§ Moved, That the House do now adjourn.—(Viscount Cranborne.)
LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I am never disorderly in Parliament, and I hope that I never shall be; but I believe that I am in order now in replying very briefly to the personal attack which the noble Viscount, Lord Elibank, made on my noble friend Lord Faringdon. The basis of his accusation was that Lord Faringdon had been a protagonist of conscientious objectors. Conscientious objection is the law of the land; it is recognized by Act of Parliament passed by your Lordships' House, including the noble Viscount himself, as a very active and distinguished member of your Lordships' House. If the law had not been properly carried out, as my noble friend Lord Faringdon implied, he was perfectly entitled to raise in this House the question of the non-fulfilment of the law as laid down by this House, and no accusation, therefore, should lie against him for doing so. I hope that as long as Parliament exists in this realm Peers will be found who, when they are convinced that injustice is being done even to the most unpopular section of the community, the conscientious objectors, will have the courage and the honesty to defend them in Parliament and to expose injustices. I hope that Peers will always be found who will do that. Not only do I protest against any slight on my noble friend, but I want to say most emphatically to the noble Viscount that the noble Lord's friends who sit on these Benches admire his courage in these matters and hope that he will continue to expose injustice and wrong-doing wherever he finds it.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I merely wish to say that I informed the noble Lord, Lord Faringdon, before he left the House that I was going to reply to him. He then said "I will read your reply in the Official Report to-morrow morning." He will read in the Official Report what I have said, and I have nothing to withdraw.
§ VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOODMy Lords, I venture to return to the question of whether it is in order to speak on the question of withdrawing a Motion. My noble friend, Lord Teviot, said that he had been stopped from speaking on that question in this House. In the other House the rule is quite clear, that on a request to withdraw no debate can arise. On the other hand, if anyone objects to the withdrawal, the withdrawal cannot proceed, and then the original question remains and anyone can speak upon it if he would otherwise be in order in doing so. I do not know whether that is the rule in your Lordships' House. I was going to suggest to my noble friend who leads this House that he might think it worth while to have an inquiry made so as to set at rest what exactly is the rule in this matter.
VISCOUNT CRANBORNEI think, if the noble Lord agrees, we might submit this point to the Committee on Procedure, which is already in session.
§ VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOODYes, that would be a very good thing.