On Wednesday, the Speaker gave a decision in regard to
the conduct of business before the Grand Committees which, in the heated condition of public business, was regarded as a blow to the Government, but which is, as a matter of fact, no such thing. Mr. Salt, the Chairman of the Grand Committee on Trade, ruled out of order certain amendments to the Irish Light Railways Bill, because, in his opinion, they were " hostile to the Bill as a- Bill." Against this decision, certain of the members of Mr. Labouchere's party who supported these amendments appealed to the Speaker. The Speaker, in reply, declared that he could not interfere with the decision of the Chairman, though he did not himself consider that the amend- ments were necessarily destructive of the Bill, and so might have allowed them. The remedy open to Members who felt aggrieved was to move their rejected motions on the Report, there being for Grand Committee Bills no Com- mittee stage of the whole House. Further, the Speaker in- formed Mr. Storey, the chief mover in the matter, that if he wished to have the Bill re-committed, he must move the suspension of the Standing Orders. On this, Mr. Storey announced that he and his colleagues, " with the full consent of their leader "—does this, we wonder, mean Sir William. Harcourt or Mr. Labouchere ?—would withdraw from the Grand Committee. Meantime, however, the Chairman and the majority of the Grand Committee are confident that when the Speaker and the House come to hear the true version of the facts, they will adopt the decision arrived at by Mr. Salt, and will support his ruling. A splendid vista of obstruction is opened for those who wish at all costs to prevent the Govern- ment giving Ireland the advantage of light railways.
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