The House will recollect that yesterday, pursuant to Standing Order 7, an order was made fixing the date for the election of the Leas-Chathaoirleach as the first Wednesday on which the Seanad shall meet in January, 1932. I have since come to the conclusion that it is somewhat undesirable that the date should be fixed so far ahead. The Leas-Chathaoirleach is ex officio Chairman of the Committee of Selection, and I do not see how that Committee can be properly appointed and function until a Leas-Chathaoirleach has been elected. Senators are aware that all committees are deemed to have been discharged at the end of a triennial period, and the duty of nominating the personnel of the new committees normally falls to the Committee of Selection. For these reasons, and also because the House has been without a Leas-Chathaoirleach since the beginning of September last, I am inclined to regard any further delay as undesirable. Hence, I would ask the House to discharge the Order made yesterday and to appoint next Thursday, the 17th instant, as the date for the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach. If the House takes this course, motions nominating candidates must reach the Clerk not later than 4 p.m. on Saturday next. I ask the House to consider the matter, and, if they agree with me, to make an order accordingly.
Election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach: Fixing the Date.
Cathaoirleach
I think the statement the Cathaoirleach has just made is a very judicious one, and I beg to move that the order made yesterday fixing the date for the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach be discharged and that the election take place on Thursday, 17th instant.
Yesterday we had a full House when a decision was come to fixing the date for the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach. At the moment we have only half the members present. Therefore, I think it would hardly be fair to change the date of the election after a full House came to a particular decision on it yesterday.
There is this further point to be considered. The Committee of Selection is only called together for the purpose of selecting members of this House to act on the joint committee to consider the Auctioneers Bill. As far as I know there is nothing very urgent about that Bill. In view of the fact that a full House yesterday decided that the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach should take place at the first meeting of the Seanad in the New Year, I do not see any reason why that Order should be changed. This matter about the Selection Committee is not of such importance as to justify the House in changing the order.
I think Senator Wilson is under a misapprehension with regard to the duties of the Selection Committee. The committee in connection with the Auctioneers Bill will be chosen by the joint committee on Private Bill Standing Orders, which is quite a different committee to the one the Senator referred to. It has been customary, after a triennial election, to choose most of the standing committees of the House. They are nominated by our own Committee of Selection. I have no personal views on the matter as to when the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach should take place, but I think if there is any opposition it would be a mistake to rescind the decision come to yesterday. If that view is held by the House, I would respectfully suggest that the difficulty with regard to the committees might be got over between now and January by a resolution of the House arranging that the present committees should continue until a Leas-Chathaoirleach is appointed. If that were done, no real difficulty, I think, would arise, because on this occasion there has not been very much change in the personnel of the House and, therefore, it would be possible for the existing committees to carry on for another month or so. I have no personal views as to when the election is held, but as I have said if there is opposition I think it would be a mistake to rescind the decision come to yesterday.
Cathaoirleach
I agree that it would be very undesirable to discharge the Order made yesterday if there is opposition. It depends altogether on what the desire of the House is.
If we change this evening the decision that was arrived at last evening it will be suggested that we are changing it for some special purpose. Therefore, I think that we ought to adhere to the decision we came to yesterday.
Before we come to any decision on the matter, I think we should hear the views of the Senator who moved yesterday that the election should be deferred until January. Presumably he had some reason for proposing that it should not take place next week.
Personally, I do not see that there is any great need for hurry in making the appointment of a Leas-Chathaoirleach. As the Cathaoirleach has pointed out, we have been without a Leas-Chathaoirleach since September last, and during that time I do not think the House has suffered any great inconvenience. If the election were to take place, as suggested, on Thursday of next week, we would only have until Saturday next to hand in nominations. It is quite possible that the members of this Party will be nominating a candidate, and I do not think it would be fair to expect us to have the nominations in between now and Saturday, particularly in view of the fact that the House came to a decision yesterday that the election would not take place until the first Wednesday in January.
Cathaoirleach
In view of the opinions that have been expressed, it is desirable, I think, that the Order made yesterday should stand.
Would it not be well to consider the suggestion made by Senator Douglas, that the existing committees should, by resolution of the House, continue until such time as the appointment has been made?
Cathaoirleach
That is a matter that we can consider next week. I take it that the opinion of the House is that the Order made yesterday fixing the date for the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach should stand?
Agreed.