§ 9.55 p.m.
§ Mr. H. A. Marquand (Middlesbrough, East)I beg to move,
That the Chairman do report Progress and ask leave to sit again.I move this Motion because it is now suggested that we should embark at this late hour on the discussion of the Committee stage of a highly important constitutional Measure. The fact that it is highly important and constitutional is witnessed by the fact that we are in Committee of the whole House for this 1039 purpose. On this Bill, which has such far-reaching effects, we have hitherto had only three hours of debate on Second Reading. The Government must surely feel that, having given us only that three hours, against which we raised no complaint, now to suggest that the Committee should start, at Ten o'clock, to proceed with the detailed examination of the Bill, Clause by Clause and Amendment by Amendment, at such a late hour, would be an abuse of the procedure of the House.During the course of that extremely brief debate on Second Reading, we got a very laconic and brief explanation of the purposes of the Bill from the Secretary of State himself. We had just begun to explore the full meaning of the various Clauses of the Bill when we had to finish the debate after only three hours of opportunity to discuss it. This Bill affects the relationship of South Africa with the United Kingdom, and
§ its repercussions will be felt far beyond the United Kingdom, over the whole of the Commonwealth.
§ The eyes of the Commonwealth are on us at this time, and to enter upon this discussion tonight, when the opportunities of what we have to say being reported in the Press and being carried round the Commonwealth—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] This is quite serious.
§ It being Ten o'clock, The CHAIRMAN left the Chair to report Progress and ask leave to sit again.
§ Committee report Progress.