "the secret sitting of the House of Commons on,December 15.” The report is said to be based on information received from “reliable neutral circles,” but immediately afterwards is referred to as being based on an “authorised extract.”

The secret session was held on December 13, and Parliament adjourned next day for the Christmas recess. The House of Commons therefore was not in session on December 15.

It may be recalled that on December 12 a Liberal member sought a ruling from the Speaker whether it was a fact that any member who repeated outside, even in private conversation, anything said in the ’ >use during the secret session, would be guilty of a breach of privilege. The Speaker said that any member who so acted would be wilfully disobeying the order of the House and thereby committing a gross breach of privilege, rendering himself liable to reprimand, commitment to prison or. in an extreme case, expulsion from the House.

In the light of the Speaker’s ruling, the “reliability” of neutral circles claiming to have information about the secret proceedings of the British House of Commons and the “authority” on which the alleged extracts have been made from speeches ’delivered at a secret session can be easily judged.