On Thursday the fight was resumed in an exceedingly crowded
and excited House, Sir George Grey, Mr. Childers, and Mr. Bouverie all supporting Mr. Harcourt, who made one of his clever ad captandum speeches, not touching the point at issue, but belabouring the Government for holding so hard by a pro- vision which they owed to Mr. Leatham, and not to their own Bill, while Mr. Bouverie proposed that a constable should be present at every polling-booth with handcuffs ready, and that the prison van should be waiting at the door " to convey the free and independent British elector to the treadmill." A division was taken amidst great excitement,--for it was obviously going against the Govern- ment,—and the result was a defeat of the Government by 28 in a full House (246-274)—about 40 Liberals voting in the majority, and 12 absenting themselves.
