British Right to Form Palestine Council Challenged in Parliament

The Government’s expressed determination to proceed with establishment of a Palestine legislative council despite Jewish protests stirred a debate in the House of Lords today during which a demand was voiced that the council be deferred until Parliament would discuss and approve the project.

Baron Rankeilleur, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, challenged the right of the Government to proceed, demanding to know under what powers it intended to act. He cited previous cases in other territories where action was preceded by Parliamentary inquiry and approval.

Replying for the Government, Lord Plymouth insisted that provision for establishment of the legislative council would be made by an order of the King in Council under the Foreign Jurisdictions Act of 1890. He added that the order would be laid before Parliament, that the matter would not be hurried and would be studied from every angle.

The right of the Government to proceed under the Foreign Jurisdictions Act was challenged by Baron Rankellour, who asserted that the act was inapplicable to mandated territories. He declared that investigation was “plainly necessary” in the case of Palestine because difficulties were most acute and, in some cases, impossible to reconcile.

He declared that the question was not only a Palestine matter but a world matter, pointing out that he meant to imply no censure of the Palestine High Commissioner, he stated that the question of the legislative council could not be left to the Commissioner or to the department concerned but needed the thorough consideration of Parliament.

He urged that if the Government proceed under orders in Council that it not take action while Parliament recesses.