Parliament reassembled on Wednesday, but neither on that day nor
on Thursday was any business of importance transacted. On Wednesday, upon the vote for the Customs Department, Mr. Snowden objected to the political disabilities imposed on the Civil servants, and asked that the regulation prohibiting them from becoming members of political associa- tions should be repealed. We are glad to say that the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer refused to do anything of the kind, but pointed out that, in view of the duties which the Excise officers would be asked to discharge under the Old-Age Pensions Bill, it would be more necessary than ever to keep them out of politics. The administration of the pensions scheme would confer upon Excise officers " a gigantic power of patronage." That is perfectly sound ; but even if political bias is avoided, we are afraid that the "gigantic power of patronage " that is to be in the future exercised by the Excise- men will be certain to cause a large crop of dangers and difficulties. The power of discrimination—i.e., the reporting to the Committees whether a man is or is not outside the pension line—will subject Excisemen to pressure which it will often be very difficult for them to resist. Again, a man not strictly pensionable, but anxious to get hia £13 a year, might well think it worth while to give half .his pension in the first year, or a quarter of his .pension each year, in order to have the Exciseman on his side. Quis custodiet custodes 7—who will excise the Exciseman ?
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