Sir Stafford Nortlacote moved on Thursday night for a Com-
mittee to consider the Business Rules of the House of Commons, proposing that he himself should be a member of it, and pro- mising that he would bring before it a few simple proposals for facilitating the business of the House. His proposals were not in any way meant to deal with "obstruction," of which he had no fear, and which must be met, if it occurred, in a verydifferent way. But be thought the proposals of Government would need threshing out in a Select Committee, and could not be adequately dealt with in a Committee of the whole House, and this was the reason why he did not at once place them before the House. This resolution, after the defeat of one or two amendments pressed in no perverse manner, was agreed to ; and there was, during this discussion at least, no sign of obstructive intentions. The only obstructive amendment, Mr. O'Donnell's, was with- drawn at once on the suggestion of another Irish Member, Mr. O'Shaughnessy. So far, then, the business prospects of the- House of Commons brighten.
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