Mr John Rawlinson: As I say, I never heard of these Rules before, and therefore, if you put this Amendment in the Bill, it will be of advantage to people like country clergymen, a large number of whom are keenly interested in the Bill, as I know from my correspondence bag. They will then know that they are entitled to this relief; it is already set out in the Rules, but probably a large number of clergymen have...
Mr John Rawlinson: I do not differ from what the last speaker said, but for the life of me I cannot understand why he objects to the publication of the party funds by each party. It would clear away a very large amount of the difficulty and distrust hanging round this Debate. It is a very simple matter, and I have never heard any good reason for them not being published. I can understand it not being desirable...
Mr John Rawlinson: Does the hon. Member mean that the inquiry shall be retrospective or that the Commission is merely to deal with the future?
Mr John Rawlinson: Does that apply to the past or the future?
Mr John Rawlinson: My hon. and gallant Friend must realise that he is absolutely misquoting my point of view. I made a definite point as to there being three different classes of cases. I made a perfectly clear point which I need not repeat to the House now.
Mr John Rawlinson: Does not the right hon. Gentleman make it compulsory under this present Bill?
Mr John Rawlinson: I wish to support the Second Reading of this Clause. I ventured to make a few remarks upon this Clause on the Second Reading of this Bill and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury received my remarks very kindly and agreed to make a slight concession which I see he has carried out by an Amendment which appears later on the Paper, but it only deals with a very small class of companies which...
Mr John Rawlinson: And also with my other point as to whether he can see his way to make any concession as regards interest on permanent loans?
Mr John Rawlinson: Could it be done by exempting debentures existing in 1920?
Mr John Rawlinson: Will the right hon. Gentleman state whether Mr. Collins, or any other member of the Provisional Government, has expressed any view on the statement of the Irish Republican Army of last Saturday?
Mr John Rawlinson: I put down this Amendment with my hon. and learned Friend because it was suggested to me by a Member of the Bar who has gone into it very carefully. The first point made by the right hon. Baronet the Member for the City (Sir F. Banbury) is dealt with by a, subsequent Amendment. The second point is that supposing an income is left to the child for 21 years and afterwards somebody else and...
Mr John Rawlinson: I must say I rather like the principle of getting words in now, but I want rather more than this on the Report stage, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer has promised me more.
Mr John Rawlinson: I have been kept waiting as long as 10 minutes.
Mr John Rawlinson: The result was that you had my telephone changed.
Mr John Rawlinson: I am afraid not.
Mr John Rawlinson: I might possibly be misunderstood as a result of an interjection which I made during the speech of the Postmaster-General. I admit at once that there has been a considerable improvement in the service of the Telephone Department, but I did protest, and I still venture to protest, against the statistics that are given, telling us that the average time in London to get an answer from the...
Mr John Rawlinson: That may be so, but they are taken at a time when business is in full swing and all the operators are there, and the trouble always occurs when the staff is changed, at eight in the evening, or later on in the evening. I admit at once there is an improvement in the telephone service, but I say that we are not helped by averages of that kind. They are just as good as the average of the pie...
Mr John Rawlinson: What is the difference in cost from the commercial point of view?
Mr John Rawlinson: Why should there not be publication this afternoon both in Ireland and here? The Constitution has been seen by the Government, and everybody knows that it has been settled. Why is the House of Commons not allowed to have first access to this news?
Mr John Rawlinson: 22. asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that many British subjects in Dublin and elsewhere are compelled by Republicans to feed and lodge Republican families alleged to be refugees from Ulster; what representations have been made by His Majesty's Government to the Free State Government on the point; and what hope is there of this...