A curious piece of cross voting took place in the
House of Commons on Wednesday last. Mr. T. W. Russell moved the second reading of a Bill dealing with the sale of in- toxicants in Ireland. The present measure, said Mr. Russell, proposed to make the Irish Sunday-closing Act permanent, to extend its provisions to the five excluded cities, to close the public-houses on Saturdays at 9 o'clock, and to extend the distance that the bon-fide traveller must go before he could be entitled to obtain intoxicating drink, from three miles to six miles. The only opposition proceeded from the Irish publicans. A portion of the Nationalists of both sections showed them- selves very hostile to the Bill. The matter, declared Mr. W. Redmond, was one which ought to be left to an Irish Legislature. Very well ; but in that case, Sir William Har- eourt's English Local Veto Bill ought to be eft to an English Legislature, and the Nationalists ought nor, to vote upon it. Yet they propose to do this with the utmost equanimity. The second reading of the Bill was carried by 168 to 69. Thereupon, Mr. T. W. Russell moved that it should be referred to the Standing Committee on Trade. Mr. Crilly objected, but was closured by 149 to 6S, and the Bill was referred to the Standing Committee by 151 to 68.
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