§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the Proceedings on the Consolidated Fund (No. 1) Bill shall, until concluded, have precedence of all other Orders of the Day and of Notices of Motions at all Sittings for which they are set down."—[Mr. Baldwin.]
Mr. HOGGEThis Motion is one to which the House is accustomed in the last week of the first Session of any Parliament, and while there are not in this case the same grounds for complaint against the Government with regard to the time of the House, as on former occasions, still there are one or two points which are worth while raising again, so as to get some information from the Government 279 In previous Sessions the time of private Members has frequently been taken by the Government for many more days than this Motion proposes to take. On this occasion I think, with the exception of one or two instances, for which the Government were not responsible, when the Chairman of Ways and Means took away the time of private Members, the Government themselves have not taken any of the private Members' time except Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. In previous Sessions this point has been raised. I remember that the Patronage Secretary interested himself in this particular question. The point is as to whether instead of meeting those difficulties by a purely ad hocMotion on the Paper when the occasion arises, the, time has not arrived when a Committee of the House of Commons, composed of some of the older Members, with greater experience of how the business of the House is conducted, should not be formed to try to come to some better arrangement as to the use of Government and private Members' time from Session to Session.
It raises. in addition to the questions which I have touched upon, the allocation of Government Bills to different periods of the Session. For instance, we have now reached Easter, and have not yet had introduced any of the first-class Measures for which the Government are responsible this Session. That probably means that after Whitsuntide we shall be run again into late nights. I always think that the Government meet too late in the year to cover their business before the end of March. There is, of course, a point as to whether we meet too late in the day, but that is a separate question from the allocation of business. We usually find that up to the 31st March the Government have got to surrender what amounts to two days every week, and there is considerable pressure to get through Government business by that time. The
§ Patronage Secretary might consider now whether the private Members' time on two days of the week should not be put between Easter and Whitsuntide, instead of between the beginning of the Session and the end of March. Then there is the question of the Recess and the various holidays in which Members are interested. Previous Prime Ministers and previous Leaders of the House have taken part in those discussions, particularly with regard to Recesses. What I want to ask is this, whether a scheme for the better allocation of time—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot discuss that matter under this Motion. The general form does not arise here.
§ Mr. SPEAKERHon. Members must not remain standing in the Gangway.
Mr. HOGGEThis Motion is taking away private Members' time. I was suggesting that the way out of that difficulty was not by attacking the Standing Orders, but by setting up a Committee of the House. It is time we went into the matter to see if Government business could not be allocated in such a way as to make such Motions as this unnecessary. I should like to know if we may expect anything being done.
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Baldwin)The matter raised by my hon. Friend has been engaging the attention of the Patronage Secretary and he and T have had some discussions on it. We arc giving it our full consideration.
§
Question put,
That the Proceedings on the Consolidated Fund (No. 1) Bill shall, until concluded, have precedence of all other Orders of the Day and of Notices of Motions at all Sittings for which they are set down.
§ The House divided: Ayes, 249; Noes, 151.
283| Division No. 67.] | AYES. | [4.39 p.m. |
| Agg-Gardner, Sir James Tynte | Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Berry, Sir George |
| Ainsworth, Captain Charles | Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Betterton, Henry B. |
| Alexander, E. E. (Leyton, East) | Banbury, Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick G. | Blades, Sir George Rowland |
| Apsley, Lord | Banner, Sir John S. Harmood. | Blundell. F. N. |
| Archer-Shee, Lieut.-Colonel Martin | Barnett, Major Richard W. | Bowyer, Capt. G. E. W. |
| Ashley, Lt. Col. Wilfrid W. | Barnston, Major Harry | Boyd-Carpenter, Major A. |
| Astbury, Lieut.-Com. Frederick W. | Barrie, Sir Charles Coupar (Banff) | Brass, Captain W. |
| Astor, J. J. (Kent, Dover) | Bellairs, Commander Carlyon W | Brassey, Sir Leonard |
| Astor, Viscountess | Bennett, Sir T. J. (Sevenoaks) | Bridgeman, Rt. Hon. William Clive |
| Balrd, Rt. Hon. Sir John Lawrence | Bentinck, Lord Henry Cavendish- | Briggs, Harold |
| Brown, Major D. C. (Hexham) | Hawke, John Anthony | Pownall, Lieut.-Colonel Assheton |
| Brown, Brig.-Gen. Clifton (Newbury) | Hay, Major T. W. (Norfolk, South) | Pretyman, Rt. Hon. Ernest G. |
| Brown, J. W. (Middlesbrough, E.) | Hennessy, Major J. R. G. | Privett, F. J. |
| Bruford, R. | Herbert, Col. Hon. A. (Yeovil) | Raine, W. |
| Bruton, Sir James | Herbert, Dennis (Hertford, Watford) | Rankin, Captain James Stuart |
| Buckingham, Sir H. | Herbert, S. (Scarborough) | Rawlinson, Rt. Hon. John Fredk. Peel |
| Buckley, Lieut.-Colonel A. | Hiley, Sir Ernest | Rawson, Lieut.-Com. A. C. |
| Burn, Colonel Sir Charles Rosdew | Hoare, Lieut.-Colonel Sir S. J. G. | Rees, Sir Beddoe |
| Burney, Com. (Middx., Uxbridge) | Hogg, Rt. Hon. Sir D. (St. Marylebone) | Reid, Capt. A. S. C. (Warrington) |
| Butcher, Sir John George | Hohier, Gerald Fitzroy | Reid, D. D. (County Down) |
| Butler, H. M. (Leeds, North) | Holbrook, Sir Arthur Richard | Remnant, Sir James |
| Butt, Sir Alfred | Hood, Sir Joseph | Rentoul, G. S. |
| Cadogan, Major Edward | Hopkins, John W. W. | Reynolds, W. G. W. |
| Campion, Lieut.-Colonel W. R. | Hopkinson, A. (Lancaster, Mossley) | Richardson, Sir Alex. (Gravesend) |
| Cautley, Henry Strother | Houfton, John Plowright | Richardson, Lt.-Col. Sir P. (Chertsey) |
| Cecil, Rt. Hon. Sir Evelyn (Aston) | Howard, Capt. D. (Cumberland, N.) | Roberts, Rt. Hon. Sir s.(Ecclesall) |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Ladywood) | Howard-Bury, Lieut.-Col. C. K. | Robertson, J. D. (Islington, W.) |
| Clarry, Reginald George | Hudson, Capt. A. | Robinson, Sir T. (Lanes., Stretford) |
| Clayton, G. C. | Hughes, Collingwood | Roundell, Colonel R. F. |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Hume, G. H. | Ruggles-Brise, Major E. |
| Cockerill, Brigadier-General G. K. | Hunter-Weston, Lt.-Gen. Sir Aylmer | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) |
| Cohen, Major J. Brunel | Hurst, Lt.-Col. Gerald Berkeley | Russell, William (Bolton) |
| Colfox, Major Wm. Phillips | Hutchison, G. A. C. (Midlothian, N.) | Russell-Wells, Sir Sydney |
| Colvin, Brig-General Richard Beale | James, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Cuthbert | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Conway, Sir W. Martin | Jarrett, G. W. S. | Sanders, Rt. Hon. Sir Robert A. |
| Cope, Major William | Jodrell, Sir Neville Paul | Sanderson, Sir Frank B. |
| Cory, Sir J. H. (Cardiff, South) | Joynson-Hicks, Sir William | Sandon, Lord |
| Cot[...]s, Sir William Dingwall Mitchell | Kelley, Major Fred (Rotherham) | Sassoon, Sir Philip Albert Gustave D. |
| Courthope, Lieut.-Col. George L. | Kennedy, Captain M. S. Nigel | Sheffield, Sir Berkeley |
| Craig, Capt. C. C. (Antrim, South) | King, Capt. Henry Douglas | Shepperson, E. W. |
| Craik, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Kinloch-Cooke, Sir Clement | Shipwright, Captain D. |
| Croft, Lieut.-Colonel Henry Page | Lamb, J. Q. | Simpson-Hinchcliffe, W. A. |
| Crook, C. w. (East Ham, North) | Lane-Fox, Lieut.-Colonel G. R. | Singleton, J. E. |
| Curzon, Captain Viscount | Leigh, Sir John (Clapham) | Skelton, A. N. |
| Davidson, J. C. C. (Hemel Hempstead) | Lloyd, Cyril E. (Dudley) | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) |
| Davies, Thomas (Cirencester) | Lloyd-Greame, Rt. Hon, Sir Philip | Somerville, Daniel (Barrow-in-Furness) |
| Davison, Sir W. H. (Kensington, S.) | Locker-Lampson, G. (Wood Green) | Sparkes, H. W. |
| Dawson, Sir Philip | Lorden, John William | Spears, Brig.-Gen. E. L. |
| Dixon, C. H, (Rutland) | Lorimer, H. D. | Stanley, Lord |
| Doyle, N. Grattan | Lougher, L. | Steel, Major S. Strang |
| Edmondson, Major A. J. | Lowe, Sir Francis William | Stewart, Gershom (Wirral) |
| Ednam, Viscount | Macnamara, Rt. Hon. Dr. T. J. | Stockton, Sir Edwin Forsyth |
| Elliot. Capt. Walter E. (Lanark) | McNeill, Ronald (Kent. Canterbury) | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- |
| Ellis, R. G. | Malone, Major P. B. (Tottenham, S.) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray Fraser |
| England, Lieut.-Colonel A. | Margesson, H. D. R. | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid H. |
| Erskine, Lord (Weston-super-Mare) | Mason, Lieut.-Col. C. K. | Sykes, Major-Gen. Sir Frederick H. |
| Erskine-Boist, Captain C. | Mercer, Colonel H. | Terrell, Captain R. (Oxford, Henley) |
| Eyres-Monsell, Com. Bolton M. | Mitchell, W. F. (Saffron Walden) | Thompson, Luke (Sunderland) |
| Falle, Major Sir Bertram Godfray | Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Thomson, F. C. (Aberdeen, South) |
| Fawkes, Major F. H. | Molloy, Major L. G. S. | Titchlield, Marquess of |
| Fermor-Hesketh, Major T. | Molson, Major John Elsdale | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Flanagan, W. H. | Moore, Major-General Sir Newton J. | Vaughan-Morgan, Col. K. P. |
| Foxcroft, Captain Charles Talbot | Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | Ward, Col. L. (Kingston-upon-Hull) |
| Frece, Sir Walter de | Morrison, Hugh (Wilts, Salisbury) | Warner, Sir T. Courtenay T. |
| Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Morrison-Bell, Major A. C. ( Honiton) | Watts, Dr. T. (Man., Withington) |
| Furness, G. J. | Murchison, C. K. | Wells, S. R. |
| Ganzoni, Sir John | Nail, Major Joseph | Weston, Colonel John Wakefield |
| Garland, C. S. | Nesbitt, Robert C. | Wheler, Col. Granville C. H. |
| Gates, Percy | Newman, Colonel J. R. P. (Finchley) | White. Col. G. D. (Southport) |
| Gaunt, Rear-Admiral Sir Guy R. | Newman, Sir R. H. S. D. L. (Exeter) | Whitla, Sir William |
| Goff, Sir R. Park | Newson, Sir Percy Wilson | Wilson, Col. M. J. (Richmond) |
| Gould, James C. | Newton, Sir D. G. C. (Cambridge) | Winterton, Earl |
| Gray, Harold (Cambridge) | Nicholson, Brig.-Gen. J. (Westminster) | Wise, Frederick |
| Greene, Lt.-Col- Sir W. (Hack'y, N.) | Nicholson, William G. (Petersfield) | Wolmer, Viscount |
| Greenwood, William (Stockport) | Norton-Griffiths, Lieut.-Col. Sir John | Wood, Rt. Hon. Edward F. L. (Ripon) |
| Guinness, Lieut.-Col. Hon. W. E. | Ormsby-Gore, Hon. William | Wood, Sir H. K. (Woolwich, West) |
| Gwynne, Rupert S. | Paget, T. G. | Wood, Major Sir S. Hill- (High Peak) |
| Hacking, Captain Douglas H. | Parker, Owen (Kettering) | Woodcock, Colonel H. C. |
| Halstead, Major D. | Penny, Frederick George | Worthington-Evans, Rt. Hon. Sir L. |
| Hamilton, Sir George C. (Altrincham) | Perkins, Colonel E. K. | Yate, Colonel Sir Charles Edward |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Perring, William George | Yerburgh, R. D. T. |
| Harmsworth, Hon. E. C. (Kent) | Peto, Basil E. | |
| Harrison, F. C. | Pielou, D. P. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Harvey, Major S. E. | Pilditch, Sir Philip | Colonel Leslie Wilson and Colonel Gibbs. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams D. | Batey, Joseph | Broad, F. A. |
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. William | Benn, Captain Wedgwood (Leith) | Brotherton, J. |
| Alexandor, A. V. (Sheffield, Hillsbro') | Bennett, A. J. (Mansfield) | Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) |
| Ammon, Charles George | Bonwick, A. | Buckle, J. |
| Attlee, C. R. | Bowdier. W. A. | Burgess, S. |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Burnie, Major J. (Bootle) |
| Barnes, A. | Briant, Frank | Buxton, Charles (Accrington) |
| Buxton, Noel (Norfolk, North) | John, William (Rhondda, West) | Rose, Frank H. |
| Chapple, W. A. | Johnston, Thomas (Stirling) | Saklatvala, S. |
| Clarke, Sir E. C. | Johnstone, Harcourt (Willesden, East) | Salter, Dr. A. |
| Clynes, Rt. Hon. John R. | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Sexton, James |
| Collison, Levi | Jowett, F. W. (Bradford, East) | Shaw, Hon. Alex. (Kilmarnock) |
| Cowan, D. M. (Scottish Universities) | Kenworthy, Lieut.-Commander J. M. | Shinwell, Emanuel |
| Davies, Evan (Ebbw Vale) | Lambert, Rt. Hon. George | Short, Alfred (Wednesbury) |
| Dudgeon, Major C. R. | Lansbury, George | Simpson, J. Hope |
| Duffy, T. Gavan | Lawson, John James | Sinclair, Sir A. |
| Dunnico, H. | Leach, W. | Sitch, Charles H. |
| Ede. James Chuter | Lee, F. | Smith, T, (Pontefract) |
| Edmonds, G. | Lees-Smith, H. B. (Keighley) | Snell, Harry |
| Edwards, C. (Monmouth, Bedwe[...]lty) | Linfield, F. C. | Snowden, Philip |
| Emlyn-Jones, J. E. (Dorset, N.) | Lowth, T. | Stephen, Campbell |
| Evans. Capt. H. Arthur (Leicester, E.) | Lunn, William | Stewart, J. (St. Rollox) |
| Evans, Ernest (Cardigan) | MacDonald, J. R. (Aberavon) | Sturrock, J. Leng |
| Fairbairn, R. R. | M'Entee, V. L. | Sullivan, J. |
| Falconer, J. | McLaren, Andrew | Thomas, Rt. Hon. James H. (Derby) |
| Foot, Isaac | Macpherson, Rt. Hon. James I. | Thorne, G. R. (Wolverhampton, E.) |
| George, Major G. L. (Pembroke) | March, S. | Thorne, W. (West Ham, Plaistow) |
| Gosling, Harry | Maxton, James | Thornton, M. |
| Graham, W. (Edinburgh, Central) | Middleton, G. | Trevelyan, C. P. |
| Gray, Frank (Oxford) | Millar, J. D. | Turner, Ben |
| Greenall, T. | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) | Wallhead, Richard C. |
| Greenwood, A. (Nelson and Colne) | Mosley, Oswald | Warne, G. H. |
| Grenfell, D. R. (Glamorgan) | Muir, John W. | Watson, W. M. (Dunfermline) |
| Groves, T. | Murnin, H. | Watts-Morgan, Lt.-Col. D. (Rhondda) |
| Grundy, T. W. | Murray, Hon. A. C. (Aberdeen) | Webb, Sidney |
| Guest, J. (York, Hemsworth) | Murray, John (Leeds, West) | Wedgwood, Colonel Josiah C. |
| Guthrie, Thomas Maule | Murray, R. (Renfrew, Western) | Weir, L. M. |
| Hall, F. (York, W. R., Normanton) | Nichol, Robert | Welsh, J. C. |
| Hall, G. H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Oliver, George Harold | Westwood J. |
| Hamilton, Sir R. (Orkney & Shetland) | Parkinson, John Allen (Wigan) | Whiteley, W. |
| Hardie, George D. | Parry, Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Henry | Williams, David (Swansea, E.) |
| Hay, Captain J. P. (Cathcart) | Pattinson, S. (Horncastle) | Williams, Dr. J. H. (Llanelly) |
| Hayday, Arthur | Philipson, H. H. | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Hayes, John Henry (Edge Hill) | Ponsonby, Arthur | Wilson, C. H. (Sheffield, Attercliffe) |
| Henderson, Rt. Hon. A. (N'castle, E.) | Potts, John S. | Wilson, R. J. (Jarrow) |
| Herriotts, J. | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Wright, W. |
| Hill, A. | Riley. Ben | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| Hodge, Rt. Hon. John | Ritson, J. | |
| Hodge, Lieut.-Col. J. P. (Preston) | Roberts, C. H. (Derby) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Hogge, James Myles | Roberts, Frederick O. (W. Bromwich) | Major McKenzie and Sir A. Marshall. |
| Irving, Dan | Robertson, J. (Lanark, Bothwell) | |
| Jenkins, W. (Glamorgan, Neath) | Robinson, W. C. (York, Elland) |
Bill read a Second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House for To-morrow.