On Tuesday the House of Commons met for a short
sitting to transact business before adjourning for the Easter Recess. Mr. Whiteley, the chief Liberal Whip, in moving the adjourn- ment announced that the Licensing Bill would be taken first on the reassembling of Parliament on the 27th inst. In reply to Mr. Walter Long, Mr. Whiteley declined to state whether the Government intended to proceed de die in diem with the second reading of the Bill. He admitted that their action was rather unusual, but the circumstances were exceptional, ten days having been lost owing to the reconstruction of the Cabinet. They hoped, however, that the division might be taken on the Wednesday night, but this was a matter for negotiation. On the motion for adjournment the case of the Kentish bop-growers was raised by Sir Gilbert Parker, who appealed to the Chancellor of the ExChequer to give the matter his favourable consideration. Sir Gilbert Parker stated that in the last three weeks eight thousand tons of American hops bad been dumped on the banks of the Thames at 25s. a hundred- weight, or 17s. less than the price at which Kentish bops could be produced. The Kent industry had already suffered to such an evtent that something like eight thousand families had been thrown out of employment by the reduction of thá. area under cultivation.
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