Mr. Gladstone made a very powerful speech on Monday, in
favour of the experiment of two Grand Committees—a Corn- antttee on Commercial questions, and a Committee on Legal questions. These Committees are to perform for Commercial and Legal Bills most of the functions of a Committee of the whole House. Mr. Gladstone pointed out that the object is by division of labour to utilise more fully than is now possible the special experience and abilities of Members of the House on both sides, and he expressed. his profound confidence that it is by ex- pedients of this kind, much more than by repressive rules, that time and labour can be best economised. In the debate of Wednesday, Sir G. Campbell made a very unwise attempt to extend this principle to a Grand. Committee on Scotch affairs, a proposal which was speedily smothered ; while Sir Richard Cross very reasonably asked for a guarantee that these Grand Committees should not sit at the time when the House is sitting, since they are intended to do the work of the House, and ought not to be the means of detaching their Members from the general work of the House,—a guarantee also warmly demanded by Mr. Dillwyn. In the debate of Thursday night this guarantee was wisely conceded by Mr. Gladstone.
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