_Monday, May 12th_.--Lord FRENCH'S newspaper revelations were brought
to the notice of Mr. CHURCHILL, who adduced the cases of the late
Lords WOLSELEY and ROBERTS as evidence that Field-marshals, when
unemployed, have always been allowed considerable freedom of
criticism. The fact that Lord FRENCH is Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland and
(nominal) Commander-in-Chief of the considerable army employed in that
country makes no difference; but ordinary serving officers are still
subject to the Regulations and will take FRENCH leave at their peril.
In the course of a further discussion on milk--prices, about which the
West Country is still up in arms, Mr. MCCURDY dropped the remark that
it was impossible to control cream, owing, no doubt, to its notorious
insurrectionary tendencies; and Colonel WEIGALL removed a load of
suspicion from some of our minds by the emphatic declaration that "a
cow was not a pump, of which the supply could be turned off or on as
one liked."
The FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS was not very hopeful about the removal
of the buildings which disfigure the Parks. The most he could say
was that he was doing his best to get the camouflage school out of
Kensington Gardens, and let nature have a chance.
_Tuesday, May 13th_.--The Lords defeated the Government by inserting
in the Ministry of Health Bill a provision that the new Minister
should have only one Parliamentary Secretary. In vain Lord SANDHURST
protested that the amendment would tie the PRIME MINISTER'S hands.
Lord MIDLETON was delighted to think that it would. Lord CREWE
declared that the creation of minor Ministers was becoming a disease
(possibly the Ministry of Health will include it among "notifiable"
epidemics?). Lord BLEDISLOE quoted the old tag about big fleas and
little fleas. But after all there must be some check to the inveterate
tendency to somnolence in the public offices.
When the Ways and Communications Bill was before the Commons the
Minister-Designate buttressed his case with the alarming statement
that there would be a deficit of one hundred millions this year on the
working of the railways. Members were therefore surprised to find in
the Budget that only sixty millions was provided to meet it. Even
in these days a discrepancy of forty millions does not pass entirely
unnoticed. When taxed with it, Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said he thought it was
due to Government traffic not having been allowed for in the original
calculation, but advised his questioner to ask Sir ERIC GEDDES to
explain. For some reason--can it be the formidable appearance of the
GEDDES chin?--Sir JOSEPH WALTON did not seem greatly pleased at the
prospect.
Like many another Chief Secretary before him, Mr. IAN MACPHERSON, who
reappeared in the House after a long absence in Ireland, had to
figure with a scourge in one hand and an olive branch in the other.
At Question-time he was the stern upholder of law and order, obliged
within the last few days to suspend a seditious newspaper and to
surround the Dublin Mansion House with soldiers. A few moments later
he was moving the Second Reading of a most generous Housing Bill,
under which Irish Corporations will be enabled to build thousands of
dwellings largely at the expense of the general taxpayer.
[Illustration: FAILING TO DIFFER.