§ Mr. LANSBURYCan the Prime Minister make a statement in reference to Business? Will he also tell us what Business he desires to get through to-day, and whether the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Bill will be in the Vote Office to-night?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Bill cannot be in the Vote Office until we get the Resolution. It will be in the Vote Office to-morrow morning. With regard to the question as to Business, I must apologise to the House for having had to change the Business, but I think that the House will recognise the position.
To-morrow, Wednesday, we shall take the Second Reading of the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Bill, and on Thursday the remaining stages of the Bill.
681 On Friday, the Business will be the Second Beading of the Statute of Westminster Bill.
If there is time on any day, other Orders will be taken.
As regards the Business to-day, perhaps I might give a full answer. The Eleven o'clock Rule is being suspended to-day in order to obtain, first of all, the Motion standing in the name of the Prime Minister relating to the procedure in connection with the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Bill; that is the second Motion on the Paper with the title of "Business of the House." Secondly, it is being suspended to obtain the Committee stage of the Ways and Means Resolution which is necessary in order that the Bill may be introduced. If the procedure Motion is passed by the House, the Report stage of the Ways and Means Resolution, which is exempted Business, will be taken immediately after the Committee stage, and a Bill ordered in, printed, and made available to Members to-morrow morning. If there is time before Eleven o'clock, we shall take the Second Reading of the Educational Endowments (Scotland) Bill and the Committee stage of the Money Resolution.
§ Mr. HANNONCan the Prime Minister possibly simplify the title of the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Bill? It is a most appalling title, and surely my right hon. Friend can do something to put it in a simple form.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will do anything I can to assist my hon. Friend to make the christening of the Bill a little more amenable to our tongues, but hon. Members can use whatever name they like.
§ Mr. THORNESurely it is not necessary to suspend the Eleven o'clock Rule with the majority that the Government have.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI should always do it in those circumstances.
§ Mr. MAXTONDo I gather from the right hon. Gentleman's statement that we are to get the Abnormal Importations (Customs Duties) Bill to-morrow morning and proceed to discuss it at 3.45?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes.
§ Mr. MAXTONSurely this is extraordinary procedure. I cannot recollect any instance of an important Measure such as this, which alters the whole fiscal basis of the country, being presented to the House in circumstances which do not allow us even one night for the consideration of its provisions and an appreciation of the full effects of it. I cannot think that either the Prime Minister or the Lord President of the Council, if they were sitting on the Opposition Front Bench, would agree for one moment to such procedure. It is not treating the House with the respect with which we expect to be treated.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Irish Free State passed a Bill of this kind through all its stages in one day? Further, will he consider calling the Bill the Importations (Amendment) Act, which would be a simpler title?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI fully sympathise with what my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton) has said, but he will realise that, in present circumstances, if this legislation is to have any effect at all, it must come into operation without delay. I hope the House will accept that explanation. The Government are fully aware of the exceptional nature of what is being asked of the House, and it will be recorded as a very exceptional procedure, and not to be treated as a precedent unless similar circumstances arise.
§ Mr. MAXTONI agree at once as to the urgency of the case. I should not be the least bit averse to the Measure being passed speedily once we had had the opportunity of seeing it. I would not object if all the stages were taken in one day; but surely Members have a right to have a Bill for a clear 24 hours beforehand, in order that there may be opportunity to consider it and define our attitude towards it. The official Opposition may be very much quicker in the uptake than I am, but I should not feel myself competent to address myself to this Measure after having had only an hour or two in which to consider it.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMay I ask whether the Bill could not be made available immediately after the Financial Resolution has been passed to-night?
§ Brigadier-General Sir HENRY CROFTIs it not a fact that already thousands of workers have been deprived of their employment and that if there is delay thousands more will suffer in the same way, and is it not the feeling of the House that we ought to get the Bill through at once?
§ Mr. MAXTONThe hon. and gallant Member for Bournemouth (Sir H. Croft) has greater confidence in the President of the Board than I have.
§
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, 411; Noes, 46.
687| Division No. 3.] | AYES. | [3.54 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Cazalet, Capt. V. A. (Chippenham) | Falle, Sir Bertram G. |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Chalmers, John Rutherford | Flanagan, W. H. |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Chamberlain,Rt.Hn.Sir J.A.(Birm.,W.) | Fleming, Edward Lascelles |
| Albery, Irving James | Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Edgbaston) | Foot, Dingle (Dundee) |
| Allen, Maj. J. Sandeman (B'k'nh'd, W) | Chapman, Col. R.(Houghton-le-Spring) | Foot, Isaac (Cornwall, Bodmin) |
| Allen, William (Stoke-on-Trent) | Chapman, Sir Samuel (Edinburgh, S.) | Fraser, Captain Ian |
| Allen, Lt.-Col. Sir William (Armagh) | Chorlton, Alan Ernest Leofric | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Chotzner, Alfred James | Fuller, Captain A. E. G. |
| Anstruther-Gray, W. J. | Christie, James Archibald | Galbraith, James Francis Wallace |
| Astbury, Lieut.-Com. Frederick Wolfe | Clarke, Frank | Ganzoni, Sir John |
| Astor, Maj. Hn. John J. (Kent, Dover; | Clarry, Reginald George | Gauit, Lieut.-Col. A. Hamilton |
| Astor, Viscountess (Plymouth, Sutton) | Clayton, Dr. George C. | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir John |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Clydesdale, Marquess of | Gledhill, Gilbert |
| Baillie, Sir Adrian W. B. | Cobb, Sir Cyril | Glossop, C. W. H. |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Colman, N. C. D. | Gluckstein, Louis Halle |
| Baldwin-Webb, Colonel J. | Colville, Major David John | Glyn, Major Raiph G. C. |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Conant, R. J. E. | Goff, Sir Park |
| Balniel, Lord | Cook, Thomas A. | Goodman, Colonel Albert W. |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Cooke, James D. | Gower, Sir Robert |
| Barrie, Sir Charles Coupar | Cooper, A. Duff | Graham, Fergus (Cumberland, N.) |
| Barton, Capt. Basil Kelsey | Copeland, Ida | Granville, Edgar |
| Beaumont, M. W. (Bucks., Aylesbury) | Courtauld, Major John Sewell | Grattan-Doyle, Sir Nicholas |
| Beaumont, R. E. B.(Portsm'th, Centr'l) | Craddock, Sir Reginald Henry | Graves, Marjorie |
| Beit, Sir Alfred L. | Cranborne, Viscount | Griffith, F. Kingsley (Middlesbro', W.) |
| Benn, Sir Arthur Shirley | Croft, Brigadier-General Sir H. | Gilmston, R. V. |
| Bennett, Capt. Sir Ernest Nathaniel | Crooke, J. Smedley | Guest, Capt. Rt. Hon. F. E. |
| Bernays, Robert | Crookshank, Col. C. de windt (Bootle) | Guinness, Thomas L. E. B. |
| Betterton, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry B. | Crookshank, Capt. H. C. (Gainsb'ro) | Gunston, Captain D. W. |
| Bird Sir Robert B. (Welverh'pton W.) | Cross, R. H. | Guy, J. C. Morrison |
| Blaker, Sir Reginald | Crossley, A. C. | Hales, Harold K. |
| Blinded, James | Culverwell, Cyril Tom | Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) |
| Borodale, Viscount. | Curry, A. C. | Hall, Capt. W. D'Arcy (Brecon) |
| Bossom, A. C. | Davidson, Rt. Hon. J. C. C. | Hamilton, Sir George (Ilford) |
| Boulton, W. W. | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Hamilton, Sir R. W.(Orkney & Zetl'nd) |
| Bower, Lieut.-Com. Robert Tatton | Davison, Sir William Henry | Hammersley, Samuel S. |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Denman, Hon. R. D. | Hanbury, Cecil |
| Boyce, H. Leslie | Denville, Alfred | Hanley, Dennis A. |
| Braithwaite, Maj. A. N. (Yorks, E.R.) | Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry |
| Braithwaite, J. G. (Hillsborough) | Dickie, John P. | Harbord, Arthur |
| Brass, Captain Sir William | Donner, P. W. | Harris, Percy A. |
| Briant, Frank | Dower, Captain A. V. G. | Hartington, Marquess of |
| Briscoe, Richard George | Duckworth, George A. V. | Hartland, George A. |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Dugdale, Captain Thomas Lionel | Harvey, George (Lambeth, Kenningt'n) |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Duggan, Hubert John | Haslam, Sir John (Bolton) |
| Brown, Brig. Gen. H.C.(Berks.,Newb'y) | Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) | Headlam, Lieut.-Col. Cuthbert M. |
| Browne, Captain A. C. | Dunglass, Lord | Heilgers, Captain F. F. A. |
| Buchan, John | Eady, George H. | Henderson, Capt. R. R.(Oxf'd, Henley) |
| Buchan-Hepburn, P. G. T. | Eales, John Frederick | Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. |
| Burghley, Lord | Eastwood, John Francis | Hepworth, Joseph |
| Burnett, John George | Eden, Robert Anthony | Herbert, George (Rotherham) |
| Burton, Colonel Henry Walter | Edge, Sir William | Hillman, Dr. George B. |
| Butt, Sir Alfred | Edmondson, Major A. J. | Hills, Major Rt. Hon. John Waller |
| Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward | Elliot, Major Walter E. | Holdsworth. Herbert |
| Caine, G. R. Hall | Elliston, Captain George Sampson | Hopkinson, Austin |
| Campbell, Edward Taswell (Bromley) | Elmley, Viscount | Hornby, Frank |
| Campbell, Rear-Adml. G. (Burnley) | Emmott, Charles E. G. C. | Horobin, Ian M. |
| Campbell-Johnston. Malcolm | Emrys-Evans, P. V. | Horsbrugh, Florence |
| Caporn, Arthur Cecil | Erskine, Lord (Weston-super-Mare) | Howard, Tom Forrest |
| Carver, Major William H. | Erskine-Bolst, Capt. C. C. (Blackpool) | Howitt, Dr. Alfred B. |
| Cassels, James Dale | Essenhigh, Reginald Clare | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) |
| Castle Stewart. Earl | Evans, Capt. Arthur (Cardiff, S.) | Hudson, Robert Spear (Southport) |
| Cautley, Sir Henry S. | Evans, Capt. Ernest (Welsh Univ.) | Hume, Sir George Hopwood |
| Cayzer, Maj. Sir H. R. (Prtsmth., S.) | Evans, R. T. (Carmarthen) | Hunter, Dr. Joseph (Dumfries) |
| Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Everard, W. Lindsay | Hunter, Capt. M. J. (Brigg) |
| Hurd, Percy A. | Molson, A. Harold Elsdale | Sassoon, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip A. G. D. |
| Hurst, Sir Gerald B. | Monsell, Rt. Hon. Sir B. Eyres | Savery, Samuel Servington |
| Hutchison, Maj.-Gen.Sir R.(Montr'se) | Moore, Lt.-Col. Thomas C. R. (Ayr) | Scone, Lord |
| Hutchison,William D.(Essex, Romf'd) | Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | Selley, Harry R. |
| Inskip, Sir Thomas w. H, | Moreing, Adrian C. | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) |
| Iveagh, Countess of | Morris, John Patrick (Salford, N.) | Shaw, Captain William T. (Forfar) |
| Jackson, Sir Henry (Wandsworth, C.) | Morris, Rhys Hopkin (Cardigan) | Simmonds, Oliver Edwin |
| James, Wing-Com. A. W. H. | Morris-Jones. Dr. J. H. (Denbign) | Sinclair, Maj. Rt. Hn. Sir A. (C'thness) |
| Jesson, Major Thomas E. | Muirhead, Major A. J. | Sinclair, Col. T.(Queen's Unv., Belfast) |
| Joel, Dudley J. Barnato | Munro, Patrick | Skelton, Archibald Noel |
| Johnston, J. W. (Clackmannan) | Nall, Sir Joseph | Smiles, Lieut.-Col. Sir Walter D. |
| Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | Nathan, Major H. L. | Smith, R. W. (Aberd'n & Kinc'dinc, C.) |
| Jones, Lewis (Swansea, West) | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. | Smith-Carington, Neville W. |
| Ker, J. Campbell | Newton, Sir Douglas George C. | Smithers, Waldron |
| Kerr, Hamilton W. | Nicholson, Godfrey (Morpeth) | Somervell, Donald Bradley |
| Kirkpatrick, William M. | Nicholson, Rt. Hn. W. G. (Peters'fld) | Somerville, Annesley A. (Windsor) |
| Knatchbull, Captain Hon. M. H. R. | North, Captain Edward T. | Soper, Richard |
| Knight, Holford | Nunn, William | Southby, Commander Archibald R. J. |
| Knox, Sir Alfred | O'Connor, Terence James | Spears, Brigadier-General Edward L. |
| Lamb, Sir Joseph Quinton | Oman, Sir Charles William C. | Spencer, Captain Richard A. |
| Lambert. Rt. Hon. George | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. William G. A. | Spender-Clay, Rt. Hon. Herbert H. |
| Latham, Sir Herbert Paul | palmer, Francis Noel | Stanley, Lord (Lancaster, Fylde) |
| Law, Richard K. (Hull, S.W.) | Patrick, Colin M. | Stanley, Hon. O. F.C. (Westmorland) |
| Leckie, J. A. | Peake, Captain filbert | Stevenson, James |
| Leech, Dr. J. w. | Pearson, William G. | Stones, James |
| Lees-Jones, John | Peat, Charles U. | Storey, Samuel |
| Lennox-Boyd, A. T. | Penny, Sir George | Stourton, John J. |
| Levy, Thomas | Percy, Lord Eustace | Strauss, Edward A. |
| Lewis, Oswald | Perkins, Walter R. D. | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Lindsay, Noel Ker | Peters, Dr. Sidney John | Stuart, Hon. J. (Moray and Nairn) |
| Llewellyn-Jones, Frederick | Pethetick, M. | Stuart-Crichton, Lord C. |
| Lloyd, Geoffrey | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray F. |
| Locker-Lampson, Rt. Hn. G.(Wd. Gr'n) | Peto, Geoffrey K.(W'verh'pt'n,Bilston) | Summersby, Charles H. |
| Pickering, Ernest H. | Sutcliffe, Harold | |
| Locker-Lampson, Com. O.(Handsw'th) | Pickford, Hon. Mary Ada | Taylor,Vice-Admiral E.A.(P'dd'gt'n,S.) |
| Lockwood, John c. (Hackney, C.) | Pike, Cecil F. | Templeton, William P. |
| Lockwood, Capt. J. H. (Shipley) | Potter, John | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Loder, Captain J. de Vere | Powell, Lieut.-Col. Evelyn G. H. | Thomas, James P. L. (Hereford) |
| Lumley, Captain Lawrence R, | Purbrick, R. | Thomson, Mitchell-, Rt. Hon. Sir W. |
| Lyons, Abraham Montagu | Pybus, Percy John | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Mabane, William | Raikes, Hector victor Alpin | Todd, Capt. A. J. K. (B'wick-on-T.) |
| MacAndrew, Maj. C. G. (Partick) | Ramsay, Alexander (W. Bromwich) | Todd, A. L. S. (Kingswinford) |
| MacAndrew, Capt. J. O. (Ayr) | Ramsay, Capt. A. H. M. (Midlothian) | Touche, Gordon Cosmo |
| McConnell, Sir Joseph | Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) | Train, John |
| McCurquodale, M. S. | Ramsbotham, Herswald | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| MacDonald, Rt. Hn. J. R. (Seaham) | Ramsden, E. | Turton, Robert Hugh |
| MacDonald, Malcolm (Bassetlaw) | Rankin, Robert | Vaughan-Morgan, Sir Kenyon |
| Macdonald, Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Ratcliffe, Arthur | Wallace, Captain D. E. (Hornsey) |
| McEwen, J. H. F. | Rathbone, Eleanor | Wallace, John (Dunfermline) |
| McKeag, William | Rea, Walter Russell | Ward, Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) |
| McKie, John Hamilton | Reed, Arthur C. (Exeter) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Maclay, Hon. Joseph Paton | Reid, David D. (County Down) | Ward, Sarah Adelaide (Cannock) |
| McLean, Major Alan | Reid, William Allan (Derby) | Warrender, Sir Victor A. G. |
| Maclean, HI. Hn. Sir D. (Corn'll N.) | Remer, John R. | Watt, Captain George Steven H. |
| McLean, Dr. W. H. (Tradeston) | Rentoul, Sir Gervais S. | Wedderburn, Henry James Scrymgeour- |
| Macpherson, Rt. Hon. James I. | Renwick, Major Gustav A. | Wells, Sydney Richard |
| Macquisten, Frederick Alexander | Weymouth, Viscount | |
| Magnay, Thomas | Rhys, Hon. Charles Arthur U. | White, Henry Graham |
| Maitland, Adam | Robinson, John Roland | Whiteside, Borras Noel H. |
| Making, Brigadier-General Ernest | Rodd, Rt. Hon. Sir James Rennell | Whyte, Jardine Bell |
| Mallalieu, Edward Lancelot | Ropner, Colonel L. | Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) |
| Mander, Geoffrey le M. | Rosbotham, D. S. T. | Wills, Wilfrid D. |
| Manninnham-Buller, Lt.-Col. Sir M. | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | Wilson, Clyde T. (West Toxteth) |
| Margesson, Capt. Henry David R. | Runciman, Rt. Hon. Walter | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Marjoribanks, Edward | Runge, Norah Cecil | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Marsden, Commander Arthur | Russell, Albert (Kirkcaldy) | Wise, Alfred R. |
| Martin, Thomas B. | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Withers, Sir John James |
| Mason, David M. (Edinburgh. E.) | Russell,Hamer Field (Sheffield,B'tslde) | Womersley, Walter James |
| Millar, James Duncan | Russell, Richard John (Eddisbury) | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir H. Kingsley |
| Mills, Sir Frederick | Rutherford, Sir John Hugo | Wood, Major M. McKenzie (Banff) |
| Milne, Charles | Salmon, Major Isidore | Worthington, Dr. John V. |
| Milne, John Sydney Wardlaw- | Salt, Edward W. | |
| Mitchell, Harold p.(Br'tt'd & Chisw'k) | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Samuel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. (Darwen) | Sir Frederick Thomson and Mr. Shakespeare. |
| Mitcheson, G. G. | Sandeman, Sir A. N. Stewart | |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, South) | Cocks. Frederick Seymour | Grenfell, David Rees. (Glamorgan) |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Cove, William G. | Griffiths. T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) |
| Batey, Joseph | Cripps, Sir Stafford | Grundy, Thomas W. |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebb-.v Vale) | Daggar, George | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) |
| Brown, C. W. E, (Notts., Mansfield) | Davies. David L. (Pontypridd) | Hicks, Ernest George |
| Buchanan, George | Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | Hirst, George Henry |
| Cape, Thomas | Edwards, Charles | Jenkins, Sir William |
| John, William | Maclean, Neil (Glasgow, Govan) | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. Josiah |
| Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Silvertown) | Maxton, James | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Milner, Major James | Williams, Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Kirkwood, David | Owen, Major Goronwy | Williams, Dr. John H. (Lianelly) |
| Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George | Parkinson, John Allen | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| Leonard, William | Price, Gabriel | |
| Logan, David Gilbert | Salter, Dr. Alfred | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Lunn, William | Thorne, William James | Mr. Gordon Macdonald and Mr. |
| McEntee, Valentine L. | Tinker, John Joseph | Duncan Graham. |
| McGovern, John | Watts-Morgan, Lieut.-Col. David |