Sir Charles Dilke made a speech at Manchester on Wednes-
day, in which, among other subjects, he described the obstruc- tion caused by the existence of the Upper House. In almost every year of his Parliamentary life they have thrown out good Bills. They rejected the Universities Tests Bill, though passed in the Commons by 251 to 75; in 1871, they threw out the Ballot Bill, the Bill for Abolishing Purchase, and the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, which last they have kept out ever since. In 1872 they rejected, among others, the Enclosure Law Amendment Bill, reserving certain common lands for the poor. In 1873 they threw out a Registration Bill, passed unanimously by the Commons. In 1880 they threw out the Irish Compensation for Disturbance Bill ; and in 1882 they mutilated the Irish Land Law Bill and the Arrears of Rent Bill. In 1883 they threw out the Cruelty to Animals Bill, the Scotch Government Bill, and the Irish Registration Bill. Each of these Bills had passed the Commons, many of them had involved nights of labour and dis- cussion; but Lord Salisbury had only to summon the Conserva- tive Peers, many of them probably men who never read the Bills, and all that labour and time was wasted. We believe we are within the truth when we say that one-third of the whole force of the representatives of the nation is wasted, because a single Peer dislikes liberal legislation.
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