PEERS DEFIED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11124, 6 February 1930, Page 5

PEERS DEFIED

UNE.M'PLOYMENT INSURANGE BILL. DISCUSSION IN THE COMMONS. HOUSE OF LORDS AMENDMENT AAIENDED. OPPOSITION SUPPORT" PRIME MINISTER. united X'rena Assn. by £l. Tel. CopingM (Received Feb. •_>, 9.30 p.m.) .LONDON, hub. -j. In discussion on the Unemployment insurance dill in the commons members considered the reason of the House ot Lords for insisting on a tune limit lor the operation of the Bill.

Air. -MacDonald, who was greeted with loud Labor cheers, said it world necessarily be perfectly plain. “Tile amendments,” he said, “undoubtedly raised the , question of privilege, and it is an interference oil the part of the House ol J ords with our rights to determine how the money of the country is to bo spent. Hitherto, when the House of Commons deleted privileged amendments, the House of Lords agreed. To-night we are informed hv the House of Lords that so long as the Labor Government is in office, it will sit and criticise the Labor Bills as a .sub-committee. Tho Tory party admit that the decision of the House of Lords will put tho Government in a fix .as it meant to ao.”

Air. MacDonald added: If wo drop the Bill and put it into the category of Bills awaiting the operation of the Parliament Act, the finance of the unemployment funds will be bankrupt in ten to fourteen days. \Te therefore propose to amend the House of Lords amendments, because absolutely unworkable administrative machinery can bo hardly in working order in twlvc months. The House of Lords amendment proposes a time limit which finishes before certain important changes in the Bill come into operation. Therefore, the Government proposes to substitute June, 1933. .for March 1931, and thus give time lor the administrative and adjudicative machinery to come into operation. This will give time For tlio Act to be tried as a reasonable experiment. If revision is necessary, it can bo undertaken in a dearer and calmer atmosphere. I/or the double reason, first, the defence of the liberties and privileges of the House-of Commons: second, because tho Act is a piece of practical workable legislation, 1 beg to move a resolution amending tlm Mouse of ’l ords amendment. Air. Churchill said the course A!: MacDonald had outlined, commended itself to the Opposition, but the reference to the statement that the Labor party eould noverj expect, fair treatment from the House of Lords. He pointed out that no minority party hud ever, been treated in. a sense of grievance, but tlio Labelparty were really “pampered darlings.” (Laughter). The House of Lords was entitled to reject the Bill. I _ After Mr. Samuel and Mr. Devlin had supported .the amendment, it wes carried.