§ Mr. ALDENasked for leave to introduce a Bill "to prohibit the sale, hire, or exchange of the plumage and skins of certain wild birds."
The character of this measure is known to the House, because I brought in forward last year. Practically in its present form it has been before the Select Committee of the House of Lords, and it was passed unanimously. I have found on all sides of the House a common agreement as to the importance of this measure. The fact is, there are only two hon. Members who are not in favour of it, and I hope I shall be able to obtain the consent of all Members of the House to the introduction of this measure, in view of its urgency. There are twenty-one of our Colonies and possessions in favour of taking some immediate steps to prevent the sale or importation to this country of the skins and plumage of certain rare and beautiful birds. These birds are likely to become extinct in a very few years, in fact we may say that for the last ten years one or two species of rare birds have become extinct every year, and looking at the urgency of this question, I hope hon. Members will forgive me if I keep them for two or three minutes.
There is a Committee at present sitting considering this question with regard to colonial birds. The twenty-one Colonies and Possessions to which I have referred all have laws preventing the exportation of the plumage of certain birds, and the Committee at present sitting is considering the possibility of preventing the importation into the United Kingdom of the plumage of those special birds. All we ask is that in addition we shall consider the question of preventing the importation into England of certain other birds which are likely to become extinct during the next few years. We have already done something in Parliament in regard to this question. I think it was in the year 1898 that the Secretary of State for War prohibited the use of aigrette plumes in certain regiments of the Army, and when we remember that only last year 49,000 ounces of osprey plumes were placed on the London 1919 market, representing 297,000 white herons, I think it is high time this House interfered with the importation of these plumes. Otherwise we shall certainly, in a very short time, exterminate these beautiful birds. The London Chamber of Commerce, or rather a very small section of it, is absolutely the only obstacle to united action. Other Chambers of Commerce are in favour of this measure, and only one small section of the London Chamber of Commerce says "No, we will not stop the importation of the plumage of these rare birds." Only a short time ago the textile section of the London Chamber of Commerce made representations to India. There is an Indian Plumage Bill, and the textile section I allude to made representations to the Bombay Chamber of Commerce to repeal their measure on the ground that these birds were pests to the natives. The answer given by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce was that the birds were not pests at all, but relieved the country of pests in the shape of insects, and therefore they thought it was desirable to preserve the birds. That alone would be a sufficient argument for this House taking action. Anybody who has any sense of what is beautiful in this world, and who cares for preserving what is beautiful, ought to be on the side of this Bill. On the one hand you have a small section of the London Chamber of Commerce against this measure, and on the other hand every right-thinking person throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom. I do not see why a few traders who make money out of this business should be allowed to inflict this injury and harm, not only on our Colonies and Possessions, but also on other countries who are strongly in favour of such legislation. It is absolutely impossible for us to prevent this illegal importation into England unless we can pass this measure. I hope that not only will the leave of the House be given to introduce this measure to-day, but that at no very distant date the House will give this measure a Second Reading. I feel certain that if this Bill were referred to a Committee there would be a unanimous decision in favour of immediate action, just as was the case before the Select Committee of the House of Lords.
§ Mr. CARLILEI rise to oppose the introduction of this Bill. The hon. Member who introduced this measure has used very much the same argument as he did upon a 1920 previous occasion. He has appealed to sentimentality with reference to the preservation of these birds, and he is perfectly justified in doing so, because as a result he gets a large amount of support for this mischievous Bill. I oppose this measure on the ground that it is perfectly useless for this country alone to attempt to deal with this great question. It is not a matter which can be dealt with by a single country, more especially when that single country is the great centre of this traffic, and the country where this particular trade is concentrated. If our own country is called upon to take this step, then the injury to trade and industry in this country will be very serious, and the benefit supposed to be derived from such a course in the direction of the preservation of birds will not be brought about at all. If this plumage trade does not find its way into this country, it will be diverted to Antwerp, Berlin, and Paris, and will result not in any preservation of these birds, admirable and beautiful as they are, but merely in the transference to our foreign competitors of an industry and trade which is of very important dimensions. The hon. Member says that no right-thinking man can oppose this, but I think any man with common sense who knows what the circumstances are will oppose it. I could refer to such an authority as the head of the Department of South Kensington Museum, and one of the greatest authorities of ornithology in the world at the present moment. He has written most strongly against this Bill, showing it would not in any circumstances bring about the conditions alleged to be desired. Why should we at such a time as this take a step towards the destruction of a trade which is perfectly justifiable, and which, on the showing of the highest authorities, is in no way injurious to bird preservation. I do most earnestly hope the House will not grant this leave, and that this Bill will not be read even a first time. The textile department of the London Chamber of Commerce is entirely justified in the attitude it has taken up upon this Bill. It is endeavoured to forward the Bill merely on the ground of sentimentality gone wrong. It will be useless for the preservation of birds and will be destructive of an important form of industry and commerce in our country.
§ Question put, "That leave be given to bring in the Bill."
§ The House divided: Ayes, 317; Noes, 48.
1923| Division No. 19.] | AYES. | [3.53 p.m. |
| Abraham, William (Dublin Harbour) | Edwards, Enoch (Hanley) | Lowther, Claude (Cumberland, Eskdale) |
| Acland, Francis Dyke | Elibank, Rt. Hon. Master of | Lundon, Thomas |
| Adamson, William | Elverston, H. | Lynch, A. A. |
| Addison, Dr. Christopher | Esmonde, Dr. John (Tipperary, N.) | Lyttelton, Rt. Hon. A. (Hanover Sq.) |
| Adkins, W. Ryland D. | Esmonde, Sir Thomas (Wexford, N.) | Lyttelton, Hon. J. C. (Droitwich) |
| Ainsworth, John Stirling | Essex, Richard Walter | Macdonald, J. R. (Leicester) |
| Allen, Charles P. (Stroud) | Esslemont, George Birnie | Macdonald, J. M. (Falkirk Burghs) |
| Anderson, A. | Falconer, James | MacGhee, Richard |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Farrell, James Patrick | Mackinder, Halford J. |
| Ashton, Thomas Gair | Fell, Arthur | Maclean, Donald |
| Asquith, Rt. Hon. Herbert Henry | Ffrench, Peter | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift |
| Astor, Waldorf | Field, William | MacVeagh, Jeremiah |
| Baird, J. L. | Fitzgibbon, John | M'Callum, John M. |
| Baker, H. T. (Accrington) | Flavin, Michael Joseph | M'Laren, F. W. S. (Lines., Spalding) |
| Baker, Joseph A. (Finsbury, E.) | Fleming, Valentine | M'Micking, Major Gilbert |
| Balcarres, Lord | Forster, Henry William | M'Mordle, Robert |
| Baldwin, Stanley | France, G. A. | Manfield, Harry |
| Banbury, Sir Frederick George | Gardner, Ernest | Marshall, Arthur Harold |
| Baring, Captain Hon. G. | Gastrell, Major W. H. | Martin, J. |
| Barlow, Sir John Emmott (Somerset) | Gelder, Sir W. A. | Mason, David M. (Coventry) |
| Barran, Sir John N. (Hawick, B.) | Gill, A. H. | Mason, James F. (Windsor) |
| Barrie, H. T. (Londonderry, N.) | Glanville, H. J. | Mathias, Richard |
| Barry, Redmond John | Goddard, Sir Daniel Ford | Meagher, Michael |
| Barton, William | Goldstone, Frank | Meehan, Francis E. (Leitrim, N.) |
| Bathurst, Charles (Wilton) | Greenwood, Granville G. (Peterborough) | Meehan, Patrick A. (Quean's Cs.) |
| Beale, W. P. | Guest, Hon. Frederick E. (Dorset, E.) | Mildmay, Francis Bingham |
| Beauchamp, Edward | Guiney, P. | Molloy, M. |
| Beck, Arthur Cecil | Guinness, Hon. W. E. | Molteno, Percy Alport |
| Beckett, Hon. W. Gervase | Gulland, John William | Money, L. G. Chiozza |
| Benn, W. W. (Tower Hamlets, St. Geo.) | Hackett, J. | Montagu, Hon. E. S. |
| Bentham, G. J. | Hall, D. B. (Isle of Wight) | Morpeth, Viscount |
| Birrell, Rt. Hon. Augustine | Hall, Fred (Dulwich) | Morrell, Philip |
| Black, Arthur W. | Harcourt, Robert V. (Montrose) | Morrison-Bell, Major A. C. (Heniton) |
| Boland, John Plus | Hardie, J. Keir | Morton, Alpheus Cleophas |
| Bottomley, Horatio | Hardy, Laurence | Muldoon, John |
| Bowerman, C. W. | Harris, Henry Percy | Munro, R. |
| Boyle, D. (Mayo, N.) | Harvey, A. G. C. (Rochdale) | Munro-Ferguson, Rt. Hon. R. C. |
| Brady, P. J. | Harvey, T. E. (Leeds, W.) | Murray, Capt. Hon. A. C. |
| Brigg, Sir John | Harvey, W. E. (Derbyshire, N. E.) | Needham, Christopher T. |
| Brunner, J. F. L. | Harwood, George | Neilson, Francis |
| Burgoyne, A. H. | Haslam, James (Derbyshire) | Newdegate, F. A. |
| Burns, Rt. Hon. John | Havelock-Allan, Sir Henry | Newton, Harry Kottingham |
| Burt, Rt. Hon. Thomas | Haworth, Arthur A. | Nicholson, Wm. G. (Petersfield) |
| Butcher, J. G. | Hayden, John Patrick | Nield, Herbert |
| Buxton, Noel (Norfolk, N.) | Hazleton, Richard (Galway, N.) | Nolan, Joseph |
| Byles, William Pollard | Helme, Nerval Watson | Norman, Sir Henry |
| Carr-Gomm, H. W. | Henderson, Arthur (Durham) | Norton, Capt. Cecil W. |
| Cassel, Folix | Henderson, Major H. (Abingdon) | Nugent, Sir Walter Richard |
| Cave, George | Higham, John Sharp | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) |
| Cawley, Harold T. (Heywood) | Hill, Sir Clement L. | O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) |
| Chambers, J. | Hill-Wood, Samuel | O'Doherty, Philip |
| Chancellor, H. G. | Hope, Harry (Bute) | O'Dowd, John |
| Chapple, Dr. William Allen | Hope, James Fitzalan (Sheffield) | Ogden, Fred |
| Clynes, J. R. | Horne, C. S. (Ipswich) | O'Grady, James |
| Collins, Godfrey P. (Greenock) | Hudson, Walter | O'Kelly, Edward P. (Wicklow, W.) |
| Collins, Stephen (Lambeth) | Hughes, S. L. | O'Neill, Hon. A. E. B. (Antrim, Mid) |
| Compton-Rickett, Rt. Hen. Sir J. | Hunter, Sir C. R. (Bath) | O'Neill, Dr. Charles (Armagh, S.) |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Illingworth, Percy H. | Orde-Powiett, Hon. W. G. A. |
| Corbett, A. Cameron | Isaacs, Sir Rufus Daniel | O'Shaughnessy, P. J. |
| Cotton, William Francis | John, Edward Thomas | O'Shee, James John |
| Cowan, W. H. | Johnson, W. | O'Sullivan, Timothy |
| Craig, Herbert J. (Tynemouth) | Jones, Sir D. Brynmor (Swansea) | Parker, James (Halifax) |
| Craig, Captain James (Down, E.) | Jones, Edgar R. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Pease, Herbert Pike (Darlington) |
| Crawshay-Williams, Eliot | Jones, H. Haydn (Merioneth) | Pease, Rt. Hon. Joseph A. (Rotherham) |
| Crichton-Stuart, Lord Ninian | Jones, Leif Straffen (Notts, Rushcliffe) | Peel, Hon. W. R. W. (Taunton) |
| Croft, H. P. | Jones, W. S. Glyn. (T'w'r H'mts, Stepney) | Peto, Basil Edward |
| Crumley, Patrick | Joyce, Michael | Phillips, John (Longford, S.) |
| Cullinan, J. | Keating, M. | Pirie, Duncan V. |
| Dalziel, Sir James H. (Kirkcaldy) | Kellaway, Frederick George | Pointer, Joseph |
| Davies, E. William (Eifion) | Kelly, Edward | Pollard, Sir George H. |
| Davies, Timothy (Lincs., Louth) | Kerry, Earl of | Ponsonby, Arthur A. W. H. |
| Davies, M. Vaughan. (Cardigan) | Kilbride, Denis | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Dawes, J. A. | King, J. (Somerset, N.) | Price, Sir Robert J. (Norfolk, E.) |
| Delany, William | Lambert, George (Devon, S. Molton) | Priestley, Sir W. E. B. (Bradford, E.) |
| Denman, Hon. R. D. | Lambert, Richard (Wilts, Cricklade) | Primrose, Hon. Nell James |
| Devlin, Joseph | Lane-Fox, G. R. | Pringle, William M. R. |
| Dewar, Sir J. A. (Inverness) | Lansbury, George | Radford, G. H. |
| Dickinson, W. H. | Lardner, James Carrige Rushe | Rea, Walter Russell (Scarborough) |
| Dillon, John | Law, Hugh A. | Reddy, M. |
| Donelan, Captain A. | Leach, Charles | Redmond, John E. (Waterford) |
| Doris, W. | Lee, Arthur H. | Redmond, William (Clare) |
| Duffy, William J. | Lonsdale, John Brownlee | Redmond, William Archer (Tyrone, E.) |
| Duncan, C. (Barrow-in-Furness) | Lough, Rt. Hon. Thomas | Rendall, Atheisten |
| Richards, Thomas | Spear, John Ward | Watt, Henry A. |
| Roberts, G. H. (Norwich) | Spicer, Sir Albert | Weigall, Capt. A. G. |
| Roberts, Sir J. H. (Denbighs) | Stanier, Beville | White, Major G. D. (Lancs., Southport) |
| Roberts, S. (Sheffield, Ecclesall) | Stewart, Gershom | White, Sir Luke (York, E. R.) |
| Robertson, J. M. (Tyneside) | Strauss, Edward A. (Southwark, West) | White, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| Roche, John (Galway, E.) | Summers, James Woolley | Whyte, Alexander F. |
| Roe, Sir Thomas | Sutherland, J. E. | Wilkie, Alexander |
| Rose, Sir Charles Day | Sutton, John E. | Williams, J. (Glamorgan) |
| Rothschild, Lionel de | Taylor, John W, (Durham) | Williams, P. (Middlesbrough) |
| Rowlands, James | Tennant, Harold John | Williams, Col. R. (Dorset, W.) |
| Rowntree, Arnold | Terrell, H. (Gloucester) | Wilson, Hon. G. G. (Hull, W.) |
| St. Maur, Harold | Thorne, William (West Ham) | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestershire, N.) |
| Sandys, G. J. (Somerset, Wells) | Tobin, Alfred Aspinall | Wilson, W. T. (Westhoughton) |
| Scott, A. M'Callum (Glasgow, Bridgeton) | Touche, George Alexander | Winfrey, Richard |
| Seely, Col., Right Hon. J. E. B. | Trevelyan, Charles Philips | Wolmer, Viscount |
| Sheehan, Daniel Daniel | Ure, Rt. Hon. Alexander | Wood, Hon. E. F. L. (Ripon) |
| Sheehy, David | Verney, Sir Harry | Wood, John (Stalybridge) |
| Sherwell, Arthur James | Wadsworth, J. | Wood, T. M'Kinnon (Glasgow) |
| Simon, Sir John Allsebrook | Walsh, J. (Cork, South) | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| Smith, Albert (Lancs., Clitheroe) | Walsh, Stephen (Lancs., Ince) | Young, Samuel (Cavan, E.) |
| Smith, Harold (Warrington) | Walton, Sir Joseph | |
| Smith, H. B. (Northampton) | Ward, John (Stoke-upon-Trent) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.—Mr. Alden and Mr. Whitehouse. |
| Snowden, P. | Wason, John Cathcart (Orkney) | |
| Soares, Ernest J. | Wason, Rt. Hon. E. (Clackmannan) |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Rt. Hon. Sir Alex. F. | Grant, J. A. | Ronaldshay, Earl of |
| Archer-Shee, Major M. | Gretton, John | Samuel, Sir Harry (Norwood) |
| Bagot, Lieut.-Colonel J. | Hambro, Angus Valdemar | Sanders, Robert A. |
| Baker, Sir R. L. (Dorset, N.) | Henry, Sir Charles S. | Schwann, Rt. Hon. Sir C. E. |
| Banner, John S. Harmood. | Hinds, John | Scott, Leslie (Liverpool, Exchange) |
| Barnston, H. | Jardine, E. (Somerset, E.) | Sykes, Alan John |
| Benn, Arthur Shirley (Plymouth) | Kirkwood, J. H. M. | Tullibardine, Marquess of |
| Booth, Frederick Handel | Lawson, Hon. H. (T. H'm'ts, Mile End) | Walker, Col. William Hall |
| Brassey, H. Leonard Campbell | Locker-Lampson, O. (Ramsey) | Ward, Arnold (Herts, Watford) |
| Burn, Colonel C. R. | Macmaster, Donald | Waring, Walter |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Oxford University) | Malcolm, Ian | Warner, Sir Thomas Courtenay |
| Clive, Percy Archer | Meysey-Thompson, E. C. | Willoughby, Major Hon. Claude |
| Clough, William | Morrison-Bell, Capt. E. F. (Ashburton) | Wilson, A. Stanley (York, E. R.) |
| Craig, Charles Curtis (Antrim, S.) | Ormsby-Gore, Hon. William | Worthington-Evans, L. |
| Gibbs, G. A. | Paget, Almeric Hugh | |
| Gilmour, Captain J. | Pearce, William (Limehouse) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.—Mr. Carllie and Viscount Helmsley. |
| Goldsmith, Frank | Quilter, William Eley C. |
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Alden.
§ PLUMAGE BILL.—"To prohibit the sale, hire, or exchange of the plumage and skins of certain wild birds," presented accordingly, and read the first time; to be read a second time upon Monday next.