PARLIAMENT AND LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL. (Hansard, 16 August 1916)

§ Sir E. CARSON

I do not wish to delay the proceedings on this Bill, but I desire to say that there are two Amendments which I shall certainly move to-morrow —one is to reduce the period of eight months to six months, which I think is a reasonable time to go on extending from time to time our own life, and that will give us an opportunity of reviewing the matter in six months' time. My other suggestion is this: We all know that we have not had a new register for a considerable time, therefore, if through any untoward circumstance an election occurred, it would take place on the old register. I think some of my Tory friends might like that, but I think the old register was entirely out of date, and that register would elect a Parliament which would have no moral force. For these reasons I mean to put down an Amendment securing as a condition of extending the life of this Parliament that if by any unforeseen circumstances an election is held on the old register, that the duration of the Parliament set up by that election shall not be for five years, but for two years and no longer. The House can consider in Committee whether two years is too long or not. I think that is a proposal well worth looking at, and, subject to these reservations, so far as I am concerned, I have not the slightest objection to the Bill being read a second time.

Mr. BONARLAW

Obviously I am not called upon, and my right hon. Friend cannot expect me, to pronounce an 1962 opinion on either of the Amendments he has indicated just now. I may say, however, that the Government will be perfectly ready to consider the first of his proposals. With regard to his second Amendment, everyone will feel that a Parliament elected under such conditions would not have the moral force which a Parliament ought to have if elected under normal conditions. I do not see any strong objection to such a limitation of time, but obviously it must be considered from many points of view, and before the Bill comes up to-morrow I think the Government will be in a position to express their view whether the period should be six or eight months. That is not a matter of primary importance either to the Government or to the House of Commons, although I am inclined to think that eight months, under the circumstances, and in view of the delay in getting a new register, is not unreasonable, but I certainly do not believe that the Prime Minister would regard that as anything in the least degree vital. I believe he will be perfectly ready to consider it on its merits when it? comes up for discussion to-morrow.