§ Sir DONALD MACLEANI wish to ask the Prime Minister a question as to the Notice of Motion standing in his name for the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule. Does he intend to move that Motion in view of the fact that last week on two nights no fewer than 19 Orders were taken? At least nine of the Second Readings were taken after 11 o'clock. In view of that progress, and the strong objection of a large part of the House to have these small Bills fired at them without any adequate notice, is it proposed to proceed with the Motion?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI trust that the House will assent to the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule. The Orders referred to were of a purely non-controversial character. [HON. MEMBERS: "No!"] My recollection is that there was hardly any discussion on them; they were accepted by all sections of the House. There are certain Orders which it is necessary we should get through to-day. The first will take some time to discuss, and then there are two or three other Orders which I hope it will be possible to press through afterwards.
§ Sir D. MACLEANWill the Prime Minister tell us what Orders he intends us to take to-night, and will he kindly note the fact that some of us would require to debate, not by way of disagreement, but by way of explanation, Nos. 4, the Allotments (Scotland) Bill, and 5, the Railway and Canal Commissions (Consents) Bill I There are one or two, possibly two or three, Reports of Supply which we might advance a stage, but these other matters really do require discussion.
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith regard to the Orders referred to by my right hon. Friend, Nos. 4 and 5, it is not proposed to take them if it is late.
§ Sir D. MACLEANNot after 11 o'clock?
§ The PRIME MINISTEROf course, we will not press them unless the House really desires to go on, but I think we are all anxious to get away early. If it is impossible to advance these, the Government is anxious to advance Nos. 18, Government of Northern Ireland (Loan Guarantee) Bill; 19, Public Works Loans (Remission of Debts); and 20, Public Works Loans Bill, another stage if possible.
§ "Sir F. BANBURYMay I suggest that if, as the right hon. Gentleman suggests, Members are all desirous of getting away early, the best way to effect that would be not to bring in any more Bills?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI find myself very much in agreement with the right hon. Baronet almost for the first time. I have been urging that consideration upon the Departments, but he knows perfectly well that the Departments always press for certain Bills, and say that these are quite essential in order to carry out Departmental work. That is the reason why these Bills are introduced, and that is the struggle which goes on every year, as the right hon. Gentleman is well aware.
§ Sir F. BANBURYI am also well aware of the great authority which the right hon. Gentleman possesses over the Cabinet, and I am quite certain that if he would exercise it these Bills would disappear.
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy right hon. Friend's information is absolutely wrong.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIs it intended to take No. 7, Places of Worship (Enfranchisement) Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo.
Dr. MURRAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the first Bill down for consideration to-day—the Economy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill—really contains about half-a-dozen Bills, each of them controversial and each of which would require a whole day?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am perfectly aware that everybody is in favour of economy, until you come to put it into 849 application, and then everybody has an important objection to some part of the proposals?
§ Colonel GRETTONWill the right hon. Gentleman inform the House how long he proposes to keep us to-night with the suspension of the Rule?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is a very undesirable question to answer, because if I gave an answer to that I do not think it would tend to expedite the business. There is no desire on the part of anybody to stay up very late, and I hope my hon. Friends will help the
§ Government to get through the necessary business.
§ Colonel GRETTONCan the right hon. Gentleman state what he means by" very late"? The other night the Government said they were not going to keep the House late, and yet they kept us until half-past two. There is a certain flexibility about the phrase "very late."
§
Motion made, and Question put,
That Government Business be exempted, at this clay's sitting, from the provisions of the Standing Order (Sittings of the House)."— [The Prime Minister.]
§ The House divided: Ayes, 185; Noes, 55.
851| Division No. 209.] | AYES. | [3.55 P.m. |
| Adair, Rear-Admiral Thomas B. S. | Gilmour, Lieut.-Colonel Sir John | Murray, Hon. Gideon (St. Rollox) |
| Agg-Gardner, Sir James Tynte | Glyn, Major Ralph | Murray, John (Leeds, West) |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Goff, Sir R. Park | Neal, Arthur |
| Armstrong, Henry Bruce | Green, Joseph F. (Leicester, W.) | Newson, Sir Percy Wilson |
| Ashley, Colonel Wilfrid W. | Greenwood, Rt. Hon. Sir Hamar | Nicholson, Brig.-Gen. J. (Westminster) |
| Baird, Sir John Lawrence | Greig, Colonel Sir James William | Norman, Major Rt. Hon. Sir Henry |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Gretton, Colonel John | Ormsby-Gore, Hon. William |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Guest, Capt. Rt. Hon. Frederick C. | Pain, Brig,-Gen. Sir W. Hacket |
| Banbury, Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick G. | Guinness, Lieut.-Col. Hon. W. E. | Parker, James |
| Barlow, Sir Montague | Gwynne, Rupert S. | Pennefather, De Fonblanque |
| Barnes, Rt. Hon. G. (Glas., Gorbals) | Hacking, Captain Douglas H. | Perring, William George |
| Beauchamp, Sir Edward | Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) | Pilditch, Sir Philip |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry Cavendish- | Hall, Rr-Adml Sir W.(Liv'p'l,W.D'by) | Pratt, John William |
| Bethell, Sir John Henry | Hamilton, Sir George C. | Raeburn, Sir William H. |
| Bird. Sir R. B. (Wolverhampton, W.) | Harmon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Rankin, Captain James Stuart |
| Blades, Sir George Rowland | Harmsworth, C. B. (Bedford, Luton) | Rawlinson, John Frederick Peel |
| Boscawen, Rt. Hon. Sir A. Griffith- | Harmsworth, Hon. E. C. (Kent) | Rees, Capt. J. Tudor- (Barnstaple) |
| Bowyer, Captain G. W. E. | Hennessy, Major J. R. G. | Remer, J. R. |
| Bridgeman, Rt. Hon. William Clive | Herbert, Dennis (Hertford, Watford) | Remnant, Sir James |
| Briggs, Harold | Hilder, Lieut.-Colonel Frank | Richardson, Sir Alex. (Gravesend) |
| Broad, Thomas Tucker | Hills, Major John Waller | Richardson, Lt.-Col. Sir P. (Chertsey) |
| Brown, Brig.-Gen. Clifton (Newbury) | Hinds, John | Roberts, Rt. Hon. G. H. (Norwich) |
| Bruton, Sir James | Hope, Str H.(Stirling & Cl'ckm'nn'n'W.) | Roberts, Samuel (Hereford, Hereford) |
| Buckley, Lieut.-Colonel A. | Hope, Lt.-Col. Sir J. A. (Midlothian) | Roberts, Sir S. (Sheffield, Ecclesall) |
| Burdon, Colonel Rowland | Hopkins, John W. W. | Rodger, A. K. |
| Burn, Col. C. B. (Devon, Torquay) | Hopkinson, A. (Lancaster, Mossley) | Roundell, Colonel R. F. |
| Casey. T. W. | Home, Sir R. S. (Glasgow, Hillhead) | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Chamberlain, N. (Birm., Ladywood) | Howard, Major S. G. | Sanders, Colonel Sir Robert Arthur |
| Child, Brigadier-General Sir Hill | Hunter, General Sir A. (Lancaster) | Scott, A. M. (Glasgow, Bridgeton) |
| Coats, Sir Stuart | Hurd, Percy A. | Seely, Major-General Rt. Hon. John |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Hunt, Lieut.-Colonel Gerald B. | Shaw, Hon. Alex. (Kilmarnock) * |
| Colfox, Major Wm. Phillips | James, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Cuthbert | Shaw, William T. (Forfar) |
| Conway, Sir W. Martin | Jones, Sir Evan (Pembroke) | Shortt, Rt. Hon. E. (N'castle-on-T.) |
| Coote, Colin Reith (Isle of Ely) | Joynson-Hicks, Sir William | Simm, M. T. |
| Cowan, D. M. (Scottish Universities) | Kellaway, Rt. Hon Fredk. George | Smithers, Sir Alfred W. |
| Cowan, Sir H. (Aberdeen and Kinc.) | King, Captain Henry Douglas | Sprot, Colonel Sir Alexander |
| Cralk, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Lewis, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Univ., Wales) | Stanley, Major Hon. G. (Preston) |
| Curzon, Captain Viscount | Lloyd, George Butler | Starkey, Captain John Ralph |
| Davidson, J. C. C. (Hemel Hempstead) | Locker-Lampson G. (Wood Green) | Stephenson, Lieut.-Colonel H. K. |
| Dawson, Sir Philip | Locker-Lampson, Com. O. (H'tingd'n) | Stewart, Gershom |
| Dockrell, Sir Maurice | Loseby, Captain C. E. | Strauss, Edward Anthony |
| Doyle, N. Grattan | Macdonald, Rt. Hon. John Murray | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray Fraser |
| Edwards, Major J. (Aberavon) | Mackinder, Sir H. J. (Camlachie) | Sugden, W. H. |
| Elliot, Capt. Walter E. (Lanark) | M'Lean, Lieut.-Col. Charles W. W. | Sutherland, Sir William |
| Erskine, James Malcolm Monteith | McMicking, Major Gilbert | Sykes, Sir Charles (Huddersfield) |
| Falle, Major Sir Bertram Godfray | Macnaghten, Sir Malcolm | Taylor, J. |
| Fell, Sir Arthur | Macnamara, Rt. Hon. Dr. T. J. | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, South) |
| Fisher, Rt. Hon. Herbert A. L. | Macpherson, Rt. Hon. James I. | Thomson, Sir W. Mitchell- (Maryhill) |
| Fiannery, Sir James Forfescue | Malone, Major P. B. (Tottenham, S.) | Thorpe, Captain John Henry |
| Forrest, Walter | Marriott, John Arthur Ransome | Tickler, Thomas George |
| Fraser, Major Sir Keith | Molson, Major John Eisdale | Townley, Maximilian G. |
| Frece, Sir Walter de | Mond, Rt. Hon. Sir Alfred Moritz | Tryon, Major George Clement |
| Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Moore, Major-General Sir Newton J. | Turton, Edmund Russborough |
| Ganzonl, Sir John | Morden, Col. W. Grant | Wallace, J. |
| Gardiner, James | Moreing, Captain Algernon H. | Walters, Rt. Hon. Sir John Tudor |
| Gee, Captain Robert | Morrison-Bell, Major A. C. | Ward, Col. L. (Kingston-upon Hull) |
| George, Rt. Hon. David Lloyd | Munro, Rt. Hon. Robert | Watson, Captain John Bertrand |
| Gibbs, Colonel George Abraham | Murray, Rt. Hon. C. D. (Edinburgh) | White, Col. G. D. (Southport) |
| Williams, C. (Tavistock) | Wolmer, Viscount | Young, Sir Frederick W. (Swindon) |
| Wilson, Capt. A. S. (Holderness) | Wood, Hon. Edward F. L. (Ripon) | |
| Windsor, Viscount | Wood, Sir H. K. (Woolwich, West) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Winterton, Earl | Yate, Colonel Sir Charles Edward | Colonel Leslie Wilson and Mr. |
| Wise, Frederick | Yeo, Sir Alfred William | McCurdy. |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland, Rt. Hon. Francis D. | Hall, F. (York, W.R., Normanton) | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) |
| Addison, Rt. Hon. Dr. Christopher | Henderson, Rt. Hon. A. (Widnes) | Roberts, Frederick O. (W. Bromwich) |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Hirst, G. H. | Robertson, John |
| Barnes, Major H. (Newcastle, E.) | Hodge, Rt. Hon. John | Rose, Frank H. |
| Benn, Captain Wedgwood (Leith) | Holmes, J. Stanley | Royce, William Stapleton |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Irving, Dan | Sexton, James |
| Briant, Frank | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Spoor, 6. G. |
| Cape, Thomas | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Thomas, Rt. Hon. James H. (Derby) |
| Cecil, Rt. Hon. Lord R. (Hitchin) | Kelley, Major Fred (Rotherham) | Thorne, W. (West Ham. Plalstow) |
| dynes, Rt. Hon. John R. | Kiley, James Daniel | Waterson, A. E. |
| Collins, Sir Godfrey (Greenock) | Lyle-Samuel, Alexander | Wedgwood, Colonel Josiah C. |
| Davies, A. (Lancaster, Clitheroe) | Maclean, Rt. Hn. Sir D. (Midlothian) | White, Charles F. (Derby, Western) |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | MacVeagh, Jeremiah | Wignall, James |
| Edwards, C. (Monmouth, Bedwellty) | Mills, John Edmund | Wilson, James (Dudley) |
| Foot, Isaac | Mosley, Oswald | Wintringham, Margaret |
| Galbraith, Samuel | Murray, Hon. A. C. (Aberdeen) | Wood, Major M. M. (Aberdeen, C.) |
| Gillis, William | Murray, Dr. D. (Inverness & Ross) | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| Graham, W. (Edinburgh, Central) | Myers, Thomas | |
| Grundy, T. W. | Rattan, Peter Wilson | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Mr. W. Smith and Mr. Hogge. |