BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1926, Page 3

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

[Australia ifc N.Z. Cable Association.j SCENE IN COM-MONS. (Received this day at 11.0 n.m.) LONDON, April 10. In the Commons, an extraordinary situation developed at six in the morning after an all night debate in committee of the House on the Economy Bill, resulting in the suspension of thirteen Labourites. Owing to an invention entirely of new methods of obstruction, Lansbury, Wheatley and eleven others on a division on a Labour motion to adjourn the- debate, remained in the ayes lobby, joking and singing for over half an hour, delaying tiie whole business. .Ministers and the Chairman lengthily consulted, and finally called the Speaker from bed. Air Neville Chamberlain, amid Labour uproar, moved the suspension of thirteen Labourites. The Labour opposition thereupon adopted the same tactics, but after another half hour’s delay, the Speaker ordered the tellers to report the figures showing the motion was carried by Hid to 7f>. Thereupon, the thirteen were ordered to withdraw- and the business was resumed.

The Commons rose at nine this morning after sitting for over eighteen hours. Up to the present they have passed four clauses of the Economy Bill in thirty-six hours, Parliamentary time, and there are twenty-one clauses, besides four schedules. The Opposition made two further attempts at obstruction in the same manner, but the Speaker announced he would devise a procedure to deal with unusual circumstances, and would consult the Premier with a view to amending the Standing Orders. The battle will be renewed this afternoon.

Landsbury interviewed regarding the suspensions alleged that Chamberlain and bis colleagues adopted dictatorial, contemptuous, insolent methods, and particularly complained of Chamberlain’s action in securing the closure on AVlieatley, in the middle of a brilliant speech in which lie denounced the Economy Bill as a. robbery ol working class insurance funds in order to benefit the rich.