– in the House of Commons am ar 9 Ionawr 1924.
On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. May I be allowed to ask a question? My point of Order relates to the procedure that has taken place in another House to-day.
We have nothing to do with that here.
Mr. Speaker—[HON MEMBERS: "Order, order!"]
I have to report to the House that, in the House of Peers, His Majesty, by his Royal Commissioners, has been pleased to approve the choice made of myself for the office of your Speaker, and that I have, in your name, and on your behalf, laid claim, by humble petition to His Majesty, to all your ancient and undoubted rights and privileges, particularly freedom of speech in Debate, freedom from arrest, freedom of access to His Majesty whenever occasion may require, and that the most favourable construction may be placed upon all your proceedings. All these His Majesty, by his Commissioners, has been pleased to allow and confirm in as ample a manner as they have ever been granted or confirmed by himself or any of his Royal predecessors.
My first duty to the House is to repeat my very respectful acknowledgment and grateful thanks for the great honour which they have conferred upon me in placing me again in the Chair.
I must now call upon the Members of the House, according to the usual custom, to take the Oath of Allegiance at the Table of the House, first doing so myself.
May I now be allowed to ask a question? When will it be possible for me to raise the question of the treatment that the House of Commons has received in another Chamber this afternoon? After all, are we going to stand by—[Hon. MEMBERS: "Order, order!"]
If the hon. Member will convey to me the grievance that he has in this matter, I will do my best to assist him.
Do you mean privately, Sir?
First of all, Mr. Speaker, I do not want to disobey your ruling— [Interruption]—I want to obey the Constitution. I am a social democrat. But I want to know where the House of Commons stands in the kind of treatment they have received from another Chamber. We have been deeply insulted this afternoon. [Hon. MEMBERS:" Order ! "] Yes, but it is not order: what I say is right. I want to ask you, Sir, when I shall have an opportunity of raising the question as to how we have been treated this afternoon by the other Assembly? If I cannot raise it now, tell me when I can raise it?
Tell us what they have done.
They have treated us contemptuously.
Why did you not go, and give them a hammering?
Whatever it is that the hon. Member suggests has been done. may have been done inadvertently.
Mr. Speaker—[HON. MEMBERS: "Order, order!"]—I am a constitutionalist. I accept the Constitution as the people accept it. But what I want to know is this: Should the House of Lords treat the House of Commons with contempt, as they have done to-day?
They have done nothing!
We cannot deal with this matter any further at this stage. When I receive information about it, I will deal with it.
I will give it to you. You saw it yourself!
May I say that I am going to call upon the Members of the two Front Benches to take the Oath first. Then Privy Councillors and ex-Ministers, and, if he be present, I may perhaps include the Father of the House (Mr. T. P. O'Connor). After that, I will call upon the Members seated on the different benches in the House, and perhaps they will retain their seats until I call upon them.