§ Mr. MANDERI beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "the failure of the Government to appoint one of its Members to represent this country at the Assembly of the League of Nations"?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member will realise that I could not accept that Motion.
§ Mr. MANDERMay I make this submission? [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Motion does not fulfil the conditions laid down in Standing Order No. 10, which applies to this particular kind of Adjournment Motion.
§ Mr. MANDEROn the point of urgency, may I submit that the Assembly is now well into its second week, and that unless an appointment is made very soon it will be too late?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI am quite clear in my mind that the amount of urgency in this particular instance would not justify me in allowing a Motion for the Adjournment.
§ Mr. MANDERI beg to give notice that I shall call attention to this matter on the Adjournment of the House later.
§ Mr. THURTLEMay I ask if the Prime Minister is aware of the incipient revolt in the ranks of "the Portuguese"?
Lieut.-Commander KEMWORTHYOn a point of Order. I believe it has been a well-recognised rule in this House 676 that aspersions are not to be cast upon hon. Members. In this case hon. Gentlemen are continually referring to hon. and right hon. Members of the Liberal party as "the Portuguese." The Portuguese were our Allies in the War. They did not desert to the enemy, and I ask, Sir, for your protection for them.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not know whether the hon. and gallant Member means the Liberal party or the Portuguese for whom he asks my protection.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThe Portuguese.
§ Mr. ERNEST BROWNOn that point of Order, may I ask if it is not the fact that the innuendo is contained in the suggestion that the Portuguese ran away; and since hon. Members opposite in this case ran away, and not the Liberal party, is the remark not more applicable to them?