Mr. Cross is getting on with his Liquor Bill, mainly
by letting the House do as it likes, and it likes to do very little, and that little in the restrictive sense. For instanee, the Home Secretary, who is in power because the publicans thought the Tories would help them, has accepted 10 as the hour for closing in villagen instead of 11, and has actually raised the close time on Sundays from 6 to 7, an arrangement which, it is asserted, will cause the greatest possible annoyance. Mr. Ward Hunt would not stand it, and said he should vote for 6; but Mr. Cross stuck to bin figure, though he Alight be disposed to modify it by and by.. On that understanding, it was inserted, as was a clause pro- , hibiting the police from searching publicans' private rooms. Mr. Cross thought this needless, but was by no means finally decided about it, while the War Secretary success- fully resisted a proposal to exempt innkeepers from their liability to have soldiers and militiamen billeted on them_ We have not the smallest objection to make to the Govern- ment plan, but we certainly agree with their stout supporter, Mr. Fielden, that as far as the liquor trade is concerned, they came in on false pretences.
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