a
Treasury Bench not in these days too careful of the Graces. Happily Oxford
City has found another distinguished man to succeed him. Mr. J.A.R.
MARRIOTT may indeed be said to have obtained a Parliamentary reputation
even before, strictly speaking, he was a Member. Usually the taking of the
oath is a private affair between the neophyte and the Clerk, and the House
hears nothing more than a confused murmur before the ceremony is concluded
by the new Member kissing the Book or--more often in these days--adopting
the Scottish fashion of holding up the right hand. Oxford's elect would
have none of this. Like the Highland chieftain, "she just stude in the
middle of ta fluir and swoor at lairge." Not since Mr. BRADLAUGH insisted
upon administering the oath to himself has the House been so much stirred;
even Members loitering in the Lobby could almost have heard the ringing
tones in which Mr. MARRIOTT proclaimed his allegiance to our Sovereign
Lord, KING GEORGE THE FIFTH.

_Tuesday, April 3rd_.--Mr. KING really displays a good deal of ingenuity in
his endeavours to get men out of the Army. His latest notion is that all
Commanding Officers at home should be ordered to give leave to those men
who have gardens so that they may return to cultivate them. There would, no
doubt, be a remarkable development of horticultural enthusiasm among our
home forces if the War Office were to smile upon the idea; but, though
fully alive to the value of food-production, the UNDER-SECRETARY was unable
to assent to this wide extension of "agricultural furlough."

A request by the Press Bureau that newspapers would submit for its approval
any articles dealing with disputes in the coal-trade gave umbrage to
several Members, who saw in it an attempt by the Government to fetter
public criticism. Mr. BRACE mildly explained that the object was only to
prevent the appearance of inaccurate statements likely to cause friction in
an inflammable trade. When Mr. KING still protested, Mr. BRACE again showed
that his velvet paw conceals a very serviceable weapon. "Surely the
Honourable Member does not believe that inaccurate statements can ever be
helpful." Then there was silence.

Mr. BONAR LAW stoutly denied that the National Service scheme was a
failure, but admitted that the Cabinet was looking into it with a view to
its improvement. Up to the present some 220,000 men have volunteered, but
as about half of these are already engaged on work of national impor