A WALK-OUT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19843, 18 May 1927, Page 7

A WALK-OUT

LABOUR COMMONERS Government Applies Guillotine to Debate THE TRADES UNIONS BILL [By Telecrap.;—Per Press Assn.—Copyright.) (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, May 16. The Prime Minister, Mr Baldwin, in moving the guillotine resolution on the lrad.es Unions Bill, said if the present rate of progress was maintained and the House sat continuously, and no other business was transacted, they might hope to pass clause 1 by the beginning of August. The Government’s action was in. accord with precedent. Mr J. E. Clynes, who was greeted, with a storm of Labour cheers, said Mr Baldwin’s speech was one of unexampled audacity, which could not bo beaten. The Government was going even further than he had thought likely in the destruction of constitutional practices. “Whatever the class we draw from, we are at least his Majesty’s Opposition, and claim for that Opposition Parliamentary traditional rights which until recently, have been observed” Mr Clynes added heatedly: “It is a grave abuse of the 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.”

Mr Clynes resumed his seat and instantly rose. The entire Labour front bench rose, and, amid hubbub, walked out.

When the Labourites were out of the Chamber, Mr Lloyd George said he 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 dealing with the situation than the use of the guillotine.

After this the motion was carried by 259 to 14, and the House rose,