§ MR. BOWLES rose to ask leave to move the adjournment of the House for the purpose of calling attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, the unlawful action of His Majesty's Government in misappropriating £293,331 12s. 11d. of public money.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is barred from raising that Question on an Adjournment Motion by a notice of Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for Barnstaple.
MR. STANLEY WILSONIs not the hon. Member for Barnstaple private secretary to one of the Cabinet Ministers?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)wished to ask the Government in reference to those who had put down what hon. Members opposite had often called a blocking Motion whether this was not a proper case for the use of "peaceful persuasion" in favour of his hon. friend raising a point, the difficulty and importance of which, he believed, were denied by nobody, least of all by the Minister concerned.
§ SIR CHARLES DILKEasked whether the hon. Member's Motion would not equally interfere with private Members' Motions for the next day to which the same remarks applied?
§ MR. ASQUITHpointed out that there could be no real grievance in the matter, because the hon. Gentleman could raise the whole question on the Motion for the Adjournment over Easter on Wednesday.
§ MR. BOWLESBut if the Motion of the hon. Member for Barnstaple remain on the Paper will that not preclude the question being raised?
§ *MR. SPEAKERsaid that if the Motion of the hon. Member for Barnstaple still appeared on the Paper on Wednesday the question could not be raised on the Motion for Adjournment.
§ MR. ASQUITHAs far as I am concerned, I will appeal to the hon. Member for Barnstaple to withdraw his Motion.