The Week in Parliament
1 OR a couple of hours on Wednesday evening of last week the proceedings in the House of Commons were 'reduced to the level of broad farce. A little comic relief was eminently desirable after the sustained mental effort that members had been called upon to make in connexion with the Budget, and Mr. Arthur Samuel obligingly provided cigarette-lighters as an Unexfseeted, imimportant, and therefore very welcome target. He -refused an amendment to reduce the Excise duty on the ground that it might interfere with foreign treaties ; and then, a few minutes later, accepted it. The fuse decided-that this chance was too-0°d to and - proceeded-to -take full -advantage -of it. Mr, V. -Alexander began the fun. This was Prop' tection by a back door, and he submitted that the Finarr- cial- Secretary was 'playing fast and loose " with the House of Commons. It was not the sum of money in- volved but the principle at stake that clearly worried Mr.- Alexander waxed more and- more indignant: Then up- rose Major Hills. He thought the whole affair very odd, and said he 'should raise the question again. Sir W. -Lane-Mitchell formally complained that Mr. Samuel Samuel risen four times in - vain, and at that Mr. Hardie moved the adjournment- of-the House. Sir John Simon, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Snowden (fished out of dinner), Mr. Wheatley; Mr. Jack Jones (" unused as he was to speaking on great Constitutional. issues "), Mr. Runciman and others joined, with:-considerable effect, in the chase. Suddenly Mr. Fielden, a Conservative Member, was afflicted with conscientious qualms, and thought he was bound to vote for- the adjournment " until his knowledge of the position was greater," It statement which appeared to render his presence in the Opposition lobby inevitable.
So the game went on until Commander Eyres-Monsell decided that Members had had enough recreation. Mr. Ramsden was fetched, withdrew his amendment, and the House returned to business. .But not before a spectator in the gallery, apparently intoxicated by the joyous scene below, and evidently desirous of entering into the spirit of the entertainment, had told the Speaker to shut up in no unmeasured terms, and thrown an ancient hat at an honourable and gallant Unionist Member.
The highest credit is due. to Sir Laming Worthington.- Evans for the manner in which he conducted the final stages of the Budget-resolutions. Mr. Runeiman made a damaging and- misleading speech on the subject of British ereditoieliveredmith the ease, fluency, and lucidity for which he is deservedly renowned. It was a speech which, by its masterly treat- ment of highly technical subject-matter, impressed the House, and called for immediate reply. The Secretary for War rose to the occasion, and pointed out (1) That if you exclude capital assets from the revenue account, as Mr. Runchnan wished to do, you must also exclude capital liabilities ; and (2) that the amount devoted to the Sinking Fund and the loans guaranteed by the State are not comparable figures, since the latter create no charge on the Exchequer and should be redeemed not out of the Sinking Fund, but by the borrowers. This knocked the bottom out of Mr. Runciman's main argu- ment. Unionist Members, with one exception, were quite satisfied with Sir Laming's account of the financial position of the country, and with his subsequent explanation of the figure of £355 millions for the Fixed Debt charge. We are enjoying, by way of a change, discussions on such comparatively non-controversial matters as the Franchise Bill, Scottish Affairs, and
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