GUILLOTINE FALLS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22319, 2 May 1947, Page 5

GUILLOTINE FALLS

TRANSPORT BILL; AMENDMENTS RUSHED CONSERVATIVES’ PROTEST LONDON, April 30. The guillotine fell in the House of Commons on the report stage of the Transport Bill promptly at 9.30 p.m. while 29 pages of amendments were still to be discussed. The House had dealt only with 3S clauses of the 123 in the bill and 15 schedules had not received any attention. The Speaker went on to call Government amendments while the Conservatives sat back occasionally calling “No!” There were isolated cries of “farce and shame” as amendment followed amendment. Some Conservatives left the Chamber amid ironical cheets from the Government benches. Sir Alan Herbert, as the Speaker continued putting amendments, said: “The whole proceeding is an absolute farce.” The Speaker replied that the House had approved of the procedure and he could only enforce the decision. Sir Alan attempted to continue his argument, but was drowned by shouts of “Order” from the Government benches and the Speaker continued to read the amendments. The Conservatives, in the main, took no part in the divisions. The Lord President of the Council, Mr. Herbert Morrison, announced in the House of Commons that the third reading debate on. the Transport Bill, which was scheduled under the guillotine programme to end at 9.30 p.m. on Monday, would be extended by 1J hours. Mr. Morrison made this concession in response to a request from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Churchill, but Mr. Morrison would not commit himself when Mr. Churchill asked for an opportunity of hearing the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, on the Moscow conference. Mr. Morrison said they could not have a foreign affairs debate every time the Foreign Secretary went outside the three-mile limit.