Part of Orders of the Day — WAR CHARGES (VALIDITY) (No. 2) BILL. – in the House of Commons am ar 21 Mai 1924.
I join with other hon. Members in expressing the misgiving which one feels as to the position which the Government have taken up on this question. The Attorney-General has based his claim, as far as I can understand, upon a pledge which was given by the present Leader of the Opposition when he was President of the Board of Trade. He based his argument on the fact that the Government of that day had a very large majority and that they could carry anything. I happened to be in that Parliament, and I know that there was probably no Government that ever existed where there was more independence of thought among the supporters of the Government. Continually, Debates came forward in which the view of the Government was not accepted, and they had either to withdraw or they were defeated, as happened on several occasions. Although I was a supporter of the Government, I voted over 100 times against that Government. Such a position would not be possible in this House of Commons or in the last House of Commons.
I am not going to enter into legal arguments with the Attorney-General, because I am not a lawyer; I approach this question from the point of view of the ordinary business man. Amongst the business community there is a great deal of misgiving as to the way that Governments treat traders. During the War Orders in Council were issued nearly every five minutes on all sorts of subjects. The Ministry of Food issued frequent Orders which were so complex that no business man could understand them. The action which the Government is taking is not fair to business men. There are many business men who have not the pluck to start actions at law. There are many business men who, like myself, would run miles in order to avoid a law action, and they will always pay through the nose to avoid one. Business men want to avoid litigation as far as possible. As to the amount which has been mentioned by the Attorney-General, it does not frighten me in the least. I do not care whether it is £18,000,000 or eighteen-pence. There seems to be a very serious question of policy involved. I approach the matter from the point of view of people having their just rights given to them. Once an action has been started I do not think that it is within the province of this House to interfere. I hope this matter will be pressed to a Division, and I shall have no hesitation in going into the Lobby in favour of the Amendment. This is not the only time that the present Government have taken up the attitude of adopting retrospective legislation. They have done it in the Finance Bill, and as a matter of principle I object to it.