Parliament's Week

COMMONWEALTH

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

House of Commons. "Dave" Kirkwood, Labor M. P. for the Clyde, introduced his bill for removing the Stone of Scone*, or Lia Fail, to Scotland from Westminster Abbey. The bill passed its first reading by 201 to 171 votes. "Dave" caused laughter by telling the House that "this was the stone that Jacob had for a pillow at Bethel when the angels went up and down the ladder."

Lord Apsley, Conservative, said that "Odin threw it at another god who was making love to Odin's wife. The stone missed the culprit and fell among the Scots."

P: Arthur Ponsonby, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, informed the House that the Treaty of Lausanne had been ratified by Britain.

P: Lady Astor caused one of her House of Commons-scenes by persisting in ignoring the Chair during debate. Her violation of the Speaker's ruling that she was "out of order" became so flagrant that the inimitable "Dave" Kirkwood at length called to the Speaker to ask her to leave the House. At this her ladyship sat 'down, but continued her protests from her sitting posture.

P:The Government suffered another defeat in the House, on the Unemployment Insurance Bill, Liberals and Conservatives combining to carry an amendment by 171 to 149 votes. There was no question of the Government's resigning.

* Stone of Scone, upon which the Scotch Kings were crowned for 500 years, was brought from Scone to England by Edward I in 1296, and placed under the throne in Westminster Abbey. Since that date all the Sovereigns have been crowned upon it. Edward III offered to return it some fifty years later under stated conditions, but the Scotch noblemen refused his offer.