§ DR. HUTCHINSON (Sussex, Rye), on private notice, asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention had been directed to the outbreak of beri-beri among the Chinese coolies who recently had arrived in South Africa; whether those who had developed the disease had been actually landed; whether those who had been exposed on board ship to infection had yet been sent up country to the compounds; and whether, having regard to the intensely infectious and dangerous character of this disease, from which South Africa is at present free, he could tell the House what steps had been taken to prevent the spreading of the disease in the colony.
§ MR. LYTTELTONI have received I no report from Lord Milner on this subject. I have telegraphed, but have received no reply. I have every confidence that, judging from the admirably efficient measures taken for dealing with the out break of plague, every precaution will be taken.
§ DR. HUTCHINSONAfter this extremely unsatisfactory answer (laughter) —I do not believe there is a single man among those who laugh who knows what this disease is—owing to this unsatisfactory answer, I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House to call attention to a matter of urgent public importance—do hon. Gentlemen laugh at such a disease—the imminent danger 837 which arises from the introduction of a new, highly infectious, and fatal disease known as beri-beri into South Africa.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThis matter is covered by notices of Motions now on the Order-book. Hon. Members will dome the favour of listening to me. The proposal as to landing is covered by the Motion of the hon. Member for Bermondsey to call attention to the conditions of service and transportation of Asiatic indentured labour in South Africa. The Motion of the hon. Member for Coventry refers to the conditions of employment of labourers in British colonies and protectorates in Africa and to the high rate of mortality among those labourers.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDMay I ask, as a point of order, Sir, do you seriously rule that a notice of Motion calling attention to the conditions of transport to South Africa really rules out a discussion of such a matter as the outbreak of a malignant disease of which information has just come to this House?
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThe words of the Motion of the hon. Member for Coventry are: "In the opinion of this House it is the duty of His Majesty's Government to take all reasonable measures to secure the health and proper treatment of all labourers in such colonies and protectorates."
§ MR. LAMBERT (Devonshire, South Molton), as a point of order, pointed out that the Motion now proposed dealt with the danger from a malignant disease to other than labourers. The high rate of mortality referred to by the Motion of the hon. Member for Coventry was mortality in South Africa, and did not refer to labourers being conveyed.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONsaid the notice of the hon. Member for Coventry had reference to the Blue-book on the treatment of natives in mines, and had nothing to do with this last outbreak of disease. There was no intention in either notice to refer to this matter.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERI do not, of course, know what the intention of an hon. Member may have been, but it seems 838 to me he has drafted his notice in such a wide manner that it covers this subject.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDMay I ask the Prime Minister, does he intend to take no steps to prevent the House of Commons -being permanently reduced to a state of impotence and prevented from discussing any matter of vital importance, however urgent in character, that may arise by the action of some obscure individual in putting down a Motion so vague, so wide in its terms, that the presiding authority in this House feels bound to rule that it practically covers everything?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI will at once answer the Question, and I hope the House will treat this matter with some what less heat. I do not complain of the hon. and learned Member's Question; he practically asks me whether I propose to suggest an alteration in the Standing Orders of the House—
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDNot only that, but to use influence with your own supporters to prevent them putting down these notices, and with the Whips.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAnd whether I will use any influence I may have to induce Members not to put down notices of Motions which may have the effect of preventing Motions for the adjournment of the House. I think he will recognise that is a matter of very great difficulty, and it is made much more difficult in that there is a widespread belief that some adjournment Motions are directed, not so much to public matters of urgency outside the House, as to the progress of business inside the House, and I have not the least doubt that some Motions have been put on the Order-book with a view to preventing adjournment Motions. I do not desire to say more than that I think nobody will criticise that action severely unless he is willing to believe that a Motion for adjournment is never moved with that secondary object I have-described. I think there have been errors on both sides, but it is impossible to ask the one side to correct its manner of proceeding unless the other side will do so. But may I reasonably say to the hon. Member who desires to make this Motion, 839 that I think the subject would be much better discussed on the Colonial Secretary's Vote? The Colonial Secretary has not yet any information on the subject; he has telegraphed for information, and has not received it. If, therefore, the object of the hon. Gentleman is to stop beri-beri, if that is his sole object, then he can carry it out much more effectually if he waits until the Colonial Secretary has information to give.
§ DR. HUTCHINSONsaid this was an urgent matter, because in the case of a disease like beri-beri every twenty-four hours made a great difference.
§ MR. LAMBERTasked whether the Motion put down by the hon. Member I for Coventry, which called attention only to the colonies and protectorates in Africa, included other people who might be affected by this malignant disease.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERIt seems to me that the terms of the Motion are so wide that they include this subject.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESDo I under you to rule, Sir, that no Question whatever can be put after Three o'clock because time is rather urgent, and I think, if you refer to the Standing Order, five minutes to Three is the time, after which none but urgent Questions can be asked. The Question I wish to ask the First Lord of the Treasury is whether he has borne in mind in the remarks which he has addressed to the House with reference to blocking Motions, the fact that I have submitted to the right hon. Gentleman a Resolution, and that the right hon. Gentleman has undertaken to bring forward a Resolution dealing with the matter.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERreminded the hon. Member that the only Questions which could be put after five minutes to Three o'clock were those on urgent matters, relating either to matters of public importance, or to the arrangement of the business of the House.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESsaid his Question related to an urgent matter. He wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he had considered the terms of the Resolution which he had said he would propose to the House in order to deal with blocking Motions.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Gentleman is labouring under a misapprehension. What I said was that I would put down on the Order Paper of the House a proposed Standing Order embodying my views of the way in which we ought to deal with Motions for adjournment for the holidays. With regard to the other question I gave no pledge. I have never seen a suggestion that could with propriety be made.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESasked whether he was to understand that the right hon. Gentleman refused altogether to entertain any proposal for dealing with blocking Motions.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir.
§ MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL (Oldham)asked whether it would be in order to ask the hon. Member for Coventry whether he contemplated a sudden outbreak of beri-beri when he framed his Motion.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERIt is pretty well known that no such Question can be addressed to a private Member. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDDo you say, Sir, that there is a Rule of this House that no Questions can be addressed to private Members, which, in the recollection of the House, have frequently been addressed to private Members.
§ MR. WINSTON CHURCHILLagain rose, amid MINISTERIAL cries of "Order!'
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERI must-remind the hon. Member that I have called upon the Clerk to read the Orders of the Day.