Hereupon Mr. Gladstone gave notice of an amendment to Mr.
Smith's proposed Standing Order, declaring that so great a change should not be made until the subject had been examined into by a Select Committee. Next, Mr. Labouchere, in fulfilment of his general policy of not allowing the Government to do anything without tripping them up, moved the adjournment of the House, "in order to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance," and a vehe- ment discussion arose, in which Sir William Harcourt triumphantly quoted the Times of last Saturday in order to prove the belief of the friends of the Government that there had been great mismanagement of the affairs of the House by the Government. Eventually the motion was rejected by a majority of 52 (233 to 181). After this, another red-herring was drawn across the course of debate by Mr. Winter- botham, who declared that Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Mr. Walter Long, and Mr. F. Powell, being specially interested in brewery property, ought not to vote on the licensing question. It subsequently appeared that Mr. Walter Long is Chairman of the Board of the Bath Brewery Company, but that he was not, as had been suggested, interested in his brother's, Robert Long's Marlborough brewery, except so far that he had lent him money. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach explained that he had, at the earnest request of a personal friend, consented to become a trustee of the brewery of his friend the Member for Cheltenham, but that if every public-house belonging to that Company were bought up, not a penny of the purchase-money would go into his pocket. Of course Mr. Winterbotham apologised after the time spent on this frivolous personal discussion had been wasted. The first clause of the Bill was still under discussion at midnight on Tuesday, when the Committee adjourned.
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