REGENCY BILL Rouses

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 18, 5 February 1937, Page 5

REGENCY BILL Rouses

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Wild Men of the Left KIGN'S FUTURE Sewch for Substitutc, Says Mr Gallacher MONSTROUS SUGGESTION

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(Received 5, 1.20 p.m.) • LONDQN, Feb. 4. Xiiyely passages between the socalled wil4 meP of the Left ancj. gir Jgtrn Sifton awi Earl Waterton occurred in the conunittee gtage of the Regency Bill in the Hqnse pf Commons. Mr Ede, on the first clauee laying dowji t^at the gqvereign attains his m&jQrity at 18, said: " An ordinary minor could not manage an estate, citizenp cannQt vote pr a peer or mpmbers of the House of Oommons take hip gegt until he is 21." Sir Johp Simon recalled that Queon Vicstoria came to the Throae when 18. He did not think there was any justilleation for departing from th8 traditional age. . » The clauae was adopted without • division On clause two. Sir John Simon move! an amendment making lt possible for four- pr mpre persons. instegd of three or more. to declgre the Sovereign incappble of performing his Eoyal functiens, He esplained that in a case oi three out of six there might be an equal division among the six. Mr G, Le M. Munder and Mr Ede thought that no member of the Eoyal family ought to be associated in tho ipatter, the fornier arguiag that the person next succeeding would be in a diffieblt position if he had to decide whether the Sovereign was insane or not. There naight be feeling in the country, and the person" ascending the Throne should not be a subject of controverjy. ('I protest against this attempt to deceive the Honse and the country into the behef that this is a permanent Bill/' said Mr Gallacher. " It is directed against thp present monarch and the Honse is. already discu^sing beforp the Coronation how it is going to find a substitute for him-" Earl Winterton described Mr Gall&cber's suggestion as a mongtrous nesumption which could only be made by sotpeone who approached his subject with a distorted braia. • Mr Mpxton: "What is your justification for contradicting him? Earl Wiptertpn: The statement is without fonndfttion. Mr Maxfon insinuateg that there is spmething in the pprspnal position of the King that makes this Bill neoeasary. lt is a monstrous statement and qiilte untrue. M? Maxton The noble lord is, of eourse, a mastqr of vituperation. Mr Gallacher, resuming his speeeh, described Earl Winterton 's intervention M "ignorant presumption" and accused hitn of * 'eerving out insults as it pleases his bigh majesty. ' } He added that ev^ry Eegency Bill hitherto had related to their Heir Apparent if he werp a ininorj this Bill related to the reigning monarch. Sir John Simon, replying, recalle.d that OU his last illness King George Y. had said it was possible for hjm to perform his necessary duties to the end, • h»t fappoee there was a case in whieh Ihe mdnarch was eompletely and sud#enly rendered incapable from-physical illness pr mental digease. The country nndep the existing constitution would be without means of securing the appointinent of a Begent. Sir John said there was no truth whatever in the etatement that there Was sometbing suspicious about the Bill. He would be prepared, if it were the wish of the House, to excdude from the list of persons making a deelaration in ease of inpapacity the one who would become Begent"I think we should retain the husband or wife of the sovereign. Tho clause was agreed to. as amendtta.