"Hume, no doubt, will be taking the sense
Of the House on a question of thirteen-pence"--
when the Government very nearly came to grief to-night over a question of
five pounds for the Inland Revenue offices in Manchester. In vain Mr.
BALDWIN pointed out the desirability of giving proper accommodation to the
gentlemen who pick our pockets in the interest of the State. The House was
still obstinate, until Mr. BONAR LAW declared that the Government would
resign if they did not get their "fiver." As he undertook, however, not to
spend it without further leave, the vote at last went through.
_Thursday, March 4th._--Lord BUCKMASTER'S scheme for preventing the
bankruptcy of the State is to make everybody invest a portion of his
capital in Government securities and to withhold the interest until such
time as the State should find it convenient to pay. This, he explained to
his own satisfaction, was quite different from that dangerous expedient, a
levy on capital. Lord PEEL took a more cheerful view of the situation, and
indicated that it was quite unnecessary for noble lords to get the wind up,
since the Government would have no difficulty in raising it.
Even the most rigid economists will not cavil at the latest addition to our
financial burdens. The PENSIONS MINISTER announced an addition of close on
two millions a year to the annual charge. The increase is chiefly for a
much-needed improvement in the allowances made to disabled officers, who
have hitherto been but scurvily treated.
Mr. HIGHAM objected to receiving an answer about the telephones from Mr.
PIKE PEASE. He demanded a reply from the PRIME MINISTER, not from a
representative of the department impugned. The SPEAKER, however, pointed
out that there were limits to the PREMIER'S responsibilities: "He does not
run the whole show." After this descent into the vernacular I half-expected
that Mr. LOWTHER would dam the stream of Supplementaries that followed
with, "Oh, ring off!" but he contented himself with calling the next
Question.
The debate on the Third Reading of the War Emergency Laws (Continuance)
Bill was chiefly devoted to Ireland. Captain WEDGWOOD BENN, after spending
a whole week in that country, is convinced that all the trouble is due to
the Government's reliance upon D.O.R.A., and declared that the only people
who were not in gaol were the murderers. That would mean that there are
some four million assassins in Ireland; which I feel sure is an
exaggeration. The two hundred thousand mentioned by the CHIEF SECRETARY
would seem to be ample for any country save Russia.
Scarcely was this gloomy episode over than the House was called upon to
pass a Supplementary Estimate of £860 for "Peace Celebrations in Ireland."
As £500 of this sum was for flags and decorations, which, in Mr. BALDWIN'S
phrase, "remain for future use," the Irish outlook may, after all, be not
quite so black as it is painted.
* * * * *
[Illustration: _Hawker_ (_to lady who is in bitter need of fuel_). "EAGER
AS I AM, MADAM, TO EXPLAIN THE MERITS OF THESE LOGS AT FOURTEEN SHILLINGS A
HUNDRED, I CANNOT IGNORE THE NOTICE EMBLAZONED ON YOUR GATE, AND THEREFORE
WISH YOU A VERY GOOD DAY."]
* * * * *