Parliament's Week

House of Commons: P: Commander Locker-Lampson, Under Secretary for Home Affairs, was asked by an irate private member who was responsible for selecting Jacob Epstein's memorial to William H. Hudson, the naturalist, whose stone effigy in panel (TIME, June 1, ART) is situate in Hyde Park. Comdr. Lampson replied: "The First Commissioner of Public Works in the Labor Government [Rt. Hon. F. W. Jowett]." A Labor Member hastened to say that a large number of people thought the memorial was distinguished and appropriate. Several Conservatives thought otherwise. One: That all memorials likely to cause acrimonious discussion be kept from public parks; another: That the sculptor, "owing to his inadequate knowledge of the English language," thought he had to produce a scarecrow to go with the birds; yet another: "Will the Government inform the House whether the deformed female with elephantiasis of the hands. . . ." Here the Speaker cut him short.

P:A Labor amendment to the budget was defeated, 331 to 139. A lively discussion between ex-Premier Ramsay MacDonald and Premier Stanley Baldwin preceded the vote, after which closure (of debate) was moved amid cries of: ''Gag"; and the finance bill of the year was read and carried (as above) for a second time.

P:Walter Guinness, Financial Secretary of the Treasury, replying to a question, said he had no information, other than had appeared in the press, concerning the "round robin" which the U. S. Government had sent to its foreign debtors. Mr. Guinness made it clear, however, that Britain would expect payments to the U. S. by her debtors to be accompanied pari passu (simultaneously and equally) by payment to Britain.

P:Sir William Davidson (Conservative) caught the eye of the Speaker (as arranged), rose, asked a question: "May I ask whether the right honorable gentleman is aware that Manna won the Derby?" [Loud cheers, laughter and cries of "order."]

P:Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary, replied to critics that he had no intention of resuming negotiations with Bolshevik Russia. "I shall," he said, "consider any proposals made to me, but I have no intention of initiating them."

P:Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Home Secretary, informed the House that the Government had decided to refuse admission into the country of foreign delegates to the Communist Conference (which began last week). [Loud Conservative cheers.]

P:Captain William Wedgwood Benn (Liberal), supported by ex-Premier George and Barrister Sir John Simon (Liberal), moved a vote of censure on the Speaker (John H. Whitley)* for permitting closure of debate during the second reading of the finance bill (see paragraph 2 above), on the first day, thereby depriving the Liberals of effective reply to the measures and the protection that is due to minorities in the House. A vote of censure on the Speaker is an unusual occurrence and the Liberals made it clear that in no way was the character of the Speaker involved. Conservative and Laborites (the latter are now trying to extirpate the Liberals from Parliament in order to strengthen their position) joined to defeat the motion, which was rejected by 306 to 27 votes.

P:Parliament adjourned for the Whitsuntide recess.

* Mr. Whitley is a Liberal, but as Speaker--that is as President and principal officer of the House and the highest authority on questions of procedure--he loses his political complexion and cannot vote, except in a "dead heat," when he may do so.