Debates Of The Legislative Council PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ... will not put the slight upon its officers of passing this resolution which the Premier has proposed instead of dealing directly with the question at issue. The question we have to determine is whether the proceedings of this House are to be altered from their ordinary course in a matter of this kind; whether the Speaker is to have his authority set aside, or whether he is to retain the authority that belongs to him of determining in regard to Hansard, as in regard to points of order in the House, any difiiculty that may arise. The Speaker is called upon constantly in respect to what is uttered in the House to determine whether it could properly be uttered, and he inherently has in all Legislative Assemblies the power of regulating these matters. Such a thing has never been heard of, so far as I know, in any Legislature, either in the colonies or elsewhere, as the Speaker being superseded in a matter of this kind. And the circumstances in this particular instance are somewhat exceptional. I think the House will do well to reject the motion of the Premier, and to determine that this matter shall be referred back again to the Committee when the Speaker is there. The Committee met; unfortunately, the Speaker was ill, and you, in the exercise of your discretion, determined that you would not take upon yourself to act as though you were Speaker, because it was only a temporary indisposition of Mr. Speaker, and you declined the responsibility of taking on yourself the authority of the Speaker. The Committee was summoned for Monday; but for some reason or other the time of meeting was changed, and it met on Saturday, when it was known that the Speaker would not be present, and it was known the Committee would not be a full one, and that the...