On the Report stage of the Franchise Bill on Thursday
week an amendment to introduce Proportional Representation for con- stituencies returning three or more Members was rejected by- 202 votes to 126. Sir Mark Sykes made a very able speech for the reform, urging that after the war the "traditional cohorts of Blue and Buff" would suffer a sea-change, and that in the new political era Proportional Representation alone would ensure the election of independent men who were not tied to party machines. The merits of the proposal were not seriously contested, bat Mr. Hayes Fisher begged the House to reject Proportional Representation on the ground that its adoption would delay the Bill' for months and seriously imperil its passage. For our part, we see no reason for undue haste in passing the Bill, as there cannot be a- General Election for a long time to come. But Mr. Hayes Fisher's appeal unfortunately impressed the House and increased the majority. against Proportional Representation.
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