UPROAR IN COMMONS

Evening Star, Issue 26042, 5 March 1947, Page 7

UPROAR IN COMMONS

DEBATES ON BILLS LIMITED GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF FASCIST TACTICS LONDON, March 4. Uproar iu the House of Commons followed a Government motion proposing that the Committee stages of the Transport Bill and the Town and Country Planning Bill should be completed by April 2, and also that three days for the report stage and one day for the third reading should be allotted for each Bill. There was a loud and sustained burst of ironical cheering by the Opposition when Mr Arthur Greenwood, the Lord Privy Seal, submitting the motion, said, “ This is a new experiment resting on, the authority of this House.” Opposition members shouted “ Call it rue Reichstag and be done with it.” Considerable uproar followed an

interchange in which Mr Greenwood said there were “ potential h'unrers ” among the Opposition, and Colonel H. R. Mackeson shouted back, “Mr Greenwood may as well understand that i re-

gard him as a low-class Fascist.” An Opposition cry, “ Come on, Hitler,” greeted Mr Greenwood when he rose to resume. He said the Transport Bill Standing Committee had dealt with only five clauses in 11 sittings, and the Government intended to avoid an autumn session.

Mr Anthony Eden: I am absolutely amazed that a Socialist Government should say we must use the guillotine because we cannot have an autumn, session.

Mr Churchill, whose speech was interrupted by loud Opposition cheers and counter-cheers, said he was astonished that the principal measure of the session—the Transport Bill—was not going to be taken on the floor o<f the House, thus denying six-sevenths of the House the right of intervening. “ I firmly believe that the liber-

ties and the free life of Britain

are in great danger at the hands of the Government,” he said. Tne Government was attempting to strangle parliamentary debate and substitute for it legislation by Government decree.

Sir Arthur Salter (Ind.) said the volume at legislation was such that had the Ministry of Fuel not been so burdened with legislative preparations the power crisis might have been averted.

The Government motion was carried by 289 votes to 150. The announcement of the figures occasioned Opposition shouts of “ Hitler!” *• Reichstag!”, and “Dictators.” Government supporters retorted with, “ You can’t take it.” The hubbub lasted for five minutes.