SUSPENDED.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18721, 18 June 1926, Page 4

SUSPENDED.

THIRTEEN SOCIALISTS. UNPRECEDENTED OBSTRUCTION. (FBOM ouk OWJT COBBESPOKDISI.) LONDON, April 21. Early last Thursday morning, an. entirely unprecedented situation arose in the House of Commons, which resulted in thirteen Socialist members being suspended. • The House had gone into Committee oa the Economy Bill. At a certain point in the procedure, Mr Neville Chamberlain (Minister for Health) moved the closure. Objection was taken to this, and Mr J. H. Thomas moved to report progress. The chairman, Mr Hope, at once accented the proposition, which, was put without debate, to the disgust of the Opposition, and defeated bv 179, votes to 113. "It was noticed that subsequent divisions took an unusually long time, the Opposition remaining in the division lobbv singing, laughing, and talking loudly.' It was now five o'clock m the morning. < On consideration of a Inter clause, Mr J'. H. Thomas protested that thoy had been in the House since 2.45 p.m. the previous day, and once agairi moved to report progress. A division was challenged on Mr Thomas's motion to report progress. The tellers for the "Noes" had returned to the Chamber, but the tellers for the "Ayes'* remained without. Sounds' of "John Brown s Bodv," loud shouting, and laughter, oame from the "Aye" lobby, but no tellers. Twenty minutes had passed since the division had been called, and, still the tellers did not return. '■'* Loitering in lobby. Mr N. Chamberlain suggested sending for the tellers, and at last the feer-geant-at-Arms was instructed to ascertain, why the tellers • were ; nob in a position to report to the Chair. The SeiJ-.geaiit-tat-Arms, returning, reported that thirteen members refused to pass, the tellers in the "Aye" lobby, and read out the, names, of tho thirteen, /members. Mr Hopo thereupon sent for the Speaker, who entered the 1 Cham'ber'ih bis wig- and robes and- was informed of the incident. MrHopo stated that these members had abused the rules of the House'by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business of the House! Loud protests greeted this statement, several rising to points of order,and others shouting: "It'is nob true." .Mr Chariv berlaini who was thy or. the House, moved the suspension .of the niombers named by N the Speaker. In a moment there was uproar. Mr Mason and Mr Buchanan shouted at vtho top of their voices, but - little of what they were saying could be distinguished' above • the din, though such expressions aB: "It's all damned rot,'. "Nonsense," "Humbug," and "Absolutely unprecedented'> were distinctly beard. ■ The motion being put, the House divided. Most of the Liberals present, and some of the front bench. Labour-Socialists abstained from voting. Tellers having been appointed, the Speaker awaited tho result of the division. The tellers for tho "Ayes" had been back in the Chamber some minutes, but the tellers for the "Noes" did not return; whereupon the Speaker instructed the to order the two missing tellers to come to the table of the House. They reentered the .Chamber and reported the figures in the. usual, way .to the Clerk at the Table... For the suspension: 163; against: 76. • ' ' Emergency. '■The hon. members named will with.draw from, the House," were the words in which the Speaker announced the decision' of the House. Mr Thomas raised a point of order. He. wanted to know the technical position created by the fact that tho interruption had come when the Commit tee was actually dividing on a motion to j report progress, and also was there any precedent for the action Ukm' ay the Speaker. . The Speaker replied that he had no concern with the proceedings. He dealt with the matter reported to him. The action he had taken in summoning the.tellers at the.last division was without precedent, and was necessary in dealing with a hew emergency. . When consideration of the Economy Bill was resumed the Labour-Socialists continued ' their obstructive tactics. There was a demonstration against theChairman, following his refusal, to permit discussion on an obstructionist mo-tion-to "report progress," submitted by Mr J. H. Thomas. When the mo--tion had been defeated in the Division Lobbies,; Mr .Thomas informed tho Chairman of his determination lo taka the necessary steps to allow the Liouse "in a Parliamentary way," to eipi-ws its opinion on his "partial and 'jiassod conduct." There was an outburst if noisv approval behind, andsoi'.'o shouts of <J Resign" were hurled in thw direction of the Chair. .