The CHAIRMAN:
Either it is or it is
not relevant to the issue.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
It is relevant to
the issue.
The CHAIRMAN:
If it is, it comes under commentary No. 306, and should not be quoted in the house.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
It is relevant to the issue, but the rule distinctly states that to be out of order it must reflect upon some member of the house or proceeding in the house.
Mr. BENNETT:
Yes, proceedings within the house.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
This article does not refer to a proceeding of the house.
Mr. BENNETT:
It cannot be used at all then; it is irrelevant.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
It is in reference to the operations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the body we have under discussion.
The CHAIRMAN:
If the hon. member will allow me to say so, commentary No. 306 is only quoting a decision. The spirit of the rule is that members are here to give their own opinion. They may quote an article or a book stating facts, but a commentary on any proceeding or any discussion in the house, with the object of swinging an opinion to one side or the other, is out of order. Hon. members are here to give their own opinions and they cannot base them upon commentaries or opinion coming from outside the house.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
Mr. Chairman, again I submit that this rule distinctly refers to reflections upon members of the house or proceedings within the house.
The CHAIRMAN:
I remind the hon. member that No. 306 is not a rule, but merely a commentary on a rule. Rule No. 41 is the one in question. I interpret the commentary to mean that members cannot quote opinions from outside the house on any matter being discussed in the house.
Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):
Where do we find that?
[Mr. Woodsworth.l
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
Just read it.
Mr. MACKENZIE KING:
There is no such rule.
The CHAIRMAN:
It is a decision I am giving.
Mr. MACKENZIE KING:
Oh.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
With all due deference to the chairman, I submit he has no right to interpret other than according to the written rules.
The CHAIRMAN:
Then, the hon. member would give no latitude to the chairman or to the speaker. Standing orders are numbers so and so, and so and so, and the other paragraphs in Mr. Beauchesne's book are commentaries or decisions. The paragraphs I have mentioned are to guide the chairman or the speaker, and my intepretation is this-I may be right or wrong-that members are not allowed to quote any opinion commenting on the debate. Last time I decided I must be wrong because there seemed to be an unanimous opinion against me.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
This has nothing to do with the debate.
Mr. POULIOT:
I rise to a point of order-