Menu
-HOME
Baile
-DEBATES
Díospóireachtaí
-DÁIL DEBATES
Díospóireachtaí Dála
-SEANAD DEBATES
Díospóireachtaí Seanaid
-SEARCH
Cuardach
-ABOUT THIS SITE
Faoin Suíomh Seo
-LINKS
Nascanna
Previous - Lch. Roimhe Seo Up - Suas Next - Ar Aghaidh

Seanad Éireann - Volume 5 - 11 June, 1925

SEANAD RESUMES. - INTERPRETATION OF THE CONSTITUTION.

Mr. BROWN: I beg to move:— “That the report of the Committee on matters affecting the interpretation of the Constitution be adopted, that the Standing Orders be altered accordingly and that the Committee of Selection be requested to nominate seven Senators to serve on the Committee of Procedure.

The report has been before the Members of the Seanad for some time. They knew its effect, and it is, therefore, not necessary for me to go into it.

Mr. BENNETT: I second the motion.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: The motion [433] is that the report of the Committee be adopted, that the consequential changes be made in the Standing Orders, and then that the matter be referred to the Selection Committee for the purpose of nominating members for the committee referred to in the report.

Colonel MOORE: I propose, as an amendment, that the Committee for the current year be appointed at once.

Mr. DOUGLAS: On a point of order, what the Senator is proposing is included in the motion just moved by Senator Browne.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: I have already pointed that out.

Colonel MOORE: I do not think that Senator Browne's motion is in agreement with the amendment that I have proposed.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: Senator Browne moved that the report be adopted, and that the consequential changes in the Standing Orders be effected, and that the matter be referred to the Committee of Selection to nominate the members of the new Committee.

Colonel MOORE: That is not my amendment at all. My amendment is that the new Committee be appointed by the whole Seanad now.

Mr. BROWNE: That is a very unusual kind of resolution: that the new Committee should be appointed at once.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: I do not believe that you can move that they be appointed now, Senator Colonel Moore. If you leave it as it is the names will be before the House next Wednesday, and you can accept or alter them as you think fit.

Colonel MOORE: We know that if the Committee recommends a certain thing it will be done. I propose it should be done by the Seanad now.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: Your course would be to give notice of motion for Wednesday next, that this Committee be nominated by the [434] Seanad as a whole, and without reference to the Selection Committee. I suggest to you that you are departing from our practice. What use the Selection Committee would be if it is not available for purposes of this kind, I fail to understand.

Colonel MOORE: I believe it is always considered quite regular that the Selection Committee only appoints.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: They only send forward the names. It will be open to any Senator in the House to move that A.B be substituted for C.D.

Mr. DOUGLAS: I think Senator Colonel Moore is right. The Selection Committee really appoints them; I think it would meet the Senator's point of view if Senator Browne's motion was made to read, not to nominate, but to suggest, the names, and, then, on Wednesday next the question of the election would be before the House.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: What I had in mind was that they should select the names, and when they come before the Seanad on Wednesday, the Seanad will agree or reject them as they think fit. Senator Colonel Moore's motion would then be in order.

Mrs. WYSE POWER: When will the operations of the new Committee begin, and will the old Committee still remain functioning?

AN CATHAOIRLEACH: The new Committee has nothing to do with the Standing Orders. It will function when it is appointed.

Mr. DOUGLAS: It is a new Committee and will commence its duties as soon as possible in the calendar year.

Question put and agreed to.

Previous - Lch. Roimhe Seo Up - Suas Next - Ar Aghaidh