HEATED PROTEST

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 17 May 1927, Page 9

HEATED PROTEST

USE OF GUILLOTINE.

LABOUR MEMBERS WALK OUT.

SCENES IN THE COMMONS

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.

Received 12.50 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Miay 16. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin, in moving the application. of the guillotine in the debate on the Trade Union Bill, said that if the present rate of progress was maintained and the House sat continuously, and no other business was transacted, they might hope to pas® clause one by the beginning' of August. The Government’.si action was in accord with precedent. Mi', dynes, who was greeted mth a .storm of Labour cheers, said that Mr. Baldwin’s ispeeeh was one of unexampled audacity. The Government was going even further than he Iliad thought likely in the destruction of constitutional practices. “Whatever the clasts we draw from, we are at least His Majesty’s Opposition, and claim for that Opposition the Parliamentary traditional rights which until recently have been observed.” Mr. dynes .added heatedly: “It is a grave abuse of power of the Government’s numbers; it will reduce Parliamentary business to a mockery. We shall not be a party to it; we shall not sit here to participate in a Parliamentary farce.” He then resumed his seat. Instantly the entire Labour front bench rose and, amid hubbub, walked out. When the Labourites were out of the chamber, Air. Lloyd George said ho deeply regretted the scene. He had witnessed many scenes in the House of Commons, but they seldom did any good. He hoped that sooner or later they would find a less barbarous way of dealiug with ;such a situation than the guillotine. After this the motion was carried by 259 to 14, land the House rose.—Australian. Press Assn and “Sun.”