After a speech from Mr. Wyndham, the Government's case was
wound up by Mr. Churchill, who began by denying the responsibility of the Liberal Party for causing the conflict. He went on to comment upon the popularity of the Parlia- ment Bill, which had retarded the "swing of the pendulum" and caused the unprecedented return of the same Government three times in succession. Mr. Churchill next denied the sup- position of the Government's omnipotence. "If to-night this Government, which we are told has despotic control of the House of Commons, were to announce that we accepted the amiable invitation sometimes thrown out to us from the benches opposite, and that we were going to suspend the pro- secution of the Parliament Bill till the year after next, and were going to enter into a conference on reform, we should not have fifty supporters." Mr. Churchill concluded with a declara- tion that compromise was impossible, and that " we shall neglect no steps that may be necessary to carry this Bill swiftly into law." In the division that followed the Govern- ment had a majority of 124 (351-227), and the Bill was read for the first time after a great demonstration from the Govern- ment's supporters.
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