§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)I beg to move,
That this House do now adjourn until Tuesday, 12th February.As the result of the vote which took place in this House last night, the Government have tendered their resignation to the King, and His Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept it. [An HON. MEMBER "Thank God for that!" I Members of the Government will retain their Seals until the new appointments have been made, and it only remains for me to tell the House that the date was arrived at to suit the convenience of the incoming Minister. May I remind the House of two points, that the date chosen will leave ample time for business, owing to the lateness of Easter and the early date at which we assembled, and that particulars as to the method by which Parliament can be summoned in a time of Adjournment were given by me yesterday in answer to a Private Notice question.
§ Mr. LEIF JONESMay I ask a question I wished to put just now, as to what possibility there is of any business being carried on in the House on Tuesday evening, 12th February, and Wednesday evening, 13th February, as we cannot ballot for Motions on those days. I understand the Clerks at the Table are refusing to receive Motions. Will there be any business done on those evenings; and, if not, how will it be made up to private Members who are deprived of the few opportunities they have of bringing matters before the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWednesday evening will be available to private Members in the Ballot taken on the preceding day. On Tuesday, the 12th, there is no opening for Motions.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINOn the point of Order. Am I wrong in supposing that if I had a Motion for Tuesday evening on which the House reassembles on the Paper, there having been no ballot, my Motion would come on?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the right hon. Gentleman is mistaken. Under Standing Order 7, notice cannot be given within a certain limit of time from the day on 704 which it becomes operative. That is on purpose to prevent hon. Members from forestalling the Ballot.
§ Mr. JONESAre we to understand that there will be no business in the House at 8.15 on the Tuesday evening, or will the Government take that day, which has hitherto been reserved for private Members?
§ Mr. PERCY HARRISI wish to suggest that the period asked for is a very long interval for the House to adjourn. There is a very serious dispute affecting the whole country, and all parties have a very great responsibility to their constituents. We cannot shift that responsibility on to any Government, and it seems to me three weeks is a very long interval. We have now, been elected two months, and we have done no practical work in carrying out our duties as Members of Parliament—the practical work of legislation and administration. We have had a lot of talk, which could have been finished in two days, but we have not carried out any of the duties for which we are individually responsible to our constituents. We are not going to indulge in any factious criticism of the new Government when it is formed. The new Prime Minister should get to work as quickly as possible, and it should not be beyond the wit of man to advise an administration in, at any rate, 14 days. I think it would make a favourable impression on the country if we did our duty by reassembling after a shorter adjournment than three weeks. We have had a King's Speech which, I understand, is going to be put into practical form. If we are going to carry it out the sooner we get to work the better. I put it to the present Leader of the Opposition, that he would be well advised if, instead of asking for three weeks to perform his arduous task, the House should meet not later than in a fortnight's time.
§ Mr. JONESI wish to ask a very simple question, to which we are entitled to receive an answer. I want to know whether there will be any business done in the House at 8.15 on the Tuesday evening. That evening is reserved by the Standing Orders for Private Members, and I want to know whether the Government can take it without the authority of a vote of the House.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the right hon. Gentleman must leave me to deal with that question when we come, to the day referred to. I am not prepared to give an answer further than I have already given.
Lieut. - Colonel Sir J. NORTONGRIFFITHSI beg to give notice that, on 12th February, I will move "That this House is of the opinion that active steps should be taken to develop trade within the Empire."
§ Mr. SPEAKER-I think the hon. and gallant Gentleman did not hear the ruling which I gave, based on Standing Order No. 7, in reply to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Birmingham (Mr. A. Chamberlain).
§ Mr. PRINGLEI rise to oppose the Motion which has just been made by the ex-Prime Minister. I am indeed relieved to find that hon. Members opposite, spite of their vaticinations of yesterday, are prepared for three weeks to leave the country to the tender mercies of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Aberavon (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald). [HON. MEMBER: "The hon. Member for Aberavon."] The right hon. Gentleman has been sworn to the Privy Council this morning, and I wish to be the first to felicitate him on that honour. I was pointing out that hon. Members opposite are showing how little credence we can give to their vaticinations of yesterday, because they are leaving the country for three weeks to the tender mercies of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Aberavon and his colleagues. That was not my only object in rising. I had a more practical object in view, in order to get over the difficulty which has been raised by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Leith (Captain W. Benn) and my right hon. Friend on the Front Bench, that is, to move as, an Amendment to the Adjournment Motion, to add the words, "but before adjourning this day, a Ballot. be taken for notices of Motions for 12th February."
§ Mr. SPEAKERI could not accept that Amendment.. It is fixed by the Standing Orders of the House, and any Motion to suspend the Standing Orders of the House must be on the Paper.
§ Mr. PRINGLEIt brings the proceedings into harmony with the Standing 706 Orders. In the first place, the Motion proposed from the other side makes provision for the Adjournment. The Standing Order says:
Having regard to any intervening adjournment.Surely, in these circumstances, I can press my Amendment, and you, Sir, can accept such an Amendment, which enables private Members of this House to safeguard their rights consistently with the Standing Orders. As it is put at the end, it obviously accepts the point made in the Standing Orders with regard to the intervening Adjournment. If my Amendment were moved before any reference to the Adjournment, I agree that it would conflict with the Standing Orders, but as it is made after the. House has virtually decided upon the Adjournment, it is in harmony with the spirit of the Standing Orders.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have ruled that it is not. In a case like this I must comply strictly with the Standing Orders.
§ Mr. PRINGLEIf I propose an Amendment to insert in the Motion, "That this House, at its rising to-day, adjourn until the 12th February," provision could then he made for the Ballot to be taken after that Motion had been accepted. I very respectfully submit that this is a common form of Motion in relation to adjournments of this House made by right lion. Members opposite on the occasion of the Easter and Whitsuntide adjournments. They constantly use it. Consequently, there would be an opportunity after the Adjournment Motion was carried-for the Ballot to be taken. I submit that, to meet a situation which was not contemplated when the Standing Orders when framed, we should take the line which I suggest.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt cannot be done by an Amendment of this Question. There must be no Amendment of the Question. The Motion is "That the House do now adjourn until Tuesday, 12th February." I understand that the hon. and learned Member wishes to substitute the words "at its rising this day."
§ Mr. PRINGLEI wish to leave out the word "now" and to insert instead thereof the words "at its rising this day."
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member will notice that the only business on the 707 Paper is Supply and Ways and Means, and those orders are not effective. Therefore, nothing can he done with regard to them. The hon. Member's suggested Amendment does not make any difference whatsoever. Therefore, I must rule that it is not an Amendment.
§ Mr. PRINGLEWould I and other hon. Members be in order in discussing the subsequent Motion, "That the House do adjourn"?
§ Mr. SPEAKERAny question can now be discussed on the Motion.
§ Captain WEDGWOOD BENNThis question whether it should be "at its rising this day," with a subsequent Motion that the House do now adjourn, has frequently been the subject of rulings by you, Mr. Speaker. I suggest that on this occasion we should adopt a procedure which would safeguard what is a very valuable right of private Members, namely, the right to ballot for the introduction of a private Motion.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI cannot take a Motion which would have no effect.
§ Sir J. NORTON-GRIFFITHSIs it not a fact that the 12th February is the first day under Standing Order 7, if due allowance be made for the Adjournment?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe House has not yet adjourned. The Question is—
§ Captain BERKELEYrose,—
Mr. DOYLEOn a point of Order. Is the hon. Member entitled to address the Chair after the Question has been put, except he be seated and wearing his hat?