§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
§ Sir S. CRIPPS rose —
| Division No. 44.] | AYES. | [7.26 a.m. |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Broadbent, Colonel John | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) |
| Agnew. Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Dickie, John P. |
| Allen. Lt.-Col J. Sandeman (B'k'nh'd) | Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) |
| Aske, Sir Robert William | Burghley Lord | Eastwood. John Francis |
| Baillie, Sir Adrian W. M. | Burqin. Dr. Edward Leslie | Edmondson. Major A. J. |
| Baldwin-Webb. Colonel J. | Campbell, Sir Edward Taswell (Brmly) | Elmley, Viscount |
| Beaumont. M. W. (Bucks., Aylesbury) | Caporn. Arthur Cecil | Emrys-Evans P. V. |
| Beaumont, Hon. R.E.B. (Portsm'th, C.) | Chamberlain. Rt. Hon. N. (Edqbaston) | Entwistle, Cyril Fullard |
| Bernays, Robert | Chapman, Col.R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Essenhigh, Reginald Clare |
| Betterton, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry B. | Christie, James Archibald | Fleming, Edward Lascelles |
| Birchall, Major Sir John Dearman | Colman. N. C. D. | Fraser. Captain Ian |
| Borodale, Viscount | Cooke. Douglas | Fremantle, Sir Francis |
| Bossom, A. C. | Crookshank, Col. C. de Windt (Bootle) | Gluckstein, Louis Halle |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Crookshank. Capt. H. C. (Gainsb'ro) | Goff, Sir Park |
| Boyce, H. Leslie | Cruddas, Lieut.-Colonel Bernard | Goldie. Noel B. |
§ Captain MARGESSON rose in his place, and claimed to move "That the Question be now put."
§ Question put, "That the Question be now put."
§ The Committee divided: Ayes, 138; Noes, 25.
| Goodman, Colonel Albert W. | Mallalieu, Edward Lancelot | Sandeman, Sir A. N. Stewart |
| Graves, Marjorie | Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. | Scone, Lord |
| Grimston, R. V. | Marsden, Commander Arthur | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) |
| Guinness, Thomas L. E. B. | Mayhew, Lieut.-Colonel John | Smith, Sir J. Walker- (Barrow-In-F.) |
| Gunston, Captain D. W. | Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Spencer, Captain Richard A. |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Mitchell, Harold P. (Br'tf'd & Chisw'k) | Storey, Samuel |
| Hartington, Marquess of | Molson, A. Hugh Elsdale | Stourton, Hon. John J. |
| Holdsworth, Herbert | Monsell, Rt. Hon. Sir B. Eyres | Strauss, Edward A. |
| Hore-Belisha, Leslie | Morris, John Patrick (Salford, N.) | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- |
| Horsbrugh, Florence | Morris-Jones, Dr. J. H. (Denbigh) | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid Hart |
| Howard, Tom Forrest | Muirhead, Lieut.-Colonel A. J. | Sutcliffe, Harold |
| Howitt, Dr. Alfred B. | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. | Tate, Mavis Constance |
| Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Nicholson, Godfrey (Morpeth) | Thomas, James P. L. (Hereford) |
| Hudson, Robert Spear (Southport) | Nunn, William | Thompson, Luke |
| Hunter, Capt. M. J. (Brigg) | O'Donovan, Dr. William James | Thomson, Sir Frederick Charles |
| James, Wing-Com. A. W. H. | Palmer, Francis Noel | Thorp, Linton Theodore |
| Joel, Dudley J. Barnato | Perkins, Walter R. D. | Titchfield. Major the Marquess of |
| Ker, J. Campbell | Petherick, M. | Todd, Capt. A. J. K. (B'wick-on-T.) |
| Kerr, Lieut.-Col. Charles (Montrose) | Peto, Geoffrey K. (W'verh'pt'n, Bilst'n) | Touche, Gordon Cosmo |
| Lamb, Sir Joseph Quinton | Pickering, Ernest H. | Tree, Ronald |
| Law, Richard K. (Hull, S.W.) | Raikes, Henry V. A. M. | Ward. Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) |
| Leckie, J. A. | Ramsay, Alexander (W. Bromwich) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Leech, Dr. J. w. | Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Reid, James S. C. (Stirling) | Weymouth, Viscount |
| Llewellin, Major John J. | Renwick, Major Gustav A. | Whyte, Jardine Bell |
| Lockwood, John C. (Hackney, C.) | Rickards, George William | Williams, Herbert G. (Croydon, S.) |
| Loder, Captain J. de Vere | Robinson, John Roland | Wills, Wilfrid D. |
| MacAndrew, Capt. J. O. (Ayr) | Ropner, Colonel L. | Wilson, Lt.-Col. Sir Arnold (Hertf'd) |
| MacDonald, Malcolm (Bassetlaw) | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | Womersley, Walter James |
| McKeag, William | Runge, Norah Cecil | |
| McKie, John Hamilton | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Macmillan, Maurice Harold | Salmon, Sir Isidore | Sir George Penny and Commander Southby. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, South) | Daggar, George | Maclean, Nell (Glasgow, Govan) |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Davies, David L. (Pontypridd) | Mainwaring, William Henry |
| Banfield, John William | Edwards, Charles | Maxton, James |
| Batey, Joseph | Grenfell, David Rees (Glamorgan) | Nathan, Major H. L. |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebbw Vale) | Grundy, Thomas W. | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Buchanan, George | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Williams, Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Cape, Thomas | Logan, David Gilbert | Williams, Thomas (York. Don Valley) |
| Cocks Frederick Seymour | McEntee, Valentine L. | |
| Cripps, Sir Stafford | McGovern, John | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Mr. John and Mr. Groves. |
§ Question put accordingly, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
| Division No. 45.] | AYES. | [7.33 a.m. |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Dickie, John P. | James. Wing-Com. A. W. H. |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Donner, P. W. | Joel, Dudley J. Barnato |
| Allen, Lt.-Col. J. Sandeman (B'k'nh'd.) | Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) | Ker, J. Campbell |
| Aske, Sir Robert William | Eastwood, John Francis | Kerr, Lieut.-Col. Charles (Montrose) |
| Baillie. Sir Adrian W. M. | Edmondson, Major A, J. | Lamb, Sir Joseph Quinton |
| Baldwin-Webb, Colonel J. | Elmley, Viscount | Law, Richard K. (Hull, S.W.) |
| Beaumont, M. W. (Bucks., Aylesbury) | Emrye-Evans, P. V. | Leckie, J. A. |
| Beaumont, Hon. R. E. B. (Portsm'th, C.) | Entwistle, Cyril Fullard | Leech, Dr. J. W. |
| Bernays, Robert | Essenhigh, Reginald Clare | Leighton, Major B. E. P. |
| Betterton, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry B. | Fleming, Edward Lascelles | Llewellin, Major John J. |
| Birchall. Major Sir John Dearman | Fraser, Captain Ian | Lockwood, John C. (Hackney, C.) |
| Borodale, Viscount | Fremantle, Sir Francis | Loder, Captain J. de Vere |
| Bossom, A. C. | Gluckstein, Louis Halle | MacAndrew, Capt. J. O. (Ayr) |
| Boyce, H. Leslie | Goff, Sir Park | MacDonald. Malcolm (Bassetlaw) |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Goldie, Noel B. | McKeag, William |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Goodman, Colonel Albert W. | McKie, John Hamilton |
| Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Graves, Marjorie | Macmillan, Maurice Harold |
| Burghley, Lord | Grimston, R. V. | Mallalieu, Edward Lancelot |
| Burgin, Dr Edward Leslie | Guinness, Thomas L. E. B. | Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. |
| Campbell, Sir Edward Taswell (Brmly) | Gunston, Contain D. W. | Marsden. Commander Arthur |
| Ceporn. Arthur Cecil | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Mayhew. Lieut.-Colonel John |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Edgbaston) | Hartington. Marquess of | Mills. Major J. D. (New Forest) |
| Chapman, Col R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Holdsworth. Herbert | Mitchell. Harold P. (Br'tf'd & Chisw'k) |
| Christie, James Archibald | Hore-Belisha, Leslie | Moison, A. Hugh Elsdale |
| Colman, N. C. D. | Horsbrugh, Florence | Monsell, Rt. Hon. Sir B. Eyres |
| Cooke. Douglas | Howard, Tom Forrest | Morris, John Patrick (Salford, N.) |
| Crookshank, Col. C. de Windt (Bootle) | Howitt. Dr. Alfred B. | Morris-Jones, Dr. J. H. (Denbigh) |
| Crookshank, Capt. H. C. (Gainsb'ro) | Hudson. Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Muirhead, Lieut,-Colonel A, J. |
| Cruddas, Lieut.-Colonel Bernard | Hudson, Robert Spear (Southport) | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Hunter, Capt. M. J. (Brigg) | Nicholson, Godfrey (Morpeth) |
§ The Committee divided: Ayes, 139; Noes 25.
| Nunn, William | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| O'Donovan, Dr. William James | Salmon, Sir Isidore | Todd, Capt. A. J. K. (B'wick-on-T.) |
| Palmer, Francis Noel | Sandeman, Sir A. N. Stewart | Touche, Gordon Cosmo |
| Penny, Sir George | Scone, Lord | Tree, Ronald |
| Perkins, Walter R. D. | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) | Ward, Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) |
| Petherick, M. | Smith, Sir J. Walker- (Barrow-In-F.) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Peto, Geoffrey K. (W'verh'pt'n, Bilston) | Southby, Commander Archibald R. J. | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Pickering, Ernest H. | Spencer, Captain Richard A. | Weymouth, Viscount |
| Raikes. Henry V. A. M. | Storey, Samuel | Whyte, Jardine Bell |
| Ramsay, Alexander (W. Bromwich) | Stourton, Hon. John J. | Williams, Herbert G. (Croydon, S.) |
| Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) | Strauss, Edward A. | Wills, Wilfrid D. |
| Reid, James S, C. (Stirling) | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- | Wilson, Lt.-Col. Sir Arnold (Hertf'd) |
| Renwick, Major Gustav A. | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid Hart | Womersley, Walter James |
| Rickards, George William | Sutcliffe, Harold | |
| Robinson, John Roland | Tate, Mavis Constance | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Ropner, Colonel L. | Thomas, James P. L. (Hereford) | Sir Frederick Thomson and Captain |
| Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | Thompson, Luke | Sir George Bowyer. |
| Runge, Norah Cecil | Thorp, Linton Theodore |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, South) | Daggar, George | Maclean, Nell (Glasgow, Govan) |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Davies, David L. (Pontypridd) | Mainwaring, William Henry |
| Banfield, John William | Edwards, Charles | Maxton, James. |
| Batey, Joseph | Grenfell, David Reel (Glamorgan) | Nathan, Major H. L. |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebbw Vale) | Grundy, Thomas W. | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Buchanan, George | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Williams, Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Cape, Thomas | Logan, David Gilbert | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| Cocks, Frederick Seymour | McEntee, Valentine L. | |
| Cripps, Sir Stafford | McGovern, John | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Mr. John and Mr. Craves. |
§ 7.45 a.m.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSMay I ask you, Sir, whether it is the usual custom for a Closure Motion to be accepted before a Clause to which there are no Amendments has been debated? This is not intended as a reflection on your Ruling or any sort of attack.
§ The CHAIRMANI am much obliged to the hon. Gentleman for the way he has put the question. I feel a little doubt as to whether I ought to answer the question at all. There are undoubtedly a number of precedents where the Closure has been moved and accepted and carried on a Clause on which there has been no Amendment. Each one must depend on the circumstances. There was nothing, as far as I could see, in this particular Clause on which hon. Members could not obtain all necessary information by reference to the Colonial Development Act, and there are plenty of precedents for what has been done.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSI am very much obliged for your reply. I may point out that my reason in raising the point of Order was a reference in Erskine May, page 343, which states that a Motion should not be made for a Closure unless it appears to the Chair that the Motion is an abuse of the Rules of the House or an infringement of the rights of a minority. Clearly, if there is a Clause on which no Amendments have been debated at all and the Clause itself has not been dis- 800 cussed and the Closure Motion can be accepted without any discussion, carried to its logical conclusion that means that the Closure Motion should be accepted on Clause 1, 2, and so on to the end, and the Bill could be carried by the simple process of having 12 divisions, one after the other, and all Parliamentary forms would be rendered a farce.
§ The CHAIRMANWhen the hon. Gentleman first raised this point I felt some doubt as to whether I ought to answer the question. The conduct of the Chair in accepting the Closure is not a matter which can be called into question or criticised. But the hon. Gentleman was good enough to put it in such a courteous way that I desired to answer his question. I have before me the passage to which he refers.
§ Sir S. CRIPPSI just wish to explain one matter which I wished to raise on Clause 5. It was a question of the transfer of duties from the Colonial Secretary to the Dominions Secretary.
§ The CHAIRMANI am afraid I cannot discuss the matter.