XIV.

order

during a division,

see p. 357.

chairman

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 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.

6

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.

111; 145 ib. 72; for obstruction:
137 ib. 323. 324.

25th March, 1901, 156 C. J. 62.
90 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 691; 5th August,
1904, 159 C.J., 389.

3142 ib. 407; 384 H. D. 3 s. 442; see also 3rd July, 1882, 271 H. D. 3 s. 1272.

4 137 C. J. 323. 328.

5 26th Nov. 1888, 143 ib. 483.
6 1 ib. 837.

Resolu

not be

XIV.

Speaker stated that it was to bring the house into order again, Chapter
that, "though not according to order," he had taken the
chair. No other entry appears in the journal than that
"Mr. Speaker resumed the chair:" but the same report
adds that, though "some gentlemen excepted against his
coming into the chair, the doing it was generally approved,
as the only expedient to suppress the disorder." This
incident has not been repeated, for subsequently when a
member who, for disorderly conduct, had been ordered
into custody, returned into the house, during the sitting
of a committee, in a violent and disorderly manner, upon
a report of progress, the Speaker resumed the chair, and
ordered the Serjeant to do his duty. So also, when during
the sitting of the committee on the Corn Bill, 6th March,
1815, tumultuous proceedings took place outside, and one
member complained that the house was surrounded by a
military force, and another that he had been beset by a
mob, on the report of progress, the Speaker resumed the
chair, and, the matter having been considered, the com-
mittee was resumed."

interrup

269.

If an occasion of public business arises in which the house Incidental is 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.

3 70 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

Speaker

speaking

and voting

in com

mittee, see p. 368.

mittees

A committee of the whole house has no power either to Comof sitting, see note 2. adjourn 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 mittee of 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

See also procedure in com

supply, p.

615.

on bills in

committee,

On the

on uncom

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, business. see p. 483. 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. 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; see p. 282,

When

motions to report pro

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.

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.

106 ib. 57. 104. 145.

Motions to

gress, &c.

XIV.

and on the 29th April, the resolution upon the income tax chapter
was again proposed.1 For this reason no member can claim
to speak first on the renewal of a debate in committee, on
the ground that he was in possession of the committee,
when the chairman had reported progress.2

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 com-
mittee.1

p. 263.

orders to

restrict the
abuse of

motions, see

A motion to report progress, having been negatived, For the
standing
cannot be repeated during the pendency of the same question,
being subject to the same rule as that observed in the house
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
Colleges (Ireland)

2 7th June, 1858 (Mr. Roebuck), Loans, 30th July, 1891, 146 ib. 501. 150 H. D. 3 s. 1618.

3 86 C. J. 403; 89 ib. 381. 468; 90 ib. 497. 561; 117 ib. 177; 151 ib. 298.

5 On the 2nd July, 1877, there were seventeen divisions, in committee of supply, upon such motions, 132 ib. 312.

Chapter formal part of an amendment which had been proposed, XIV. before he proceeded to put the question for reporting progress.1

Reports, supply, and

ways and means, see

p. 626.

Recommittal of 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 s. o. 52. without question put.

leaves

question.

53, Appendix I.

Report of

resolutions.

By standing order No. 53, reports from committees of the whole house are brought up without any question being put. 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. Every resolution may be amended,

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