London, July 9.
In the House of Commons this the iment barely escaped evening, by a margin of three votes,
defeat in a crucial division on an amendment to the Budget moved by the Liberal Party which' sought to grant relief from payment of income-tax on profits expended on plant and machinery, Mr. Lloyd George, the Leader of the Liberal Party, emphasized that the Liberals had not the slightest desire to Yefeat the Government, He said he was doubtful whether the Conservative Party were any more anxious todo so. If anything could be done by ce-operation, that was what they were all seeking.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Philip Snowden, opposed the amendment, which, he said, involved an unblushing subsidy which could apply equally to the vendor of ieecream as to the equipment of a factory, and which would cost the press the opinion that in view of the existing depressing international conditions in agriculture, industry and trade, and the present patent inability to salve these problems, neither Free Trade tier Proteetio whether in the shape of safeguard: ing or Empire free trade, offers hopes of a remedy. They, therefore, urge. the Government (1) to estab. lish import boards for the prineips foodstuffs and raw materials for the protection of British agriculture ists; (2) to build up British exports to the Dominions and elsewhere by iprocal arrangements in connec tion with bulk contracts; and (3), nationally to reorganize the imports ing and exporting machinery of Britain's staple trades and also to deal with unfair competition, The date for the debate on the motion of censure and the amendment has not yet been fixed, "The Chameleon of Criccieth country' 20,000,000 a year:
Mr. Winston Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the last Conservative Government,—supported the amendment. Amid tented excite ment, the amendment was put to the vote and rejected by 218 votes to The announcement of the result of the di S greeted with loud Opposition cries of "Resign," countering the cheers which came from the Labour benches when it was known the amendment had been defeated, The Government was actually saved by the fact that four Liberal members of the House voted against the amendment, despite the fact that it had been moved by their own leader.
Tory Motion of Censure A group of members of the Left Wing of the Labour Party has ect down an amendment to. the motion of censure lodged on Monday by the leader of the Conservative Party, Mr, Stanley Baldwin, This motion of censure advocates the safeguarding of the Home market, the expanding of the expert market by reciprocal trade agreements with the Empire overseas, and the imposition of duties upon foreign foodstuffs so devised as to obtain equivalent advantages for British manufactures and agriculture in the markets of the Empire und elsewhere, In submitting their amendment, the Labour MLP/s concerned exe was culled, Reuter, July 10, Mr. Lloyd George, whom the "Daily Herald" to-day' bitterly: calls the "chameleon of Criccieth," by Putting the Whips on for last even ing's division in the House of Commons on the Finance Bill and thus neatly defeating the Government, has angered the ministeriatiats and has preciated a fresh crisis in the Liberal Party, It is also considered that he has the prospects of the conversations now proceeding bee tween the Government and himself.
Lloyd George, in his speech, said that he did not desire to ject the Government but merely wished to help employment, Liberals thought that he would mot proceed. toa divvion. Consequently, when he decides! to put on the Whips his followers were hopelessly divided, Four voted for the Government and 25 against the Gowenment, mary abstained from voting and a. most significant fact is that among. those who abstained were prominent members of the Party such as Sir Herbert Samuel and Me, Donald Maclean, The Conservatives voted in full strength, thus showing their eagerness to eject the Government. They. even lulled the Liberals into the idea that the Goverment was safe n any event by concealing 65 of their anembers in St. Stephen's Clubs from where they poured into the House of Commons by. the under= round passage when the division
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.