UPROAR IN COMMONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 9

UPROAR IN COMMONS.

■ .'■v'-'" ."'.'. — +>'""- ",.,.''' ■'■:''-. HOME RULE EOR SCOTLAND PRIVATE . BILL TALKED OUT. i ATTACKS ON 'THE SPEAKER, By Telegraph Press Association— Copyright. •' ; v (Received 5.5 p.m.) , -" a Reuter. , LONDON. May 9. A" scene -of uproar occurred in the House of Commons in consequence of j the Speaker allowing .the, .Home- Rule for Scotland Bill to be talked out. . ■..,-, .; The bill, provides for the establishment in Scotland of a single chamber Parliament comprising 143 members, Scotland continuing her present representation in , the House of Commons until a, general devolution scheme shall, have been instituted in the United Kingdom. .; Mr.' G. Buchanan. Labour member for Gorbals (Glasgow), in moving the second reading of the bill, claimed that Scotsmen almost unanimously favoured the scheme in order to relieve congestion in the House of Commons ' ?.;. Mr. T. Johnston, Labour member for Stirling, seconded the motion. , Sir J. L. Baird. Conservative member for Ayr Burghs, moved an amendment >to reject the bill. . : ■ .'■.... A number of Scottish' Labour members finally ' endeavoured to move the closure, but the Speaker declined to accept this* Thereupon pandemonium broke loose in the Labour benches. Mr. D. Kirkwood, , Labour member for Dumbarton, and . others angrily shouted and contested the fairness of the Speaker's decision. • They asserted that it was the first private bill this session for which the closure had been refused. ■' Mr. W. Adamson, Secretary for Scotland, said the Government approved the general principle of the bill, and he hoped it would be read a second time by an overwhelming majority. The * Government was prepared to appoint a committee to examine the whole question and report to the House, because a vital issue was concerned, equally as important to the English and the Welsh as to the Scottish. ■ : -. : '.\ •■■ ' .-• :.■'. ■ >■} ■• ..--? The Speaker admitted that- he had earlier intended to accept the closure. He justified his action, however, by referring to the incident ,in ' the debate ' when Labour members and Liberals objected to a member on the Opposition bench being called on to speak, on the,ground that two Opposition . front bench members had previously spoken. < »; i '\ > Fresh pandemonium ensued. ' , ' Mr. Kirkwood was particularly furious. He flung his arms about and shouted an attack on the Speaker. -~"• r Colonel Ji P. Hodge, Liberal member for Preston, for endeavouring to continue the discussion in defiance of the Speaker's ruling,, was threatened, with suspension. , ' The Speaker finally declared the House adjourned. - / '■ ,: - ;•; ''.