PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 291
What I understood him to say was that as soon as an Adaptation Order is made by the President, it ought to be placed on the Table of the House. Now, Sir so far as that point is concerned, my submission is this. Whatever privileges this House has, they are regulated by article 105 of the Constitution which says that the Parliament shall have all the privileges which the House of Commons has. That takes us to an enquiry as to whether, when laying a paper on the Table of the Parliament is a matter of privilege and when it is not a matter of privilege. Referring to May* one thing is quite clear....
Mr. Deputy Speaker: I am sorry to interrupt the Hon. Minister. So far as the question of privilege is concerned first of all the Speaker looks into the matter, goes through the rules and regulations and then ascertains the opinion of the House. If he comes to the conclusion that a matter of privilege is involved, he then sends it to the Privileges Committee. I do not think the hon. Member seriously raised a question of privilege. The question was that a copy of the Adaptation Order ought to be made available. He went to the Notice Office and also to the Library. He said that the Adaptation Order was made as early as the 4th April and therefore normally expected it to be placed in the Library in a day or two. Now that the matter has been made clear by the Law Minister we need not go further into the question of privilege.
Dr. Ambedkar : If that is your ruling I would not pursue the matter. But I only wanted to submit one point which 1 think is of general interest and which the House should know. A matter of privilege can arise only when a statute makes it obligatory upon the government that a paper should be laid on the table of the House. Now so far as the Adaptation Order is concerned there is no such obligation at all. I would like hon. members to compare article 372, which deals with Adaptation, with article 392 which deals with an order made by the President for the removal of difficulties in the Constitution during the transition period. It will be found that so far as article 392 is concerned there is a specific subclause which says that any order made by the President for the removal of difficulties shall be placed on the table of the
- May’s Parliamentary Practice— ed.