Claluse 1. — (Validity of certain War charges and levies.)

Part of Orders of the Day — WAR CHARGES (VALIDITY) (No. 2) BILL. – in the House of Commons am ar 21 Mai 1924.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Sir Patrick Hastings Sir Patrick Hastings , Wallsend

It is no good saying they do not touch the Amendment. It has already been pointed out that they do not touch the Amendment, but when hon. Members are being asked to record their votes they ought not to be allowed to remain under a misapprehension.

One word about the Amendment. Anyone who cares to could find previous utterances of most Members on these benches, and of myself, expressing the greatest disapproval of retrospective legislation. Everyone agrees with that. I have spoken as strongly as anyone, but that has nothing to do with what we are considering now. When my predecessor, speaking at this box on the Money Resolution, called attention to the importance of not breaking pledges he said, inasmuch as definite pledges have been given with regard to the milk case by the Government as to what they would do, they ought to be carried out. In my view I say deliberately it would be a gross breach of faith to other persons who are interested in this matter if this Amendment was passed. The figures given by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Ealing were absolutely wild in my estimation. The only cases I am dealing with which were started before March, 1922, were three cases, one of which has been abandoned, and the other two together only involved the small sum of £20,000. In March, 1922, when persons obviously were considering their position, quite properly, with regard to this legislation, a statement was made by the then President of the Board of Trade, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bewdley (Mr. Baldwin), and in another place, where there was a discussion, the leaders or high representatives of both parties, Lord Birkenhead and Lord Buckmaster, made observations to the same effect, and in July, 1922, this Bill was actually introduced. There can be no question in the mind, I am sure, of everyone who really wants to deal with the matter impartially that it would be a cruel injustice to men who relied upon the promise of the then President of the Board of Trade, and a declaration made, not in a speech outside the House, but from this box, that this legislation was going to be introduced, should be told to-morrow, "You who trusted the President of the Board of Trade and the Government and held your hand are to be put now in such a position that if you had disbelieved him and gone on with your actions you would have recovered the money." I urge this not as a party question, because this really does not affect my Government at all. It is a question of what is the right and fair thing to do. We know the position, that every one of these people would go home to-morrow and say, "We have been swindled. If only we had not trusted Mr. Baldwin when he made his observations with the weight of the Government behind him, and really with the weight of the House behind him!" because at that time no one could doubt that if the Bill had been introduced next day it would have passed at once.