The Week in Parlianient Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes : Mr.
Walter Elliot had to face a severe cross-examination on Monday afternoon on his action in withholding for two months the Report _ of the Royal Commission on Tithe Rent- charge. He claimed that publication had been delayed in order that the report could be issued simultaneously with a statement of the Government's policy on the whole question. But it is a new doctrine that the date of the publication of the Report of a Royal Commission rests with the Government. I cannot recall any pre- cedent for the holding up of such a report pending the production by the Government of their own programme. The procedure that has been adopted in this ease, of consulting with interested parties on the Report before it is issued to the public, is also open to grave objection, for it might easily lead to pressure being put upon the signatories of the Report to alter their findings. The whole incident is yet another instance of the way in which the Executive are tending to arrogate to them- selves powers to which they are not entitled. If this "new despotism" is to be checked it will need the utmost vigilance on the part of private Members in guarding the rights of the Legislature.
* *
Previous page
