§ The Chairman of Ways and Means (Major Milner)The House will recollect that on 13th December, on a Motion made by the Leader of the House, leave of absence was given to the right hon. and gallant Gentleman the Member for Pembroke (Major Lloyd George), the hon. Member for the Park Division of Sheffield (Mr. Burden), the hon. Member for Hornsey (Mr. Gammans) and myself to present, on behalf of the House, a Mace and 753 Speaker's Chair to the House of Representatives of Ceylon. I have now to report that the delegation, which was accompanied by the Clerk-Assistant and the Secretary to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, have carried out the very agreeable duty entrusted to them by this House.
My colleagues and I proceeded to Ceylon in an aeroplane very kindly placed at our disposal by the Prime Minister. We were met by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Leader of the House and other Ministers and were the guests of the Government of Ceylon during our stay. The delegation had the opportunity of making a partial but very informative and interesting tour of the Island. They were most hospitably entertained and cannot speak too highly of the kindness and courtesy with which they were everywhere received.
The presentation of the Mace and Chair took place on 11th January when your delegation were admitted to the Bar of the House of Representatives and, with appropriate ceremony, I had the honour of making the actual presentation on behalf of this House. The Chair and Mace were greatly admired and most kindly and, indeed, enthusiastically received, and, on the Motion of the Leader of the House, a Resolution of Thanks was passed of which I hold the official copy, duly certified by the Clerk of the House of Representatives. The Resolution is in the following terms:
That this House accepts with thanks and appreciation the gift of a Speaker's Chair and a Mace from the Commons House of Parliament of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a token of friendship and good will on the part of the British House of Commons and
§ people towards the House of Representatives and people of Ceylon."
§ I hope, Mr. Speaker, you will think it right to give instructions for the Resolution to appear in the Journal.
§ An uncorrected copy of the House of Representatives HANSARD for 11th January is being placed in the Library for the convenience of Members who wish to read the speeches delivered on the occasion of the presentation.
§ Mr. Speaker, your delegation are grateful to the House for giving them leave to make this presentation which will, we feel confident, strengthen the very cordial relations which already exist between the United Kingdom and Ceylon and the respective Parliaments and peoples.
§ May I add a tribute, on my own account, to my colleagues on the delegation who worked so very happily together throughout a somewhat strenuous time.
§ Mr. ChurchillThe right hon. and gallant Gentleman is speaking for the whole House in what he has said. We are very glad that his visit was so successful, and consider that he and his colleagues—our colleagues—who travelled on this mission and who were so cordially and kindly received have rendered a service not only to the House, but to wider circles.