Mr. Disraeli, "being on his legs," proceeded to tell the
House that he saw no reason why the eleven Bills mentioned in the Queen's Speech should not be passed. Four—the Peace Preser- vation Bill, the Artisans Dwellings Bill, the Public Health Bill, and the Friendly Societies Bill, are passed or passing ; three, the Land Transfer and Titles Bill, the Supreme Court of Judicature, and the Agricultural Holdings Bill, have passed the Lords and reached Committee in the Commons ; one, the Merchant Ship- ping Bill, is in Committee in the Commons, and has to pass the Lords ; and two, the Labour Laws Bill and the Offences against the Person Bill, stand for second reading in the Lower House. Only one introduced in the Upper House, the Pollution of Rivers Bill, has not yet passed the Lords. This Bill certainly will not pass, at least as far as the pollutions caused by manufac- tures are concerned ; the Merchant Shipping Bill is like a water- logged vessel commanded by an unskilful captain, and the Labour Laws Bill will inevitably be made a remanet. The other eight Bills will pass, and the Tories will be entitled to all the credit they can get from them, which is not, we fear, a great deal. The Bills have served the House to champ its teeth upon, but that is pretty much all.
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