The House Of Commons Library

This reference book is primarily a procedural work which examines the many forms, customs, and practices which have been developed and established for the House of Commons since Confederation in 1867. It provides a distinctive Canadian perspective in describing procedure in the House up to the end of the first session of the 36th Parliament in Sept. 1999. The material is presented with full commentary on the historical circumstances which have shaped the current approach to parliamentary business. Key Speaker's rulings and statements are also documented and the considerable body of practice, interpretation, and precedents unique to the Canadian House of Commons is amply illustrated. Chapters of the book cover the following: parliamentary institutions; parliaments and ministries; privileges and immunities; the House and its Members; parliamentary procedure; the physical & administrative setting; the Speaker & other presiding officers; the parliamentary cycle; sittings of the House; the daily program; oral & written questions; the process of debate; rules of order & decorum; the curtailment of debate; special debates; the legislative process; delegated legislation; financial procedures; committees of the whole House; committees; private Members' business; public petitions; private bills practice; and the parliamentary record. Includes index.

This document presents and discusses some newly-discovered evidence about the history of the House of Commons library in the 1840's and 1850's. It contains the minutes of the Standing Library Committee for the period 1840-56, and the plan of the librarian's house in 1850. In particular, it shows how Sir Robert Peel, in one of the last parliamentary acts of his life, overturned proposals from his old political rival, Sir Harry Inglis, and established a liberal and non-prescriptive collection policy for the institution, which lasted over 90 years.