XIV. order during a division, chairman down. Chapter down to be reported to the house.1 Similarly when members have refused to leave the house for a division, the chairman has directed the doors to be unlocked in order that he might report the circumstance to the house.2. On an occasion, 28th July, 1887, when insulting words were Report by Breach of addressed by a member to another member, during the of words progress of a division, after the declaration of the numbers, not taken see p. 357, the chairman stated that he must, in consequence, send for the Speaker. The Speaker accordingly resumed the chair; the chairman reported to him the occurrence; and the Speaker, after a statement from the member, named him for having violated the decorum of the house. A chairman has also reported to the Speaker, at the close of his report of the suspension of certain members for obstruction, that a member during the proceedings had addressed to him insulting words; and the matter was set down for consideration on a future day. The sitting of a committee may also be interrupted by a complaint of a breach Privilege, of privilege whereon progress is reported, and the incident is considered by the house.5 see p. 270. sumes the certain An outbreak of disorder in a committee, by which the Speaker rehonour and dignity of the house were affected, has justi- chair in fied the Speaker in resuming the chair immediately, cases. without awaiting the ordinary forms. On the 10th May, 1675, a serious disturbance arose in a committee of the whole house, which threatened bloodshed; the Speaker, thereupon, "very opportunely and prudently rising from his seat near the bar, in a resolute and slow pace, made his three respects through the crowd, and took the chair." The mace was laid upon the table; the disorder ceased; and the 1 Report of cases of disorder: 10 C. J. 806; 11 ib. 480; 43 ib. 467; 3rd July, 1851, 106 ib. 333; 9th June, 1852, 107 ib. 278. Report of words taken down: 1 ib. 866; 18 ib. 653; 106 ib. 313; 5th May, 1853, 108 ib. 461; Mr. Parnell, 25th July, 1877, 132 ib. 375; 27th July, 1893, 148 ib. 469. Report of suspension of members for disregarding the authority of the chairman: 136 ib. Resolu not be XIV. Speaker stated that it was to bring the house into order again, Chapter 2 269. If an occasion of public business arises in which the house Incidental interrupis concerned, the Speaker resumes the chair at once, without tions, see p. any report from the committee; as if the usher of the Black Rod should summon the house to attend his Majesty or the lords commissioners in the House of Peers, or if the time be come for holding a conference with the Lords.1 committee, When the incident which has occasioned the interruption Quorum in to the sitting of a committee has been dealt with, the house see p. 231. forthwith again resolves itself into the committee. ponement of bills, see p. Resolutions to be proposed in a committee of the whole For posttions can house can be moved according to the order suggested by clauses of postponed. the discretion of the mover; and after a motion for a 488. resolution has been proposed from the chair, a motion to postpone such motion, to obtain priority for another resolution, would be out of order. When proposed from the 13 Grey's Deb. 129. 2 Mr. Fuller's case, 27th Feb. 1810, 65 C. J. 134. 370 C. J. 143; 2 Lord Colchester's Diary, 531. 126 C. J. 433; 67 ib. 431. XIV. Chapter chair, unless progress be reported thereon, a resolution is a question which must be withdrawn, negatived, amended, or agreed to by the committee.1 Suspension of sitting, see note 2. Speaker speaking and voting in com mittee, see p. 368. See also procedure in com supply, p. 615. mittees A committee of the whole house has no power either to Comadjourn its own sittings or to adjourn a debate to a future cannot sitting: 2 but if a debate be not concluded, or if all the adjourn. matters referred be not considered, in the Lords, the house Lords. is resumed, and the chairman moves, "That the house be again put into committee" on a future day; and in the Commons, the chairman is directed to "report progress, and Commons. ask leave to sit again." On such a report, the house has occasionally thereupon again resolved itself into the committee (see p. 493). If the committee has agreed to certain resolutions, but is unable to conclude the discussion of other resolutions, it is customary to direct the chairman to report the former, and to report progress upon the latter. So entirely is the principle of adjourning debates in committees of the whole house ignored, that when resolutions have been Procedure Procedure proposed, and progress reported before they were agreed to, pleted resolutions upon other distinct matters have been proposed, and agreed to, at ensuing sittings of the committee, and the resolutions first proposed taken up again on a more distant day. Thus, on the 17th of February, 1851, in committee of ways and means, a resolution for the continuance of the income tax was proposed, and progress reported. On the 18th March, a resolution was agreed to for paying 8,000,000l. out of the Consolidated Fund; and on the 4th April, the resolution for the continuance of the income tax was again proposed, and agreed to. And again, on the 28th April, 1853, a resolution was proposed upon the income tax, and progress reported. The committee sat again the same day, when, instead of resuming the discussion upon that resolugress lapse tion, another resolution was proposed upon exchequer bills; on bills in committee, see p. 483. When motions to report pro see p. 282, are not put, see p. 316. 1 149 H. D. 3 s. 2066. 2 108 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 392. At the general desire of the committee, the sitting of a committee of the whole house was suspended for a certain time on the 11th Aug. 1848, 101 H. D. 3 s. 90; see also 9 C. J. 68. 3 Customs and Corn Importation, 1846, 101 ib. 280. 281; committee of ways and means (Income Tax) 1853, 108 C. J. 431; Customs, 1854, 109 ib. 470; Supply, 5th Aug. 1867, 122 ib. 429. 4 106 ib. 57. 104. 145. on uncom business. Motions to gress, &c. XIV. and on the 29th April, the resolution upon the income tax Chapter It is the practice for members who desire to close the report pro- sitting of a committee, to move that the "chairman do report progress, and ask leave to sit again," in order to put an end to the proceedings of the committee on that day, this motion, in committee, being analogous to that frequently made at other times, for adjourning the debate. A motion, "That the chairman do now leave the chair," when carried, supersedes the order of the day for a committee, and converts it into a dropped order; as, when the Speaker resumes the Revival of dropped chair, no report whatever is made from the committee. orders, see The same result is obtained if, when the chairman reports progress in the matter referred to the committee, he does not ask for leave to sit again, upon a direction given by the member who had obtained the appointment of the committee.4 p. 263. restrict the motions, see A motion to report progress, having been negatived, For the standing cannot be repeated during the pendency of the same question, orders to being subject to the same rule as that observed in the house abuse of itself, which will not admit of a motion for the adjournment these of the debate to be repeated, without some intermediate p. 316. proceeding (see p. 282). It has, therefore, been customary to alternate the motion for reporting progress, with the motion, "That the chairman do now leave the chair." 5 On the 7th June, 1858, in committee on the government of India, a question for reporting progress having been negatived, the committee, some time afterwards, were prepared to assent to such a motion: but, in order to adhere to the rule, the chairman put the question upon a 1 108 C. J. 442. 446. 4 Training Colleges (Ireland) 2 7th June, 1858 (Mr. Roebuck), Loans, 30th July, 1891, 146 ib. 501. 150 H. D. 3 s. 1618. On the 2nd July, 1877, there were seventeen divisions, in com- XIV. Chapter formal part of an amendment which had been proposed, before he proceeded to put the question for reporting progress.1 Reports, p. 626. : leaves question. s. 0. 52. 53, Appendix I. resolutions. Resolutions agreed to by a committee are, upon direction Report. from the committee, reported by the chairman to the house; and, until such report has been made, no reference may be made to it, nor to the proceedings of the committee. Formerly, before the chairman could leave the chair for Chairman that purpose, a formal question was put that he "do now the chair leave the chair: " but now, pursuant to the direction given without by standing order No. 52, when he has been ordered to make a report to the house, the chairman leaves the chair without question put. By standing order No. 53, reports from committees of the Report of supply, and ways and whole house are brought up without any question being put. means, see Resolutions creating a charge upon the people, as is mentioned on p. 561, are considered on a future day but resolutions upon all other matters are received immediately.2 The resolutions reported by a committee are twice read before they are agreed to by the house. The first reading is a formal proceeding; the question, "That the said resolutions be now read a second time," is proposed by question from the chair, and then the resolutions are read successively by the Clerk at the table, following the order in which the resolutions were reported to the house. The final question put upon the resolution is the question that the house doth agree with the committee in the said resolution. The interval before that question is proposed, and after the resolution has been read a second time, affords the occasion for the proposal of an amendment to the resolution, as no Proposal of amendment can be moved after the proposal of the question, ments. that the house agrees with the committee in a resolution. Amendment or debate arising upon the consideration of the report of a resolution from a committee must be strictly relevant thereto.3 Every resolution may be amended, Recommittal of resolutions 1 113 C. J. 214; 150 H. D. 3 s. 1688; see also 21st June, 1860, 115 C. J. 323. 2 Established Church (Ireland) Report, 123 ib. 160. 3 174 H. D. 3 s. 1551. amend |