Mr William Morrison: I regret to have to inform the House of the death of David Johnstone Pryde, esq., Member for Midlothian, and I desire on behalf of the House to express our sense of the loss we have sustained and our sympathy with the relatives of the honourable Member.
Mr William Morrison: I understand that in a short time we shall be summoned to another place, where this Session will come to an end by Prorogation. I also understand from the newspapers that this Parliament will shortly after that be dissolved and a new House of Commons will be elected to meet on the 20th of next month. As I shall not be here then, the time has now come for me to take my leave of you and to bid...
Mr William Morrison: I rise to express my thanks for the kind words that have been said by the two right hon. Gentlemen and by the hon. Member for Hudders-field, West (Mr. Wade). I know that I do not deserve half of the things they said, but I am grateful none the less for the kind hearts behind the speeches. I fear I cannot give advice to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin). No doubt on the subject...
Mr William Morrison: I have to acquaint the House that the House has been to the House of Peers, where a Commission under the Great Seal was read. The Lord High Chancellor, being one of the High Commissioners, delivered Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, in pursuance of Her Majesty's Commands, as follows:
Mr William Morrison: What day?
Mr William Morrison: The hon. Member is in a difficulty. He must name a specific date.
Mr William Morrison: The hon. Member must ask a question.
Mr William Morrison: Mr. Frank Allaun.
Mr William Morrison: I called Mr. Frank Allaun. The hon. Gentleman was too slow.
Mr William Morrison: Well, this is the last day. Mr. Victor Yates.
Mr William Morrison: Order. With the best will in the world, I cannot allow the hon. Member to make a speech at Question Time. He has already asked the Home Secretary a number of questions.
Mr William Morrison: Thank you very much.
Mr William Morrison: What day?
Mr William Morrison: The expression "vendetta" really means a feud, does it not? It is something like that, and I think that within the realms of ordinary Parliamentary discussion I have heard very much worse things said.
Mr William Morrison: rose—
Mr William Morrison: That is not a point of order. I would protect the hon. Member in every proper case if he needed my protection, but he himself used pretty hard language about the Minister.
Mr William Morrison: I do not wish to express an opinion one way or another on this controversy, but certainly if a Minister feels he wants to make a statement on a matter which concerns the public interest and the interest of his Department, in a proper case I would allow it.
Mr William Morrison: I have received no such request from anyone.
Mr William Morrison: There is a good deal of weight in that.
Mr William Morrison: I do not see how I could accept a manuscript Amendment at this very late stage of the proceedings. The hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Langford-Holt) gave notice of this matter yesterday, and if any Amendments were desired to the Motion they could have been put down.