§ Sir BASIL PETOI desire, by leave of the House, to make a very brief explanation in regard to a matter which arose out of an unfortunate mistake in the OFFICIAL REPORT in connection with the proceedings on Wednesday, the 18th May, on the Trade Disputes Bill, when a speech of the hon. Member for the Gorbals Division of Glasgow (Mr. Buchanan) was attributed to me, I only troubled the Committee with some brief remarks, and it was impossible for hon. Members to know that a mistake had occurred. No doubt it will be corrected in some subsequent copy of the OFFICIAL REPORT; but so many hon. Members on this side of the House have asked me for an explanation of views which are somewhat foreign to what are known to be my opinions, and even hon. Members on the other side have been puzzled to find out why I had so suddenly changed entirely the line of argument to which I was addressing myself on the Trade Disputes 1531 Bill, that I have ventured to ask you, Mr. Speaker, to allow me to make this explanation. That part of the speech which appears in Column 1276, which begins:
I rather regret that we are not going to oppose this Amendment,is the speech of the hon. Member for the Gorbals Division.
Mr. THOMASI am sure that the House will accept the statement of the hon. Baronet. I can assure him that there was no difficulty on our part in understanding that it was a clerical error, because we could not possibly associate him with such views as those attributed to him.
§ Mr. BUCHANANI had no intention of raising this matter, because it was quite obvious that a servant of this House had made a mistake, and I make so many mistakes myself that I hate to rub it in to others who do. Consequently, we are only now calling attention to the action of a servant who is already regretting having made the mistake, and who feels it more than anyone else can feel it. The hon. Baronet has nothing to grumble about. He has gained a good speech and I have lost one. I cannot see that the speech has done him any harm in a political sense or in a personal sense. No one regrets it more than I do. My Division trusts me and I trust the electors of my Division. who know my views so very well now that they realise that it was an obvious mistake. With respect to the servant who has made the mistake, I hope he will be forgiven by everybody concerned and that we shall hear nothing more about it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am sure that the House generally will appreciate the care and accuracy with which the Official Reporters perform their duties. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear!"] Considering the nature of the work they have to do, it is not surprising that there should be a very occasional mishap. That is what appears to have happened upon this occasion. I do not know whether I am expected to bestow congratulations or commiseration on the two hon. Members, but whichever it should be, I give it