§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINMay I ask the Prime Minister what business he proposes to take to-night under the Motion which stands in his name, and whether you, Mr. Speaker, would be good enough to divide the Motion which stands in the name of the Prime Minister, if he moves it, so that we may treat separately the Government Business and the Private Business put down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith regard to the business, the first part of the Motion provides for the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule for Government Business and for the two Private Bills set down for consideration at Half-past Seven by order of the Chairman of Ways and Means. The Motion also provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 8, as regards the second of these two Bills, namely, the London Electric, Metropolitan District, Central London, and City and South London Railway Companies Bill, may be considered, even if it be not under consideration at Half-past Nine. As regards Government Business, we hope to get the programme which I announced last Thursday, namely, the Second Reading of the Mental Treatment Bill [Lords], with the Money Resolution, the Second Reading of the Railways (Valuation for Rating) Bill, and further stages of the Poor Law Bill [Lords].
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI presume that the Prime Minister does not propose to take those Measures after eleven o'clock if the Private Business is not finished by that hour?
§ The PRIME MINISTEROh, yes; I am afraid we must. The inclusion of Private Business has rather upset this week's programme. I am very sorry, but I hope it will not be necessary to sit very late.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIn view of the constant use of the Motion for the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule, would the Prime Minister consider referring to the Committee which has been appointed the question whether we should not go back to twelve o'clock as the hour of adjournment, instead of eleven o'clock?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThis business is very pressing, and there is a great amount of arrears. The business that we want specially to take is the Second Reading of the Railways (Valuation for Rating) Bill, and the administrative necessity for that Bill compels us to ask the House to take it to-night.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI put it to the Prime Minister that it is because he is taking other business which is not urgent, to the exclusion of business which is urgent, that at the last moment he is obliged to ask the House to sit after eleven o'clock to do that urgent business.
§ Mr. ERNEST BROWNIs the Prime Minister aware that the Railways (Valuation for Rating) Bill is a very difficult and technical Measure, and that hon. Members only received it on Thursday? It consists of an enlargement of some 11 Clauses of a Bill which was dropped as long ago as 1925. How can that possibly be urgent?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI understand that the Bill is made necessary on account of revaluation arising out of legislation passed in the last Parliament, and that, unless it is carried by a certain date—I cannot charge my memory with the exact date, but we are very close upon it—tremendous inconvenience of an administrative and legal character will arise.
§ Mr. BROWNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a good deal of feeling about the Railways (Valuation for Rating) Bill, as regards the treatment given to railway docks as compared with independent docks, and that that question may require a good deal of discussion?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs I understand it, that is not a new point, and it is very largely a Committee point. Indeed, I am informed that one or two of these broader points which are susceptible of discussion are technical points which would be much better discussed 933 in Committee upstairs than on the Floor of the House on Second Reading. That is the advice that I have received from those in charge of the Bill.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIn accordance with the suggestion which has been made, I will divide the Motion into two.
§
Motion made, and Question put:
That the Proceedings on Government Business be exempted, at this day's Sitting, from the Provisions of the Standing Order (Sittings of the House)."—[The Prime Minister.]
§ The House divided: Ayes, 204; Noes, 105.
935| Division No. 166.] | AYES. | [3.55 p.m. |
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. W. (Fife, West) | Hartshorn, Rt. Hon. Vernon | Pailng, Wilfrid |
| Adamson, W. M. (Staff., Cannock) | Hastings, Dr. Somerville | Palmer, E. T. |
| Addison, Rt. Hon. Dr. Christopher | Haycock, A. W. | Parkinson, John Allen (Wigan) |
| Aitchison, Rt. Hon. Craigle M. | Hayes, John Henry | Perry, S. F. |
| Alexander, Rt. Hon. A. V. (Hillsbro') | Henderson, Right Hon. A. (Burnley) | Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. |
| Alpass, J. H. | Henderson, W. w. (Middx., Enfield) | Phillips, Dr. Marion |
| Ammon, Charles George | Herriotts, J. | Picton-Turbervill, Edith |
| Arnott, John | Hoffman, P. C. | Pole, Major D. G. |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Hopkin, Daniel | Potts, John S. |
| Ayles, Walter | Horrabin, J. F. | Price, M. P. |
| Baker, John (Wolverhampton, Bilston) | Hutchison, Maj.-Gen. Sir R. | Pybus, Percy John |
| Baldwin, Oliver (Dudley) | Isaacs, George | Quibell, D. J. K. |
| Barnes, Alfred John | Johnston, Thomas | Ramsay, T. B. Wilson |
| Bellamy, Albert | Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Rathbone, Eleanor |
| Benn, Rt. Hon. Wedgwood | Jones, Rt. Hon. Leif (Camborne) | Raynes, W. R. |
| Bennett, William (Battersea, South) | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) |
| Benson, G. | Jones, T. I. Mardy (Pontypridd) | Riley, F. F. (Stockton-on-Tees) |
| Bentham, Dr. Ethel | Jowett, Rt. Hon. F. W. | Romeril, H. G. |
| Bowen, J. W. | Jowitt, Rt. Hon. Sir W. A. | Rosbotham, D. S. T. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Kelly, W. T. | Russell, Richard John (Eddisbury) |
| Broad, Francis Alfred | Kennedy, Thomas | Salter, Dr. Alfred |
| Brockway, A. Fenner | Kinley, J. | Samuel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. (Darwen) |
| Brooke, W. | Lambert, Rt. Hon. George (S. Molton) | Sanders, W. S. |
| Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Lang, Gordon | Sandham, E. |
| Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) | Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George | Sawyer, G. F. |
| Buxton, C. R. (Yorks. W. R. Elland) | Lathan, G. | Scurr, John |
| Buxton, Rt. Hon. Noel (Norfolk, N.) | Law, A. (Rossendale) | Shakespeare, Geoffrey H. |
| Caine, Derwent Hall. | Lawrence, Susan | Shaw, Rt. Hon. Thomas (Preston) |
| Carter, W. (St. Pancras, S. W.) | Lawson, John James | Shepherd, Arthur Lewis |
| Charleton, H. C. | Leach, W. | Shillaker, J. F. |
| Chater, Daniel | Lee, Jennie (Lanark, Northern) | Shinwell, E. |
| Church, Major A. G. | Lewis, T. (Southampton) | Short, Alfred (Wednesbury) |
| Cluse, W. S. | Lloyd, C. Ellis | Sinclair, Sir A. (Caithness) |
| Clynes, Rt. Hon. John R. | Logan, David Gilbert | Sitch, Charles H. |
| Compton, Joseph | Longbottom, A. W. | Smith, Alfred (Sunderland) |
| Cove, William G. | Lowth, Thomas | Smith, Ben (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe) |
| Daggar, George | Lunn, William | Smith, Frank (Nuneaton) |
| Dallas, George | Macdonald, Gordon (Ince) | Smith, H. B. Lees (Keighley) |
| Dalton, Hugh | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Seaham) | Smith, Rennie (Penistone) |
| Denman, Hon. R. D. | MacDonald, Malcolm (Bassetlaw) | Smith, Tom (Pontefract) |
| Devlin, Joseph | McElwee, A. | Smith, W. R. (Norwich) |
| Dickson, T. | McEntee, V. L. | Snowden, Rt. Hon. Philip |
| Dukes, C. | MacNeill-Weir, L. | Sorensen, R. |
| Duncan, Charles | Macpherson, Rt. Hon. James I. | Stephen, Campbell |
| Ede, James Chuter | McShane, John James | Strachey, E. J. St. Loe |
| Edmunds, J. E. | Malone, C. L'Estrange (N'thampton) | Strauss, G. R. |
| Edwards, E. (Morpeth) | March, S. | Taylor, R. A. (Lincoln) |
| Egan, W. H. | Markham, S. F. | Taylor, W. B. (Norfolk, S. W.) |
| Elmley, Viscount | Marley, J. | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Gardner, B. W. (West Ham, Upton) | Marshall, Fred | Thurtle, Ernest |
| George, Major G. Lloyd (Pembroke) | Mathers, George | Tinker, John Joseph |
| George, Megan Lloyd (Anglesea) | Matters, L. W. | Trevelyan, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles |
| Gibbins, Joseph | Melville, Sir James | Vaughan, D. J. |
| Gill, T. H. | Messer, Fred | Viant, S. P. |
| Gillett, George M. | Millar, J. D. | Wallace, H. W. |
| Glassey, A. E. | Mills, J. E. | Wellhead, Richard C. |
| Gossling, A. G. | Montague, Frederick | Watkins, F. C. |
| Gould, F. | Morgan, Dr. H. B. | Wellock, Wilfred |
| Granville, E. | Morley, Ralph | West, F. R. |
| Gray, Milner | Morris-Jones, Dr. J. H. (Denbigh) | Westwood, Joseph |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hon. A. (Colne). | Morrison, Herbert (Hackney, South) | Wilkinson, Ellen C. |
| Grenfell, D. R. (Glamorgan) | Morrison, Robert C. (Tottenham, N.) | Williams, Dr. J. H. (Llanelly) |
| Groves, Thomas E. | Mort, D. L. | Wilson, C. H. (Sheffield, Attercliffe) |
| Hall, G. H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Mosley, Sir Oswald (Smethwick) | Winterton, G. E.(Leicester, Loughb'gh) |
| Hall, Capt. W. P. (Portsmouth, C.) | Nathan, Major H. L. | Wise, E. F. |
| Hamilton, Mary Agnes (Blackburn) | Naylor, T. E. | Wright, W. (Rutherglen) |
| Hamilton, Sir R. (Orkney & Zetland) | Noel Baker, P. J. | |
| Hardie, George D. | Oldfield. J. R. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Harris, Percy A. | Owen, H. F. (Hereford) | Mr. Charles Edwards and Mr. Whiteley. |
| NOES. | ||
| Allen, w. E. D. (Belfast, W.) | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Ganzoni, Sir John | Pownall, Sir Assheton |
| Ashley, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Wilfrid W. | Gower, Sir Robert | Remer. John R. |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Grattan-Doyle, Sir N. | Rentoul, Sir Gervals S. |
| Atkinson, C. | Guinness, Rt. Hon. Walter E. | Reynolds, Col. Sir James |
| Baillie-Hamilton, Hon. Charles W. | Gunston, Captain D. W. | Rodd, Rt. Hon. Sir James Rennell |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley (Bewdley) | Hacking, Rt. Hon. Douglas H. | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) |
| Beamish, Rear-Admiral T. P. H. | Hamilton, Sir George (llford) | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Beaumont, M. W. | Hammersley, S. S. | Sandeman, Sir N. Stewart |
| Bellairs, Commander Carlyon | Hannon. Patrick Joseph Henry | Simms, Dr. John M. (Co. Down) |
| Berry, Sir George | Hartington, Marquess of | Skelton, A. N. |
| Bourne, Captain Robert Croft. | Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. | Smith, R. W. (Aberdn & Kinc'dine, C.) |
| Bowater, Col. Sir T. Vansittart | Horne, Rt. Hon. Sir Robert S. | Smithers, Waldron |
| Bowyer, Captain Sir George E. W. | Howard-Bury, Colonel C. K. | Somerville, A. A (Windsor) |
| Bracken, B. | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Somerville, D. G. (Willesden, East) |
| Braithwaite, Major A. N. | Hurd, Percy A. | Southby, Commander A. R. J. |
| Brown, Brig.-Gen. H. C. (Berks, Newb'y) | James, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Cuthbert | Steel-Maitland, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur |
| Burton, Colonel H. W. | King, Commodore Rt. Hon. Henry D. | Sueter, Rear-Admiral M. F. |
| Butler, R. A. | Knox, Sir Alfred | Todd, Capt. A. J. |
| Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward | Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Turton, Robert Hugh |
| Cayzer, Sir C. (Chester, City) | Lewis, Oswald (Colchester) | Vaughan-Morgan, Sir Kenyon |
| Cazalet, Captain Victor A. | Locker- Lampson, Rt. Hon. Godfrey | Wallace, Capt. D. E. (Hornsey) |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. Sir J. A. (Birm., W.) | Long, Major Eric | Ward, Lieut.-Col. Sir A. Lambert |
| Colville. Major D. J. | Macquisten, F. A. | Wardlaw-Milne, J. S. |
| Courthope, Colonel Sir G. L. | Margesson, Captain H. D. | Warrender, Sir Victor |
| Crookshank, Capt. H. C. | Marjoribanks, E. C. | Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) |
| Dairymple-White, Lt.-Col. Sir Godfrey | Merriman, Sir F. Boyd | Windsor-Cilve, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Davies, Dr. Vernon | Monsell, Eyres, Com. Rt. Hon. Sir B. | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Moore, Sir Newton J. (Richmond) | Wolmer, Rt. Hon. Viscount |
| Davison, Sir W. H. (Kensington, S.) | Moore, Lieut.-Colonel T. C. R. (Ayr) | Womersley, W. J. |
| Duckworth, G. A. V. | Morrison-Bell, Sir Arthur Clive | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir Kingsley |
| Eden, Captain Anthony | Newton, Sir D. G. C. (Cambridge) | Worthington-Evans, Rt. Hon. Sir L. |
| Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s.-M.) | Nield, Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton. |
| Falle, Sir Bertram G. | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. William | |
| Ferguson, Sir John | Penny, Sir George | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Frece, Sir Walter de | Percy, Lord Eustace (Hastings) | Major Sir George Hennessy and Sir Frederick Thomson. |
§
Ordered:
That the Proceedings on any Private Business set down for consideration at half-past Seven of the clock this evening, by direction of the Chairman of "Ways and Means, be exempted from the Provisions of the Standing Order (Sittings of the House), and, notwithstanding anything in Standing Order No. 8, any such Private Business may be taken after half-past Nine of the clock."—[Mr. Clynes.]