§ Notice taken of the Report of the SERJEANT-AT-ARMS to Mr. SPEAKKE, dated the 2nd July, and communicated to the Mouse by Mr. SPEAKER on the 3rd July, referring to the conduct of certain Members of the House.
§ Mr. MAXTONI rise to ask your permission, Mr. Speaker, and the indulgence of the House, in order to make a personal statement. I wish to express my deep regret that during the proceedings in the House on Thursday I allowed myself to be influenced by my feelings and the circumstances of the moment, and to act in a manner which in calm reason I know to be indefensible. I have to apologise to the House for my breach of its Order and to you, Sir, for the difficulties I created for you in the discharge of your duties as the custodian of the liberties of the House, and to those servants of the House with whom I came into conflict when they were carrying out, under orders, a difficult and disagreeable duty. My regret, Sir, is all the deeper as I have been personally indebted to you for much consideration and since I have received at the hands of the messengers concerned unfailing kindness and courtesy.
§ Mr. KINLEYI ask your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, in order that I may associate myself completely and unreservedly with what the hon. Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton) has said.
§ Mr. BUCHANANI rise to concur in what the hon. Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton) has said, and just to add this: In the first place, I am very sorry about the attendants, who come from much the same class of society as myself. I am very sorry about it. Let me add this other word. I sincerely say that I concur in what the hon. Member for Bridgeton said, and I am sure that all three of us are sincere in what we state.
§ Mr. BECKETTI want to associate myself completely and fully with the statement made by the hon. Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton). I would like to add that my own conduct was entirely unpremeditated and was regretted immediately afterwards. Within 10 1734 minutes of the incident concerned, I went personally to the messengers to find out whether there was any truth in the rumour I had heard that one of them was hurt, and to express my very great regret if any of them should have been hurt in any way. I am very glad to say that they responded to my regrets in a most generous spirit. I now have only to ask your permission to express my regret very sincerely to you and to the House.
§ The PRIME MINISTERUnfortunately, I was unable to be here on Friday, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on my behalf, gave notice to the House that I should call attention to the incidents of Thursday. I am sure that the House will be very gratified indeed that apologies have been made. If I may say so, the beautiful, sincere and frank statement made by the hon. Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton) might well be taken as a model. We all know what he must have felt in offering that apology. As regards the hon. Members for Bootle (Mr. Kinley) and for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan), I think it is my duty, and I believe I am carrying out the desires of the House, if I ask the House to allow the matter to remain there. The apology offered by the hon. Member for Peckham (Mr. Beckett) might, I think, have been a little more thorough and whole-hearted, but I feel that perhaps it would be the desire of the House to take that too, and to allow the whole matter to rest where it is.
§ Mr. S. BALDWINI concur with what has fallen from the Prime Minister, and I venture to suggest to him that he move that these proceedings be recorded on the Journals of the House.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI waited to see whether my suggestion received the assent of the House. Then I purposed at once to move that a record of the proceedings be entered on the Journals of the House.
§ Mr. BECKETTI would claim indulgence for one moment longer to say that in my first speech, in expressing myself unreservedly as agreeing with every word said by the hon. Member for Bridgeton 1735 (Mr. Maxton), I made a form of apology which, I admit, was brief, but which, I understood, after consultation, was the right form to make. If there is anything that the Prime Minister can suggest to me that I might add, I would be delighted to add it.
Mr. LLOYD GEORGEMay I associate myself with the Leader of the Opposition in what he said? I think that the Prime Minister has taken the right course, in view of the very complete apology offered by the Members implicated. The right course has been taken, and the sooner this disagreeable incident is forgotten the better.
§
Ordered,
That these Proceedings be entered on the Journals of this House."—[The Prime Minister.]