_Monday, July 16th_.--In the course of a discussion on "rope"
in War-bread Mr. THORNE accused the West-End bakeries of mixing
white flour with the "G.R." variety, and so supplying their
wealthy customers with better bread than is procurable by his own
constituents. Although no official confirmation of this charge was
forthcoming Mr. THORNE appeared to be convinced of its accuracy. In
his opinion the Government, following the historic example of PHARAOH,
should give the bread to the people and the rope to the bakers.
It might not be accurate to say that in the matter of beer the
Irishman wants but little here below, but he certainly wants that
little strong; and being, in spite of a popular impression to the
contrary, a seriously-minded person, he resents any reduction of his
gravity. Mr. BRIDGEMAN'S gentle reminder that no Irish brewer need
avail himself of the new regulations unless he pleases quite failed
to satisfy the Nationalists that a new item had not been added to
Ireland's catalogue of grievances.
_Tuesday, July 17th_.--For some weeks Mr. GINNELL has been absent from
his place. No one has gone so far as to suggest that the Roll of the
House should be called in order to bring back the hon. Member to his
Parliamentary duties. But considerable curiosity was aroused by his
recent statement that he proposed to make one more appearance at
Westminster before retiring permanently to Ireland to watch over
the growth of the Sinn Fein Republic. To-day was the day. Question
45, "Mr. Ginnell, to ask the Prime Minister, &c., &c.," was eagerly
awaited. There was no saying that the hon. Member, if dissatisfied
with the reply, would not hurl the Mace at the CHANCELLOR OF THE
EXCHEQUER, so as to ensure a properly dramatic exit. At last No. 45
was reached; but Mr. GINNELL was not there to put it. Once more the
Saxon intellect had been too slow to keep up with the swift processes
of the Celtic cerebellum. Mr. GINNELL has on more than one occasion
made what his compatriots call a "holy show" of himself; but he
refuses to do this sort of thing to order.
[Illustration: THE EMPTY SEAT.
MR. PUNCH DROPS A SILENT TEAR AT THE DEPARTURE OF ONE OF HIS BEST
PUPPETS.]
Mr. HOUSTON is still harping upon the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER'S
recent confession of his ship-owning gains, and laboured hard this
afternoon to convince the Committee that shipowners in general were
in no sense profiteers. He failed, however, to avert the wrath of
Mr. DENNISS, who declared that if, after what had been revealed, any
shipowner was made a peer, he should move to abolish the peerage.
This day the KING in Council decreed that the Royal House should
forthwith abandon all German titles and be known henceforth as
the House of Windsor. No one will be better pleased than Mr. SWIFT
MACNEILL, who for months past has been unsparing in his efforts
to purge the Upper House of enemy peers, and to-night had the
satisfaction of seeing a Bill for that purpose read a second time. His
prophecy that such a measure could be passed in three minutes was not
quite borne out; but that was chiefly because the hon. Member himself
occupied a quarter-of-an-hour in complaining of the Government's delay
in introducing it.
_Wednesday, July 18th_.--Sir HENRY DALZIEL has been labouring under
the delusion that the R.N.A.S. and the R.F.C. are so mortally afraid
of trespassing upon one another's aerial preserves that the former
will not attack an enemy plane travelling over land, or the latter
over sea. Dr. MACNAMARA for the Navy, and Mr. MACPHERSON for the Army,
informed him that there was no truth in the suggestion; but Colonel
CLAUDE LOWTHER, remembering that there were once Two Macs who
delighted in spoofing their audiences, refused to be comforted until
categorically assured that between R.N.A.S. and R.F.C. there is
"sufficient cohesion."
[Illustration: LORD HARDINGE'S CHAMPION.