In the late debate on Mr. Grantley Berkeley's motion for a fixed duty
on corn, Sir Benjamin Hall is reported to have imagined the presence
of a stranger to witness the debate, and to have said that he was
imagining what every one knew the rules of the House rendered an
impossibility. It is strange that so intelligent a member of the
House of Commons should be ignorant of the fact that the old sessional
orders, which absolutely prohibited the presence of strangers in the
House of Commons, were abandoned in 1845, and that a standing order
now exists in their place which recognises and regulates their
presence. The insertion of this "note" may prevent many "queries" in
after times, when the sayings and doings of 1850 have become matters
of antiquarian discussion.
The following standing orders were made by the House of Commons on the
5th of February, 1845, on the motion of Mr. Christie, (see Hansard,
and Commons' Journals of that day), and superseded the old sessional
orders, which purported to exclude strangers entirely from the House
of Commons:--
"That the serjeant at arms attending this House do from time to
time take into his custody any stranger whom he may see, or who
may be reported to him to be, in any part of the House or gallery
appropriated to the members of this House; and also any stranger who,
having been admitted into any other part of the House or gallery,
shall misconduct himself, or shall not withdraw when strangers are
directed to withdraw while the House, or any committee of the whole
House, is sitting; and that no person so taken into custody be
discharged out of custody without the special order of the House.
"That no member of this House do presume to bring any stranger into
any part of the House or gallery appropriated to the members of this
House while the House, or a committee of the whole House, is sitting."
Now, therefore, strangers are only liable to be taken into custody
if in a part of the House appropriated to members, or misconducting
themselves, or refusing to withdraw when ordered by the Speaker to do
so; and Sir Benjamin Hall imagined no impossibility.