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preclude the House from knowing their contents till they

have been received and read.

up.

The petition must be written, and not printed (ƒ) on How to be drawn parchment or paper (g). It must be in the English language (h). A Petition in a foreign language will not be received unless accompanied by an English translation, which must be certified to be a correct one by the member presenting it (i). The Petition must be signed by the parties preferring it, with their own hands (k), except in case of their inability from sickness (7), or being unable to And signed. sign, when it may be averred by a member (m). There must be some signatures on the same sheet as the Petition itself (n).

from public bodies, &c.

Petitions from bodies corporate must be under their As to Petitions common seal (o). A Petition signed by an individual as Chairman of any meeting will not be received (p) except as the petition of the person signing (q).

It is a breach of privilege for any person to set the name of another to any petition to be presented to the House (~). But some false signatures have been held not to vitiate those that were good, and the petition was received (s). The House sometimes appoints a Select Committee to enquire into the signatures of any suspected petition, to which petitions complaining of their forgery, and coun ter petitions declaring them genuine, are referred, to report thereon (t).

False signatures.

In the House of Commons, on the 20th March, 1833, an Must be signed by Member preorder was made that all Petitions presented should be senting it.

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Ballot for precedence of presentation.

Form of presenting.

Petitions from
Corporations of
London and
Dublin.

signed at the top by the member presenting them; and although this order, being a sessional one, has never been renewed, yet in practice it has been acted upon ever since. In the House of Commons, where the number of petitions presented every morning is necessarily very great, a Ballot takes place half an hour (v) before the time appointed for the Speaker to take the chair, for entering the names of all members having public petitions to present, on the Speaker's list, to be called up by him in the order in which they are balloted.

Every Petition must be presented by a member, and must be opened by him, holding it in his hand (w), except (in the House of Commons) petitions from the Corporation of London, which are presented by the City Sheriffs;* and from the Mayor and Corporation of the City of Dublin, which may be presented by the Lord Mayor of Dublin at the Bar of the House (x). With Petitions from the Corporation of London, both the Sheriffs must attend; but on an emergency one Sheriff has been allowed to present the Petition, the House having been informed by a member that the other Sheriff was confined by illness (y), or was absent on indispensable businesst (z).

If there are two or more Petitions from the Corporation of London to be presented at once, the Sheriffs should withdraw after having presented the first, and re-enter to present the second, with the same formality (a).

(v) C. J. 23 June, 1835.
(x) C. J. v. 68, p. 209.

(z) C. J. 15 May, 1820.

(w) 10 Grey, 57.

(y) C. J. 25 Nov. 1814.
(a) See C. J. 7 Mar. 1836.

* That this long established usage is a matter of indulgence only, and not of right, appears from the Journals of the 17th April, 1690, when the Sheriffs of London were, upon a question and division, refused to be admitted.-(See the debate in Grey's Debates, vol. 10, p. 54.)

† And if either of the Sheriffs be a Member of the House of Commons, he may not attend to present the Petition. In a case on the 1st Feb. 1724, one of the Sheriffs being a Member of the House, and the other being ill, the Petition was allowed to be presented by two Aldermen and four Common Councilmen. See also the 5th March & 8th May, 1770.

Receivers of

Lords.

In the House of Lords, on the first day of every new Tryers and Parliament, after the Commons have retired to choose Petitions, in their Speaker, Tryers and Receivers of Petitions are appointed. The Receivers are four Justices and two Attendants (Masters in Chancery) for Great Britain; and three Justices with two Attendants for Normandy, Anjou, &c. Petitions are to be delivered to them within six days. Then are appointed six Peers and two Bishops to be Tryers of Petitions for Great Britain, and the same number for Normandy and other places beyond the seas.They, or any four of them, sit in the Treasury Chamber, assisted by the King's Council, to try out whether the Petitions are reasonable, and fit to be offered to the Lords. This tribunal had its origin in the time of Edward I. who ordered that all petitions for redress of any kind, beyond the power of any Court of Law to grant, should be presented to him in his Great Council of Parliament. although the form of appointment is still observed, their duty and service have gradually fallen into disuse.

But

ceiving.

The member who presents a petition ought to have Form of refirst read it, and be prepared to say that in his judgment it contains nothing intentionally offensive to the House (b).

Regularly, a motion should be made, and question put for receiving it (except it be an Election petition), but a cry from the House of" received" or even its silence, dispenses with such a formality. But in the Imperial Parliament the regular form is gone through.

No petition for any sum of money relating to the Public King's consent. Service or that relates to any Crown Lands-will be received, unless recommended from the Crown (c). This recommendation is signified by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or some other of the King's Servants, as soon as the member has opened the petition, and before the question

(b) 2 Hats. 189; 3 Hats. 240, note.

(c) S. O. H. of C. xxxix.; 11 June, 1713; 20 Dec. 1819.

Member's speech on presenting Petitions.

for bringing it up (d). Neither will the House receive any petition for compounding debts due to the Crown upon any branch of the Revenue, without a Certificate from the proper officer annexed to it, stating the debt, what prosecutions have been made for its recovery, and how much thereof the Petitioner and his surety are able to satisfy (e).

The consent of the Crown having been given to the presentation of a petition for remuneration, &c.—it is unnecessary for a motion to be made for the appointment of a Committee to take it into consideration, but the member having charge of it should, at the usual time, move that it be referred to the Committee of Supply.

When the King is, in any respect, a party interested, it is usual for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or of the Duchy of Lancaster, to acquaint the House, either on presenting the petition, or in the course of the bill's progress, of the consent of His Majesty to the same, so far as His interest is concerned (f). There are instances of this consent having been given in every stage of such bills; but if the King's interest be important (as in the case of any proceeding affecting the hereditary revenue) the consent should be signified in the earliest stage (g).

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On the 27th July, 1836, it was stated by the Speaker, That it was the rule of the House, that if a Petition was "presented referring to a subject before the House, the "member presenting it should confine himself to a state"ment of the substance and prayer of such Petition. But "in regard to Petitions complaining of individual griev"ances, and not relating to any public general matter be"fore the House, members presenting the same should be "allowed to enter into a statement of the facts and argu66 ments connected with them."

(d) C. J. 2 May, 1798.

(f) 2 Hats. 356.

(e) 8. O. H. of C. xxxix.

(g) See for instances, General Index to Commons' Journals, 1820, p. 218.

As to the mode of proceeding upon a Petition for a private bill, see Chap. VIII. On Private Bills,—and on Petitions complaining cf undue returns, see Chap. V. On Election Petitions.

The mode of proceeding upon Public Petitions, which are by far the most numerous class, is very different. Great inconveniences were formerly sustained, in the House of Commons, not only from the number of Petitions of this nature, but from the frequent introduction of debates thereon, which trespassed very materially upon the other and more important duties of the House. A plan was at length adopted on the 20th February, 1833, whereby this inconvenience was in a great measure removed. It was ordered that in future the House instead of assembling at 4 o'clock (the usual time of meeting) should meet every day except Saturday and such days as might be set apart for the consideration of Election Petitions-at 12 A. M. for the presentation of Petitions, and the transaction of private business; and continue sitting till 3 o'clock, P, M. unless the business was sooner disposed of.

Public Petitions.

to receive and

At these morning sittings all the Petitions presented for Morning sitting Private Bills are referred to the usual Committees, those refer Petitions. complaining of undue elections or returns are dealt with

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Public Petitions

Committee to

pare abstracts

as usual—and all remaining Petitions are referred at once to a Sessional Committee of eleven members (five of whom are a quorum) called "the Select Committee on Public referred to a "Petitions," whose duty it is to examine, classify, and classify and preprepare abstracts of the same, in such form and manner of them. as shall appear to them best suited to convey to the House all requisite information respecting their contents, and to report the same from time to time to the House. These reports must, in all cases, set forth the number of signatures to each Petition. This Committee has also power to direct the printing in extenso of such Petitions, or such parts of Petitions as shall appear to require it; and to report observations upon their contents.

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