AT WESTMINSTER
THE interval between the Parliamentary " hail—farewell—and hail again " was very short. On Monday the Lord Chancellor pronounced a nunc dimirtis in stately and sonorous tones, and on Tuesday His Majesty opened Parliament in a ceremony still dignified, impressive and traditional, though shorn of much of the pomp of yesteryear. It is true that the whole proceedings of the opening of Parliament have the effect, whether by design or no, of putting the faithful Commons in their place. It is not only that they are sum- moned to their Lordships' House and are there kept standing in close formation, gazing enviously at the seated noblemen. That is a traditional proceeding : but, this year like last, they were subjected to a literal and physical operation of what in French constitutional jargon is called la navette—the shuttlecocking between the two Chambers, their present Chamber, borrowed from the Lords, and the old St. Stephen's Chamber. However, the Commons came back into their own on Tuesday afternoon, when the Address was pleasantly and appropriately moved by Mr. Blyton and seconded by Miss Herbison. The selection of a mover and seconder of the Address involves striking a correct balance between personal, geo- graphical and professional considerations. However that may be, both selections in this case were admirable.
* * * The moving and the seconding of the Address is a ceremonial dis- charge of blank as a chivalrous preliminary to the real battle. The first live rounds were Bred by Mr. Eden in a spirited and successful speech. It was not the best speech which I have heard him make ; but it answered its purpose very well, and included a very pleasant quip on Sir Stafford's statement that the Chancellor goes in to bat before him. " One would have expected them to open the innings together," said Mr. Eden: " I should like to know whether this arrangement has been made by the captain or whether it is just a result of a scramble for the crease." The Prime Minister was less happy in his reply. It was—I do not know—perhaps necessary for him to start his speech with certain detailed references to impending business ; but it did not help to create the right psychological atmo- sphere for what should have been a big speech on a big occasion. Later on, Mr. Attlee fell foul of Mr. Churchill, who heckled him persistently and vigorously on the strength of the Home Fleet, the figures of which were not immediately in Mr. Attlee's mind ; and the speech concluded to the accompaniment of only moderate applause. It being then only 6.15 p.m., there was a great opportunity for an Opposition member to rise and rend—or attempt to rend— the Prime Minister's speech in the classic style of F. E. Smith. But no one took it, and the House passed to a discussion of Sir John Mellor's adjournment motion on the Coal Board.
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Wednesday produced a double break in the routine of the debate on the Address. First, there was the congratulatory motion to Prin- cess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Mountbatten, commended to the House in fitting terms by the four Party leaders. Then Mr. Gallacher dis- sented on grounds that appeared to be in the main both irrelevant and out of order. This brought Mr. McGovern to his feet in a fine extempore speech commending our principle of constitutional monarchy and declaring it to be the envy of many who do not possess it. As Mr. Gallacher did not back his voice with his vote, the motion was carried nemine contradicente. Mr. Morrison then attacked his self-imposed task of persuading the House to forgo the indulgence of Private Members' time. This he did with characteristic skill and gusto, not even thrown out of his stride when three Parliamentary veterans of the Opposition, Sir Peter Macdonald, Sir Thomas Moore and Sir Ralph Glyn, successively rose to draw his attention to three excellent Bills which they had introduced as private Members, and whose provisions are operating for the public good today. Captain Crookshank was very effective in reply in a characteristically nimble debating speech, which had the unusual distinction of appearing to earn commendation from his opponents almost as much as from his own side. There followed a debate of high quality with good speeches from several Members, particularly Mr. Hale and Commander
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