Political Rhetoric in the Oxford and Cambridge Unions, 1830–1870 by Taru Haapala

Author:Taru Haapala
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

The motion was carried unanimously. The work of the committee took several years. However, some adjustments to the old rules were already made before the submission of the committee report. For example, on 10 March 1853 the revising committee presented some of the alterations, but it was then moved that they would not ‘come into operation before the general Report of the Revising Committee’ (Johnstone: OUS minute book vol. 8, 10 March 1853).

In the British Parliament, committees are formed on the basis of a very specific practice. Traditionally, the business of both Houses of Parliament has had two forms of proceeding: that of the House and that of a committee. The distinctive feature is that both the proceedings of the House and the Committee of the whole House are performed as plenary sessions. This means that there is no difference between either session in terms of the members present. But, in a strict sense, the Committee of the whole House is not a ‘committee’ at all. It is simply the House deliberating in a different form (Redlich 1908, vol. 2, 180–181). The actual committees in the British Parliament function as preparatory institutions. Until the nineteenth century the House only had select committees for the purpose of inquiring into matters of interest and planning further action (ibid., 187). Standing committees were constituted in the nineteenth century for dealing with the increasing amount of administrative work of the House of Commons.

In proposing committees for various preparatory purposes, members of the Oxford Union were again following parliamentary precedent. Before the revising committee had presented its report, the standing committee on Michaelmas 1855 decided to move that a ‘Standing Committee of appeals’ be appointed, which would consist of at least three former presidents of the society and would be charged with interpreting and revising the rules. The specific duties of this committee would be:1) To decide appeals against any decision of the President which may involve the interpretation of rules, or the settlement of a point of order. 2) To revise the rules of the Society, previous to reprinting whenever they shall be empowered to do so by a vote of the House. (OUS minute book vol. 8, 3 December 1855)

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