The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-12
LabOrites
Battle for
Bedlam Reigns in House of
Commons as Chancellor At
iempts to Counteract
Defeat of Tuesday.
Adjournment Is Favored
BY Associated Press.

ny AssoCihteu Ifess
London, April 11.-Perhaps never
since the days of Parnellite obstruc-
ton has such a scene of violent I'D.
roar been witnessed in the house Of
commons as that which today trans.
formed the ordinarily placid and digni.
fled chamber into absolute bedlam.
The disorders arose primarily out
OF the governments defeat, by small
majority on a mere technical point
Tuesday night Today Stanley Bald.
win, chancellor of the exchequer. in
troduced q motion framed to counter
act this defeat, only to meet with a
storm unexampled in present day
parliamentary annals, in the face of
which the speaker. powerless to OBJ.
tain division. declared the motion
carried under closure and the house
adjourned until Thursday.
Weld Big Stick.
The laborlties clearly felt that they
had big stick to WELD against the
government in the interests OF ex-
service men, which was the question
originally before the house. In this
attitude the labor members are likely
to receive the support Of the whole
laborite electorate
All sorts of epithets and threaten.
ing gestures against the treasury
bench came from the laborites, espec-
tally from the small extreme group.
including the Scottish members, led
by John Joseph Jones and George
Lansbury. The house. in striking
contrast with Tuesdays scene. was
crowded. and the two front benches
were uneomfortably so. Excitement
was at fever heat. Jones vehement
~ expounded the grievances OF the
former service men and was repeated
ly called to order b ythe speaker. who
declared that the question could not
be debated until Thursday.
Speaker Ignored.
All the speakers efforts 10 pacifv
the recalcitrants appeared only to in.
flame them still further. The speak
or protested that 1t would be "a very
bad thing" II the members should
force an adjournment on account OF
grave disorders. and begged them to
refrain. All to no purpose-''we de
mand an answer" was shouted on
every hand By the angry lab0riies
Chancellor Baldwin's motion was
that the house Thursday. resolve IL.
self into committee OF supply. so
thai the difficulty in which the gov
ernment had found itself could be
adjusted. but the opposition declined
to take part in a division and a
closure was moved leading finally
to the speaker declaring other closure
motion and the chanoellor's motion
carried.
The government. constrained TO bow
before the storm. had 10 abandon the
important agricultural debate set
down for today and also the expected
statement from the minister of
agriculture concerning the govern.
ment policy on the recent recon-
mendations OF the agricultural
tribunal.
Asked Special DAY.
Mr. Lloyd George had only just
previously asked the government TO
grant special day for discussion
OF the important agricultural problem,
only to meet with Chancellor Bald
wins regretful rejoinder that he
could see no possibility OF giving a
day in the future and the declaration
that it is most important that the
minister OF agriculture should make
his statement today.
Two views prevail over the excit-
ing events. On the government side,
although some OF the members admit
that Mr.. Baldwin and the other min
listers acted somewhat flippantly and
that the government was hasty In
invoking the closure motion. II was
mostly held that when the house
meets Thursday the efferveseence
viii have subsided and some means
OF accommodation would be found.
On the other hand. the laborlties
characterize the plan devised by the
ministers and speaker as an ingenious
quibble aud declare that strict ad-
herence to parliamentary tradition
would have dictated the resignation
OF the government.