COMMONS SCENE.

Auckland Star, 2 September 1933, Page 9

COMMONS SCENE.

MEMBER SUSPENDED. FOOTBALL IN STREETS. GLASGOW LADS GAOLED. Mr. John McGovern, the I.L.P. Member for Shettleston, Glasgow, was "named" and suspended in a scene in thei House of Commons last month. The affair arose out of the question which Mr. McGovern put to the Secretary for Scotland. He raised the case of six Glasgow lads of ages from 16 to 18 who, he said, had been sent to prison for playing football in the streets, and were serving their sentence , of 14 days. Sir Godfrey Collins, Secretary for Scotland, explained that the lads were not actually sent to prison for the act of playing football, but because while so doing they were guilty ■ of disorderly conduct. They had been warned before!, and were described as a nuisance to the residents. Appeal for Reconsideration. Mr. McGovern asked Sir Godfrey if ho would reconsider the case, saying that the lads had never been' in court before. Sir Godfrey Collins declined to give such a promise, saying that however much, as a father, he might sympathise with boys who got into trouble, in view of what he found in the report concerning them, he could not have their sentences remitted. Mr. McGovern began to shout in an excited tone that these boys had only been guilty of boyish pranks. : "Are you really prepared to be eo callous?" he demanded. Mr. John Lawson: Are you aware that there is hardly a member of this House who has not been guilty of such ( a thing, and yet has never been summoned? The Speaker rose to intimate that in his opinion the . discussion had better cease, but Mr. McGovern insisted upon speaking again, arid shouted, ."I consider ithe action of the Secretary for Scotland is of a callous and brutal order." State of Hubbub. From several parts of the House there camo shouts of "Order! Order!" There were counter cries from Labour members, and the Chamber was for some time in a state of hubbub. The Speaker still stood, but Mr. McGovern would not sit down. Instead lie kept on repeating the words "scandalous" and "damnable." "I don't care one damn," he said, "I consider it damnable." The Speaker then "named" Mr. McGovern, Mr. Baldwin moved that lie bo suspended from the service of the House, a division was taken and the suspension was carried by 151 votes to 24. Mr. McGovwrn, who by this time had sobered down, quietly walked out. When Mr. McGovern was suspended in the last Parliament he refused to leave forcibly removed.

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