er closing Committee stage--298 voted with Government against 204 for
rejection of motion. By rare coincidence figures in both divisions were
exactly the same, re-establishing Government majority at 94.

This done, Members trooped out in battalions, leaving Hume Williams to
spend on wooden intelligence of empty benches able argument in support
of motion for rejection of Bill at Third Reading stage. Lifeless debate
temporarily uplifted by speech of simple eloquence from William Jones,
who, after long interval, breaks the silence imposed upon a Whip.
Quickly gathering audience listened from both sides with obvious
pleasure to a speech which, as Stuart-Wortley said, was "marked by real
fervour and manifest sincerity." We have not so many natural orators in
present House that we can with indifference see given up to the drudgery
of the Whips' room what was meant for mankind.

One passage, a sort of aside, brought tears to eyes of case-hardened
section of the audience seated in Press Gallery. They furtively dropped
when Member for Carnarvon described how, a small boy visiting the
Strangers' Gallery, he found seated there "a saintly Pressman, a frail
and fragile figure in bad health, who wrote weekly letters to the Welsh
_Baner_. I saw him," he added, "at lucid intervals, writing his
letters."

[Illustration: Mr. Lloyd George and the Welsh Disestablishment Bill.

"For the rest it was the same grinding out of barrel-organ tunes that
has been going on these three years."]

House loudly laughed at picture thus graphically drawn. Pressmen, not
essentially saintly, know how desirable is the accessory of lucid
intervals for the writing of London Letters.

[Illustration: A PASSIVE RESISTER.

"Let degenerate Irishmen, suborned by bargain with a Saxon Government,
go forth to save it in the Division Lobby."

(Mr. William O'Brien.)]

_Business done._--Under Procedure Resolution agreed to last week Welsh
Church Disestablishment Bill carried through Committee as quickly as
Chairman could put formal motion. Debate opened on Third Reading.

_Tuesday._--"I rejoice," said F. E. Smith, rising at ten o'clock in half
empty House to support motion for rejection of Welsh Church Bill on
Third Reading stage, "that debates on this measure are approaching
termination. We are all driven to make the same speeches over again and
to cite old illustrations of the insane constitution under which we
live."

This frank admission of the inutility