Mr. CHAMBERLAINI beg to move, "That this House do now adjourn."
I make the Motion in order that I may inform the House at the earliest moment open to me of an unavoidable change in the arrangement of public business. I regret to say that, owing to the difficulty of getting all the information required, it is impossible for the Colonial Office Estimate to be ready in time for hon. Members to have it in their hands to-day, and to take the discussion on Thursday. In these circumstances we propose that the business to-morrow (Wednesday) should be the Supplementary Estimate with regard to Members' Expenses, the Report stages of the financial Resolutions and Estimates on the Order Paper, and that, instead of taking the Emergency Powers Regulations Resolution after eleven o'clock as proposed, we should take that as the first Order on Thursday, and subsequently take the Committee stage of the financial Resolution of the Railways Bill.
§ Mr. A. HENDERSONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House if Wednesday is going to be regarded as a Supply Day?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIf Supply should carry us on to ten o'clock, or until such an hour as to make it impossible to take other business, then it will count as a Supply Day. If, on the other hand, we enter on other business, then, under the Standing Orders, it will be disqualified from being counted as a Supply Day.
§ Captain W. BENNI desire to take the opportunity offered by the Motion of the Government to draw attention to 1012 the really extraordinary behaviour of the Leader of the House, who absented himself from the Debate, although I believe within the precincts of the House, such being his conception of his duty as Leader of this Assembly, and then comes in, and closures any further discussion.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat has never been permitted by the Chair. It is the action of the House. Any Member has the right at any time to move the Closure, but it is for the House itself to say whether or not it agrees with it.
§ Captain BENNI certainly have no desire and would never dream of transgressing a Rule of the House—I have been too long in the House to do that—but I am entitled to draw attention to what has happened. Here we have a Resolution that imposes a tariff in this country. It is a Resolution which permits the Board of Trade to draw up a tariff, and to impose it in an organised way on the industries of this country. The Debate has been one of the most informative Debates which I have ever attended.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Gentleman is continuing the discussion of the subject which the House has brought to a conclusion.
§ Captain BENNOn a point of Order. Mr. Speaker I am merely desiring to discuss the question which the House was not permitted to decide. The Amendments which were put forward and which were closured on the Motion of the Leader of the House without a word of Debate—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat, of necessity, is a reflection on the decision of the House. The hon. and gallant Member has been in the House nearly as long as I have, and he knows quite well that that is never permitted.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOn the announcement that the right hon. Gentleman the Lord Privy Seal has just made, I think it is right to enter a strong protest against the Government still burking discussion of the very serious question of the Middle East, which we were given to understand that the Colonial Secretary would explain on Thursday. We have discussed the question of the Middle East on some three occasions only in this present Parliament, as far as I know. For months 1013 past questions have been burked by the Government, and discussion has been refused because the Colonial Secretary was either absent or because he was waiting a suitable opportunity to state the whole position. In the meantime, millions of money are being poured out. We are committing ourselves ever more deeply to a Middle Eastern policy, which many of us deplore, and now the Government, I am sorry to say, still further propose to put off this discussion. I feel that the reason given by the right hon. Gentleman is not sufficient for altering the business for Thursday. Thursday, not being taken up with the Colonial Office Estimates, is to be taken up with the Emergency Powers Regulations, which have been twice discussed, and which the Government can always find time to discuss. Hon. Members who have made their arrangements for Thursday are to be prevented from debating the Middle East question. I do not want to complain in general about the right hon. Gentleman's arrangement of the business of the House, but on this particular matter I really think we have got a legitimate ground of serious complaint. What is the situation in the Middle East? We have never had in this House one discussion on the Persian question. In another place there have been three discussions since this Parliament was elected. Never in this House have we been permitted to raise the matter. It has been raised on the Estimates, but the Colonial Office Estimates are very large and extensive. They naturally deal with many parts of the world, but when the matter has been raised late at night the Minister has always been able to make some excuse. We have been waiting for the meeting of the Persian Medjliss, for the outcome of certain negotiations and so on. The India Office has claimed to speak for Mesopotamia, and now the whole question has been turned over to the Colonial Office. We have never been informed by the Prime Minister of the tribal policy with regard to Mesopotamia. The reason
§ why we have been told that we have not been seized of the policy is that we were waiting for the ratification of the Turkish Treaty. It is two-and-a-half years since the Armistice, and we have had no discussion of these vital problems. The question of Mesopotamia is one of the matters which is the most criticised wherever two or three men meet together, yet we are once more to be burked of discussion.
§ Question put, "That the Question be now put."
§ The House proceeded to a Division.
§ Mr. LYLE-SAMUEL(seated and covered): It was impossible for us to hear the Leader of the House in the short statement he made, and might I ask, in order that he may relieve the tension, if the Leader of the House can say on what date the discussion of the Colonial Office Vote, which was to have taken place on Thursday, will now take place. May I point out, because I think it is important, that we were promised as far back as February that immediately on the return of the Colonial Secretary he would make this important statement. The country has been involved in an expenditure of £150,000,000 in Mespotamia since the Armistice, and the House and the country are only too anxious to hear the facts. May I, therefore, ask when the statement will be made?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would point out that the Division is now taking place.
§ Colonel WEDGWOOD(seated and covered): May I ask the Leader of the House—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI shall proceed to put the Question a Second time. The Question is, "That the Question be now put."
§ The House divided: Ayes, 122 Noes, 52.
1015| Division No. 137.] | AYES. | [12.55 a.m. |
| Agg-Gardner, Sir James Tynte | Barlow, Sir Montague | Breese, Major Charles E. |
| Allen, Lieut.-Colonel William James | Barnston, Major Harry | Broad, Thomas Tucker |
| Ashley, Colonel Wilfrid W. | Bell, Lieut.-Col. W. C. H. (Devizes) | Buckley, Lieut.-Colonel A. |
| Atkey, A. R. | Bennett, Sir Thomas Jewell | Casey, T. W. |
| Bagley, Captain E. Ashton | Bigland, Alfred | Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. A. (Birm. W.) |
| Baird, Sir John Lawrence | Borwick, Major G. O. | Chamberlain, N. (Birm., Ladywood) |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Bowyer, Captain G. W. E. | Churchman, Sir Arthur |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Boyd-Carpenter, Major A. | Clough, Robert |
| Cockerill, Brigadier-General G. K. | Hope, Lt.-Col. Sir J. A. (Midlothian) | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Colvin, Brig.-General Richard Beale | Hope, J. D. (Berwick & Haddington) | Samuel, Samuel (W'dsworth, Putney) |
| Curzon, Captain Viscount | Hopkins, John W. W. | Seddon, J. A. |
| Davidson, J. C. C. (Hemel Hempstead) | Howard, Major S. G. | Shaw, Capt. William T. (Forfar) |
| Davidson, Major-General Sir J. H. | Hunter, General Sir A. (Lancaster) | Shortt, Rt. Hon. E. (N'castle-on-T.) |
| Davies, Alfred Thomas (Lincoln) | Inskip, Thomas Walker H. | Smith, Sir Harold (Warrington) |
| Davies, Thomas (Cirencester) | Jephcott, A. R. | Stanley, Major Hon. G. (Preston) |
| Dennis, J. W. (Birmingham, Deritend) | Kidd, James | Stanton, Charles Butt |
| Fildes, Henry | King, Captain Henry Douglas | Steel, Major S. Strang |
| Fisher, Rt. Hon. Herbert A. L. | Lane-Fox, G. R. | Stephenson, Lieut.-Colonel H. K. |
| Ford, Patrick Johnston | Lewis, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Univ., Wales) | Sutherland, Sir William |
| Forrest, Walter | Lindsay, William Arthur | Terrell, Captain R. (Oxford, Henley) |
| Foxcroft, Captain Charles Talbot | Lloyd-Greame, Sir P. | Thomas, Sir Robert J. (Wrexham) |
| Fraser, Major Sir Keith | Locker-Lampson, Com. O. (H'tingd'n) | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, South) |
| Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Lorden, John William | Thorpe, Captain John Henry |
| Gee, Captain Robert | Loseby, Captain C. E. | Townley, Maximilian G. |
| Gibbs, Colonel George Abraham | Macquisten, F. A. | Tryon, Major George Clement |
| Gilmour, Lieut.-Colonel Sir John | Mond, Rt. Hon. Sir Alfred Moritz | Turton, Edmund Russborough |
| Goff, Sir R. Park | Moore, Major-General Sir Newton J. | Waddington, R. |
| Green, Albert (Derby) | Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | Ward-Jackson, Major C. L. |
| Greene, Lt.-Col. Sir W. (Hack'y, N.) | Morrison-Bell, Major A. C. | Ward, William Dudley (Southampton) |
| Greenwood, William (Stockport) | Nall, Major Joseph | Watson, Captain John Bertrand |
| Greer, Harry | Neal, Arthur | Wheler, Col. Granville C. H. |
| Greig, Colonel James William | Newman, Sir R. H. S. D. L. (Exeter) | Williams, C. (Tavistock) |
| Gritten, W. G. Howard | Pease, Rt. Hon. Herbert Pike | Williams, Lt.-Col. Sir R. (Banbury) |
| Hacking, Captain Douglas H. | Peel, Col. Hon. S. (Uxbridge, Mddx.) | Wise, Frederick |
| Hallwood, Augustine | Pennefather, De Fonblanque | Woolcock, William James U. |
| Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) | Pollock, Sir Ernest Murray | Worsfold, T. Cato |
| Hamilton, Major C. G. C. | Pratt, John William | Young, E. H. (Norwich) |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Pretyman, Rt. Hon. Ernest G. | Young, Sir Frederick W. (Swindon) |
| Harris, Sir Henry Percy | Rankin, Captain James Stuart | |
| Hennessy, Major J. R. G. | Raper, A. Baldwin | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Herbert, Dennis (Hertford, Watford) | Reid, D. D. | Colonel Leslie Wilson and Mr. |
| Hood, Joseph | Roberts, Samuel (Hereford, Hereford) | McCurdy. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. William | Hartshorn, Vernon | Rose, Frank H. |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Hayday, Arthur | Shaw, Thomas (Preston) |
| Barnes, Major H. (Newcastle, E.) | Hirst, G. H. | Smith, W. R. (Wellingborough) |
| Benn, Captain Wedgwood (Leith) | John, William (Rhondda, West) | Spencer, George A. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Jones, Henry Haydn, (Merioneth) | Swan, J. E. |
| Briant, Frank | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Thomas, Brig.-Gen. Sir O. (Anglesey) |
| Cairns, John | Kenworthy, Lieut.-Commander J. M. | Thomson, T. (Middlesbrough, West) |
| Cape, Thomas | Kiley, James Daniel | Waterson, A. E. |
| Carter, W. (Nottingham, Mansfield) | Lunn, William | Wedgwood, Colonel Josiah C. |
| Davies, A (Lancaster, Clitheroe) | Lyle-Samuel, Alexander | Williams, Col. P. (Middlesbrough, E.) |
| Davies, Major D. (Montgomery) | Maclean, Neil (Glasgow, Govan) | Wilson, Rt. Hon. J. W. (Stourbrdge) |
| Davison, J. E. (Smethwick) | Maclean, Rt. Hn. Sir D. (Midlothian) | Wintringham, Thomas |
| Edwards, C. (Monmouth, Bedwellty) | MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Wood, Major M. M. (Aberdeen, C.) |
| Entwistle, Major C. F. | Mills, John Edmund | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| France, Gerald Ashburner | Morgan, Major D. Watts | |
| Gillis, William | Murray, Dr. D. (Inverness & Ross) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Grundy, T. W. | Newbould, Alfred Ernest | Mr. Arthur Henderson and Mr. |
| Guest, J. (York, W.R., Hemsworth) | Rendall, Athelstan | George Thorne. |
| Hall, F. (York, W.R., Normanton) | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) |
§ Question put accordingly, "That this House do now adjourn."
1016§ The House divided: Ayes, 127 Noes, 50.
1017| Division No. 138.] | AYES. | [12.59 a.m. |
| Agg-Gardner, Sir James Tynte | Chamberlain, N. (Birm., Ladywood) | Gibbs, Colonel George Abraham |
| Allen, Lieut.-Colonel William James | Churchman, Sir Arthur | Gilmour, Lieut.-Colonel Sir John |
| Ashley, Colonel Wilfrid W. | Clough, Robert | Goff, Sir R. Park |
| Atkey, A. R. | Cockerill, Brigadier-General G. K. | Gould, James C. |
| Bagley, Captain E. Ashton | Colvin, Brig.-General Richard Beale | Green, Albert (Derby) |
| Baird, Sir John Lawrence | Cope, Major William | Greene, Lt.-Col. Sir W. (Hack'y, N.) |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Curzon, Captain Viscount | Greenwood, William (Stockport) |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Davidson, J. C. C. (Hemel Hempstead) | Greer, Harry |
| Barlow, Sir Montague | Davidson, Major-General Sir J. H. | Greig, Colonel James William |
| Barnston, Major Harry | Davies, Alfred Thomas (Lincoln) | Gritten, W. G. Howard |
| Bell, Lieut.-Col. W. C. H. (Devizes) | Davies, Thomas (Cirencester) | Hacking, Captain Douglas, H. |
| Bennett, Sir Thomas Jewell | Dennis, J. W. (Birmingham, Deritend) | Hallwood, Augustine |
| Bigland, Alfred | Eyres-Monsell, Com. Bolton M. | Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) |
| Borwick, Major G. O. | Fildes, Henry | Hamilton, Major C. G. C. |
| Bowyer, Captain G. W. E. | Fisher, Rt. Hon. Herbert A. L. | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry |
| Boyd-Carpenter, Major A. | Ford, Patrick Johnston | Harris, Sir Henry Percy |
| Breese, Major Charles E. | Forrest, Walter | Hennessy, Major J. R. G. |
| Broad, Thomas Tucker | Foxcroft, Captain Charles Talbot | Herbert, Dennis (Hertford, Watford) |
| Buckley, Lieut.-Colonel A. | Fraser, Major Sir Keith | Hood, Joseph |
| Casey, T. W. | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Hope, Lt.-Col. Sir J. A. (Midlothian) |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. A. (Birm. W.) | Gee, Captain Robert | Hope, J. D. (Berwick & Haddington) |
| Hopkins, John W. W. | Neal, Arthur | Terrell, Captain R. (Oxford, Henley) |
| Howard, Major S. G. | Newman, Sir R. H. S. D. L. (Exeter) | Thomas, Sir Robert J. (Wrexham) |
| Hunter, General Sir A. (Lancaster) | Pease, Rt. Hon. Herbert Pike | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, South) |
| Inskip, Thomas Walker H. | Peel, Col. Hon. S. (Uxbridge, Mddx.) | Thorpe, Captain John Henry |
| Jephcott, A. R. | Pennefather, De Fonblanque | Townley, Maximilian G. |
| Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | Pollock, Sir Ernest Murray | Tryon, Major George Clement |
| Kerr-Smiley, Major Peter Kerr | Pratt, John William | Turton, Edmund Russborough |
| Kidd, James | Pretyman, Rt. Hon. Ernest G. | Waddington, R. |
| King, Captain Henry Douglas | Rankin, Captain James Stuart | Ward-Jackson, Major C. L. |
| Lane-Fox, G. R. | Raper, A. Baldwin | Watson, Captain John Bertrand |
| Lewis, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Univ., Wales) | Reld, D. D. | Wheler, Col. Granville C. H. |
| Lindsay, William Arthur | Roberts, Samuel (Hereford, Hereford) | Williams, C. (Tavistock) |
| Lloyd-Greame, Sir P. | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) | Williams, Lt.-Col. Sir R. (Banbury) |
| Locker-Lampson, Com. O. (H'tingd'n) | Samuel, Samuel (W'dsworth, Putney) | Wise, Frederick |
| Lorden, John William | Seddon, J. A. | Woolcock, William James U. |
| Loseby, Captain C. E. | Shaw, Capt. William T. (Forfar) | Worsfold, T. Cato |
| M'Curdy, Rt. Hon. Charles A. | Shortt, Rt. Hon. E. (N'castle-on-T.) | Young, E. H. (Norwich) |
| Macquisten, F. A. | Smith, Sir Harold (Warrington) | Young, Sir Frederick W. (Swindon) |
| Mond, Rt. Hon. Sir Alfred Moritz | Stanley, Major Hon. G. (Preston) | |
| Moore, Major-General Sir Newton J. | Stanton, Charles Butt | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | Steel, Major S. Strang | Colonel Leslie Wilson and Mr. |
| Morrison-Bell, Major A. C. | Stephenson, Lieut.-Colonel H. K. | Dudley Ward. |
| Nall, Major Joseph | Sutherland, Sir William | |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. William | Hayday, Arthur | Rose, Frank H. |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Hirst, G. H. | Shaw, Thomas (Preston) |
| Barnes, Major H. (Newcastle, E.) | Holmes, J. Stanley | Smith, W. R. (Wellingborough) |
| Benn, Captain Wedgwood (Leith) | John, William (Rhondda, West) | Spencer, George A. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Swan, J. E. |
| Briant, Frank | Kenworthy, Lieut.-Commander J. M. | Thomas, Brig.-Gen. Sir O. (Anglesey) |
| Cairns, John | Kiley, James Daniel | Thomson, T. (Middlesbrough, West) |
| Cape, Thomas | Lunn, William | Waterson, A. E. |
| Carter, W. (Nottingham, Mansfield) | Lyle-Samuel, Alexander | Wedgwood, Colonel Josiah C. |
| Davies, A. (Lancaster, Clitheroe) | Maclean, Neil (Glasgow, Govan) | Williams, Col. P. (Middlesbrough, E.) |
| Davison, J. E. (Smethwick) | Maclean, Rt. Hn. Sir D. (Midlothian) | Wilson, Rt. Hon. J. W. (Stourbridge) |
| Edwards, C. (Monmouth, Bedwellty) | MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Wintringham, Thomas |
| Entwistle, Major C. F. | Mills, John Edmund | Wood, Major M. M. (Aberdeen, C.) |
| Gillis, William | Morgan, Major D. Watts | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| Grundy, T. W. | Murray, Dr. D. (Inverness & Ross) | |
| Guest, J. (York, W.R., Hemsworth) | Newbould, Alfred Ernest | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Hall, F. (York, W.R., Normanton) | Rendall, Athelstan | Mr. Arthur Henderson and Mr. |
| Hartshorn, Vernon | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | George Thorne. |
§ Adjourned accordingly at Five Minutes after One o'clock a.m., Wednesday, 1st June.