22 APRIL 1905, Page 2

Parliament adjourned on Wednesday for the Easter Recess, and will

not meet again till May 2nd. In the final debate Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman showed once again that he possesses a real fund of dry humour. He desired more information in regard to the Government's attitude on the Fiscal question. There was, he realised, great activity going on behind the curtain, and "a great deal of trampling and shuffling and rumbling" was audible; but what he desired to know was whether we were going to see the same old performance with the same old stage furniture, or a new play altogether. Mr. Balfour answered in a similar vein of badinage, ending with a tu quoque in regard to the Irish policy of the leader of the Opposition. "When he asks me what is going on behind the curtain I would remind him that there are two curtains, and that there is probably just as much going on behind one e.-etwhind the other."