In 1867, when a tie arose on a motion on Fellowships at Trinity College, Dublin, Denison gave his casting vote against the motion, declaring that any decision must be approved by the majority. The rule as subsequently adopted is that the Speaker, in any division upon a bill, should vote to leave a bill in its existing form.[1]
The principle is always to vote in favour of further debate, or, where it has been previously decided to have no further debate or in some specific instances, to vote in favour of the status quo.[2][3] Thus, the Speaker will vote:
against the final reading of a bill (and against holding such readings immediately rather than in the future, to allow for time to consider the matter)
in favour of earlier readings of bills (and in favour of holding such readings immediately rather than in the future, to allow for further debate)
^ abA motion to give in reading in six or three months was a legal fiction tantamount to refusing to give it a reading at all.
^The immediately subsequent motion "That the bill do now pass" was defeated;[7] the changes proposed by the 1864 bill were effected by the Universities Tests Act 1871.
^The bill proposed to legalise marriages invalidly solemnised in Antwerp by Arthur Potts, in particular that of Edward Langworthy to Mildred Palliser Long in 1883.[12][13]
^There was believed to be a tied vote on an amendment to the motion, but it was quickly discovered that one extra "Aye" vote had been erroneously counted.[30] Prior to the counting error having been noted, the Speaker did give a casting vote of "No",[31] although this was later expunged when the error became clear.[1]
^Factsheet P9: Divisions(PDF). London: House of Commons Information Office. 2010. p. 6. Archived(PDF) from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2010.