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China Indemnity
HOUSE OF COMMONS
[Mr. Dalton.] ber for Cambridge University (Sir J. Withers); and I then made a statement on behalf of the Government to the effect that we were advised that it would be competent for the Universities China Committee to devote some part of the £200,000 allocated to them in the Bill to increasing the provision for Chinese teaching in the universities.
I had hopes that that satisfied the universities who raised the point. I gather, however, since the Noble Lord. has raised the matter again to-night, that they are not completely satisfied, and, in response to the appeal that he made at the end of his speech, I am authorised to say that I myself, or someone else acting on behalf of the Government, will be perfectly ready to meet representa- tives of the universities and discuss the matter. We have taken the view from the beginning that one of the objects- not the exclusive object, but one of the objects which should be carried out by the Universities China Committee in allocating this money, was an increased provision for the teaching of Chinese in the universities. If it be the case that this is not sufficiently clearly within their competence, we are quite willing to consider what amendment might be made in the Bill in order to put that point beyond question.
I cannot, however, accept the proposal that we should not dispose of the Bill to-night. I would rather suggest that such a consultation should take place, and that in another place an Amendment should be moved on behalf of the Gov- ernment, consequent upon consultation between representatives of the Govern- ment and representatives of the univer- sities. I hope that, that undertaking being given, as 1 do unequivocally give it, we shall be able to get the final stages of this Bill to-night. There are dependent upon this Bill other matters than increased provision for the teach- ing of Chinese. There are £3,000,000 worth of orders for British industry, and these we are unwilling to see postponed any longer than is absolutely necessary. There are other provisions also of an educational and industrial character, and the Government attach great im- portance to getting the Bill forward with the least possible delay. I hope, in view of the statement I have made, the
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Noble Lord will not press his Motion, but will, with other university repre- sentatives, enter into consultation with us for further elucidation of the point which still seems to be in doubt.
Mr. SPEAKER: I have not made up my mind yet whether this is a Money Bill. There is some doubt about it, a I should not like to say off-hand that this will be a Money Bill. If that were the case the House of Lords would not be able to amend it.
The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. William Graham): On that point may I submit that the Bill, of course, imposes no charge. It merely introduces certain variations in the use of the fund, and it may be that on that basis you will be prepared to indicate now that there will be less difficulty in dealing with it in another place by way of Amendment, such as my hon. Friend has suggested.
Mr. SPEAKER: That is hardly the point. The point is that if the Bill is exclusively a Bill dealing with money 1 have to certify it as a Money Bill. It does not follow that it makes a charge at all. If it exclusively deals with money I have to certify that it is a Money Bill.
Sir AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN: We who wish to know the exact conditions in which we are acting are all grateful for the warning that you, Sir, have just addressed to the House. The Govern- ment will not wish certainly to offer any undertaking which it would be beyond. their power to fulfil. That warning does, I think, very materially alter the situa- tion from what it was when the Under- Secretary was speaking, and I would once again press the request made by my hon. Friend in no more unfriendly spirit than that with which he himself presented it, for the hon. Gentleman opposite knows I am deeply committed to the general principles and purposes of the Bill, and have its objects quite as much at heart as he has. I would press his request again, so that at least we may be assured that if, as the result of these promises, an Amendment is to be desired, we may not have put it beyond our power to make that Amendment, and find that it is not within the power of the other House to amend it.