London, May 27.
The House of Commons to-day passed the second reading of the Civil List BIL by 240 votes to 122, Opposition votes were recorded in favour of the view, already urged by the Labour Party, that greater simplicity in the daily life of the Court was essential in the modern democratic constitution of the Bute ish Commonwealth, Mr, Arthur Greenwood, Labour member for Wakefield, said for the Opposition that the British monarchy existed by the will of the British people and with the approval of the people of the Dominions, It was Fecognized as symbolizing the funda mental unity of those peoples freely associated in the British Common wealth of Nations. He believed Kingship would gain in dignity by permitting Ha privacy it did not how enjoy, and. by destroying the barriers of splendour and display which stood between the King and his people.
Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reply, questioned the Labour Party's ase Sumption. that widespread " fevilng @xisted in favour of simplification but suggested in so far as it was present, that the people would prefer simplifeation to come from the [King's own inclination and natural disposition, Everybody knew that the occasions and places in which 'Their Majesties earn' into personal contact with their subjects were more numerous fand more informal in character than they ever were in the past, Mr. Chamberlain deciared, 1 do not take the Opposition motion as meaning any hostility 10 the idea of a monarchy, or of suxesting that if we have 'a monarchy ft" should not be kept up with duc regard. I take it that it ly for he purpose of placing on record a point fof view which has been put forward in very "moderate terms," he con~ eluded—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.