§ Mr. RAMSAY MacDONALDWill the Prime Minister say in respect of what business he proposes to suspend the Eleven o'Clock Rule to-night?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)I am moving to suspend the Rule as a precautionary measure, but it is not the intention of the Government to ask the House to sit late. We do not propose to take any other business than the Coal Mines Bill. From the state of the Order Paper in regard to Amendments, it seems possible that such progress might be made to-day that the suspension of the Rule might enable the Third Reading to be taken. There is nothing unusual in putting down a Motion of this kind, and it is not proposed, as I say, to ask the House to sit late.
§ Mr. MacDONALDDo we quite clearly understand that the Third Reading is not to be taken to-day?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThird Reading follows the Committee stage.
§ Mr. MacDONALDBut I would like to be clear on the point. Is the Third Reading going to be taken to-day, after the announcement made that it would be taken to-morrow?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo. I was informed that what my right hon. Friend told, I think it was the Party Whips opposite, was that Wednesday and Thurs- 1158 day would be devoted to the Committee stage and Third Reading. I do not think anything was said as to what time would be taken on either the one stage or the other.
§ Mr. MacDONALDAm I not within the recollection of the Patronage Secretary in saying that the arrangement made was that the Committee stage and the Report stage, if there were such a stage, should be taken to-day, and that tomorrow should be given to the Third Reading of the Bill, after considering the state of the Bill when it had passed through Committee?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy right hon. Friend's recollection is that what was said was that Wednesday and Thursday should be given for the remaining stages of the Bill.
§ Mr. MacDONALDWe will leave it for the moment.
Captain BENNMay I submit, Mr. Speaker, a point which I have previously submitted, namely, that this form of Motion for the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule is in fact out of order? It arises out of the conversation which has just taken place. What the Standing Order says is "proceedings on any specified business." It might be submitted, and I do submit, that "specified business" means items that are detailed, but what actually happens is that the Government Whips put down a Motion 1159 that Government business should be exempted, which, I submit, is not "specified business," and that Motion has to be supplemented on every occasion by a conversation across the Table of the House. I submit that, for the convenience of the House and for the information of private Members, the Rule should be observed with the term "specified business," meaning business specified by name.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Gentleman raised that point once before, and I have not felt able to rule that the Motion is out of order. If the form is to be changed, there should be communications through the usual channels. I cannot rule that the Motion as it stands is out of order.
Captain BENNI accept all you say, but, with great respect, I submit that, in fact, the use of this form does involve on every occasion supplementary information being given across the Floor of the House.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Commander Eyres Monsell)I have now obtained a copy
§ of the Business read out to the House on Thursday last—"Wednesday and Thursday: The remaining stages of the Coal Mines Bill."
§ Mr. MacDONALDWhile that is so, was it not agreed that one day would be for the Committee, and the other day for the Third Reading, on account of the importance of the Debate on the Third Reading?
§ Commander EYRES MONSELLThat was not so. The usual practice of the House is that when the Committee stage of a Bill is taken on the Floor of the House, if there be no Report, the House immediately considers the Third Reading.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the Third Reading to be taken to-day?
Motion made, and Question put,
That the Proceedings on Government Business be exempted, at this day's Sitting, front the provisions of the Standing Order (Sittings of the House)."—[The Prime Minister.]
§ The House divided: Ayes, 278; Noes, 133.
1163| Division No. 305.] | AYES. | [4.12 p. m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Brown, Brig.-Gen. H.C.(Berks, Newb'y) | Davies, Dr. Vernon |
| Agg-Gardner, Rt. Hon. Sir James T. | Buckingham, Sir H. | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovit) |
| Ainsworth, Major Charles | Bull, Rt. Hon. Sir William James | Davies, Sir Thomas (Cirencester) |
| Albery, Irving James | Bullock, Captain M. | Davison, Sir W. H. (Kensington, S.) |
| Alexander, E. E. (Leyton) | Burman, J. B. | Dawson, Sir Philip |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Butler, Sir Geoffrey | Dean, Arthur Wellesley |
| Applin, Colonel R. V. K. | Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward | Dixon, Captain Rt. Hon. Herbert |
| Ashley, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Wilfrid W. | Campbell, E. T. | Drewe, C. |
| Astbury, Lieut.-Commander F. W. | Cautley, Sir Henry S. | Duckworth, John |
| Astor, Viscountess | Cayzer, Maj. Sir Herbt. R. (Prtsmth.S.) | Eden, Captain Anthony |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Cazalet, Captain Victor A. | Edmondson, Major A. J. |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Cecil, Rt. Hon, Sir Evelyn (Aston) | Edwards, J. Hugh (Accrington) |
| Balniel, Lord | Cecil, Rt. Hon. Lord H. (Ox. Univ.) | Elliot, Major Walter E. |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Chadwick, Sir Robert Burton | Ellis, R. G. |
| Beamish, Captain T. P. H. | Chamberlain, Rt.Hn.SirJ.A. (Birm.,W.) | England, Colonel A. |
| Beckett, Sir Gervase (Leeds, N.) | Charteris, Brigadier-General J. | Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s.-M.) |
| Bellairs, Commander Canyon W. | Chilcott, Sir Warden | Erskine, James Malcolm Monteith |
| Benn, Sir A. S. (Plymouth, Drake) | Christie, J. A. | Evans, Captain A. (Cardiff, South) |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry Cavendish- | Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer | Everard, W. Lindsay |
| Berry, Sir George | Churchman, Sir Arthur C. | Fairfax, Captain J. G. |
| Bethel, A. | Clayton, G. C. | Falle, Sir Bertram G. |
| Betterton, Henry B. | Cobb, Sir Cyril | Fanshawe, Commander G. D. |
| Bird, E. R. (Yorks, W. R., Skipton) | Cochrane, Commander Hon. A. D. | Fermoy, Lord |
| Blundell, F. N. | Cohen, Major J. Brunel | Fielden, E. B. |
| Boothby, R. J. G. | Colfox, Major Wm. Phillips | Finburgh, S. |
| Bourne, Captain Robert Croft | Conway, Sir W. Martin | Ford, Sir P. J. |
| Bowater, Sir T. Vanslttart | Cooper, A. Duff | Forestier-Walker, Sir L. |
| Bowyer, Captain G. E. W. | Cope, Major William | Forrest, W. |
| Boyd-Carpenter, Major A. | Courthope, Lieut.-Col. Sir George L. | Foxcroft, Captain C. T. |
| Brass, Captain W. | Cowan, Sir Wm. Henry (Islington, N.) | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. |
| Bridgeman, Rt. Hon. William Clive | Craig, Ernest (Chester, Crewe) | Gadie, Lieut.-Col. Anthony |
| Briggs, J. Harold | Craik, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Ganzoni, Sir John |
| Briscoe, Richard George | Crooke, J. Smedley (Deritend) | Gates, Percy |
| Brittain, Sir Harry | Crookshank, Col. C. de W. (Berwick) | Gibbs, Col. Rt. Hon. George Abraham |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Crookshank, Cpt.H.(Lindsey, Gainsbro) | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon, Sir John |
| Brooke, Brigadier-General C. R. I. | Cunliffe, Sir Herbert | Glyn, Major R. G. C. |
| Broun-Lindsay, Major H. | Curzon, Captain Viscount | Goff, Sir Park |
| Brown, Maj. D. C. (N'th'I'd., Hexham) | Davidson, J. (Hertf'd, Hemel Hempst'd) | Gower, Sir Robert |
| Greene, W. P. Crawford | Macmillan, Captain H. | Sheffield, Sir Berkeley |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hn. Sir H. (W'th's'w, E) | Macnaghten, Hon. Sir Malcolm | Shepperson, E. W. |
| Gretton, Colonel John | Maitland, Sir Arthur D. Steel- | Simms, Dr. John M. (Co. Down) |
| Grotrian, H. Brent | Makins, Brigadier-General E. | Sinclair, Col. T. (Queen's Univ., Belfast) |
| Guinness, Rt. Hon. Walter E. | Malone, Major P. B. | Skelton, A. N. |
| Hacking, Captain Douglas H. | Manningham-Buller, Sir Mervyn | Slaney, Major P. Kenyon |
| Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) | Margesson, Captain D. | Smith, R.W. (Aberd'n & Klnc'dlne,C.) |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Marriott, Sir J. A. R. | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) |
| Harrison, G. J. C. | Meyer, Sir Frank | Spender-Clay, Colonel H. |
| Hartington, Marquess of | Mitchell, S. (Lanark, Lanark) | Sprot, Sir Alexander |
| Harvey, G. (Lambeth, Kennington) | Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Stanley, Col. Hon. G.F.(Will'sden,E.) |
| Harvey, Major S. E. (Devon, Totnes) | Monsell, Eyres, Com. Rt. Hon. B. M. | Stanley, Lord (Fylde) |
| Haslam, Henry C. | Moore, Lieut.-Colonel T. C. R. (Ayr) | Steel, Major Samuel Strang |
| Hawke, John Anthony | Morrison-Bell, Sir Arthur Clive | Stott, Lieut.-Colonel W. H. |
| Headlam, Lieut.-Colonel C. M. | Murchison, C. K. | Streatfeild, Captain S. R. |
| Henderson, Capt. R. R. (Oxf'd, Henley) | Nall, Lieut.-Colonel Sir Joseph | Strickland, Sir Gerald |
| Henderson, Lieut.-Col. V. L. (Bootie) | Nelson, Sir Frank | Stuart, Crichton-, Lord C. |
| Heneage, Lieut.-Col. Arthur P. | Newman, Sir R. H. S. D. L. (Exeter) | Stuart, Hon. J. (Moray and Nairn) |
| Herbert, S. (York, N. R., Scar. & Wh'by) | Nicholson, O. (Westminster) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray Fraser |
| Hills, Major John Waller | Nicholson, Col. Rt. Hn.W.G.(Ptrsf'ld.) | Tasker, Major R. Inigo |
| Hilton, Cecil | Nield, Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert | Templeton, W. P. |
| Hoare, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir S. J. G. | Nuttall, Ellis | Thom, Lt.-Col. J. G. (Dumbarton) |
| Hogg, Rt. Hon. Sir D.(St. Marylebone) | Oakley, T. | Thompson, Luke (Sunderland) |
| Holland, Sir Arthur | Oman, Sir Charles William C. | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, S.) |
| Holt, Captain H, P. | Ormsby-Gore, Hon. William | Thomson, Rt. Hon. Sir W. Mitchell- |
| Hope, Sir Harry (Forfar) | Penny, Frederick George | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Hopkins, J. W. W. | Perkins, Colonel E. K. | Waddington, R. |
| Hopkinson, A. (Lancaster, Mossley) | Perring, Sir William George | Ward, Lt.-Col. A.L.(Kingston-on-Hull) |
| Horlick, Lieut.-Colonel J. N. | Peto, Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) | Warner, Brigadier-General W. W. |
| Howard, Captain Hon. Donald | Peto, G. (Somerset, Frome) | Warrender, Sir Victor |
| Hudson, Capt. A. U. M.(Hackney, N.) | Pliditch, Sir Philip | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Hurd, Percy A. | Power, Sir John Cecil | Watson, Sir F. (Pudsey and Otley) |
| Hutchison, G. A. C.(Mldl'n & Peebles) | Pownall, Lieut.-Colonel Assheton | Watson, Rt. Hon. W. (Carlisle) |
| Inskip, Sir Thomas Walker H. | Preston, William | Watts, Dr. T. |
| Jackson, Sir H. (Wandsworth, Cen l) | Price, Major C. W. M. | White, Lieut.-Colonel G. Dairymple |
| Jacob, A. E. | Radford, E. A. | Wiggins, William Martin |
| Jones, G. W. H. (Stoke Newington) | Raine, W. | Williams, A. M. (Cornwall, Northern) |
| Jones, Henry Haydn (Merloneth) | Ramsden, E. | Williams, Com. C. (Devon, Torquay) |
| Joynson-Hicks, Rt. Hon. Sir William | Rawson, Sir Alfred Cooper | Williams, C. P. (Denbigh, Wrexham) |
| Kennedy, A. R. (Preston) | Reid, Capt. A. S. C. (Warrington) | Williams, Herbert G. (Reading) |
| Kidd, J. (Linilthgow) | Rhys, Hon. C. A. U. | Wilson, M. J. (York, N. R., Richm'd) |
| Kinloch-Cooke, Sir Clement | Rice, Sir Frederick | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Lamb, J. Q. | Richardson, Sir P. W. (Sur'y, Ch'ts'y) | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Lane Fox, Col. Rt. Hon. George R. | Robinson, Sir T. (Lancs., Stretford) | Wise, Sir Fredric |
| Lister, Cunliffe-, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip | Ropner, Major L. | Wolmer, Viscount |
| Locker-Lampson, G (Wood Green) | Ruggles-Brise, Major E. A. | Womersley, W. J. |
| Locker-Lampson, Com. O. (Handsw'th) | Rye, F. G. | Wood, E. (Chest'r, Stalyb'dge & Hyde) |
| Loder, J. de V. | Salmon, Major I. | Wood, Sir Kingsley (Woolwich, W.). |
| Lougher, L. | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) | Wood, Sir S. Hill- (High Peak) |
| Lowe, Sir Francis William | Sandeman, A. Stewart | Worthington-Evans, Rt. Hon. Sir L. |
| Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh Vere | Sanders, Sir Robert A. | Wragg, Herbert |
| Lumley, L. R. | Sanderson, Sir Frank | Yerburgh, Major Robert D. T. |
| Macdonald, Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Sandon, Lord | |
| McDonnell, Colonel Hon. Angus | Sassoon, Sir Philip Albert Gustave D | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Macintyre, I. | Savery, S. S. | Major Sir Harry Barnston and |
| McLean, Major A. | Shaw, Capt. W. W. (Wilts, Westb'y) | Major Hennessy. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. W. (Fife, West) | Davison, J. E. (Smethwick) | Hirst, W. (Bradford, South) |
| Alexander, A. V. (Sheffield, Hillsbro') | Day, Colonel Harry | Hore-Belisha, Leslie |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Dennison, R. | Jenkins, W. (Glamorgan, Neath) |
| Baker, J. (Wolverhampton, Bliston) | Dunnico, H. | John, William (Rhondda, West) |
| Barnes, A. | Fenby, T. D. | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) |
| Barr, J. | Gardner, J. P. | Jones, T. I. Mardy (Pontypridd) |
| Batey, Joseph | Gibbins, Joseph | Kelly, W. T. |
| Beckett, John (Gateshead) | Gillett, George M. | Kennedy, T. |
| Benn, Captain Wedgwood (Leith) | Gosling, Harry | Kenworthy, Lt.-Com. Hon. Joseph M. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Graham, D. M. (Lanark, Hamilton) | Lansbury, George |
| Briant, Frank | Greenall, T. | Lawrence, Susan |
| Broad, F. A. | Greenwood, A. (Nelson and Coine) | Lawson, John James |
| Bromfield, William | Grenfell, D. R. (Glamorgan) | Lee. F. |
| Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) | Griffiths, T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) | Lowth, T. |
| Buchanan, G. | Groves, T | Lunn, William |
| Buxton, Rt. Hon. Noel | Grundy, T. W. | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R.(Aberavon) |
| Cape, Thomas | Hall, F. (York, W. R., Normanton) | Mackinder, W. |
| Charleton, H. C. | Hamilton, Sir R. (Orkney & Shetland) | MacLaren, Andrew |
| Clowes, S. | Hardie, George D. | March, S. |
| Compton, Joseph | Hartshorn, Rt. Hon. Vernon | Mitchell, E. Rosslyn (Paisley) |
| Connolly, M. | Hayday, Arthur | Montague, Frederick |
| Cove, W. G. | Hayes, John Henry | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) |
| Cowan, D. M. (Scottish Universities) | Henderson, Right Hon. A. (Burnley) | Murnin, H. |
| Dalton, Hugh | Henderson, T. (Glasgow) | Oliver, George Harold |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | Hirst, G. H. | Owen, Major G. |
| Palin, John Henry | Smith, H. B. Lees (Keighley) | Walsh, Rt. Hon. Stephen |
| Paling, W. | Smith, Rennle (Penistone) | Watson, W. M. (Dunfermline) |
| Ponsonby, Arthur | Snell, Harry | Watts-Morgan, Lt.-Col. D. (Rhondda) |
| Potts, John S. | Snowden, Rt. Hon. Philip | Webb, Rt. Hon. Sidney |
| Purcell, A. A. | Spencer, G. A. (Broxtowe) | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. Josiah |
| Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Spoor, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Charles | Welsh, J. C. |
| Riley, Ben | Stamford, T. W. | Westwood, J. |
| Ritson, J. | Stephen, Campbell | Wheatley, Rt. Hon. J. |
| Robinson, W. C. (Yorks, W.R., Elland) | Stewart, J. (St. Rollox) | Whiteley, W. |
| Rose, Frank H. | Sullivan, J. | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Runciman, Rt. Hon. Walter | Sutton, J. E. | Williams, Dr. J. H. (Lianelly) |
| Saklatvala, Shapurji | Taylor, R. A. | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Scrymgeour, E. | Thomas, Rt. Hon. James H. (Derby) | Wilson, R. J. (Jarrow) |
| Scurr, John | Thomas, Sir Robert John (Anglesey) | Windsor, Walter |
| Sexton, James | Thorne, G. R. (Wolverhampton, E.) | Wright, W. |
| Shaw, Rt. Hon. Thomas (Preston) | Thorne, W. (West Ham, Plaistow) | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| Shiels, Dr. Drummond | Thurtle, E. | |
| Sinclair, Major Sir A. (Caithness) | Tinker, John Joseph | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Sitch, Charles H. | Townend, A. E. | Mr. Allen Parkinson and Mr. |
| Slesser, Sir Henry H. | Varley, Frank B. | Charles Edwards. |
| Smillie, Robert | Vlant, S. P. |