On Thursday, Mr. Gladstone, when questioned by Colonel Berne as
to whether it might not be well to strengthen the Standing Order against Obstructives in the same direction as Mr. Dillwyn has proposed to strengthen it,—that is, by suspending them from debate for a month for the first offence, and for the whole Session for the second, while still allowing thorn to vote, —replied that, at the present moment, he was "reluctant to advert to the subject of Obstruction," that it seemed to him " rather like an evil dream " which he would be glad to dismiss ; that be had quite approved Sir Stafford Northcote's very moderate proposals for punishing Obstructives when they were first made, but that " if this habit were growing upon as, and beginning to show signs of becoming inveterate, it would be right to give greater stringency to the regulations." Every one will approve that answer ; and if Obstruction recurs, every one will approve dealing with it far more sharply and far more personally, than it has as -yet been dealt with.
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