When the Leader of the Opposition sat down, Mr. Lyttelton
rose to reply. He was at once greeted with cries of 4‘ Balfour! Balfour!" and for nearly an hour a scene of indescribable heat and confusion followed. Mr. Balfour would not yield to the desire of the House that he should follow Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, though he rose to explain his reasons for not speaking at once. His chief ground was that other speakers would follow the Leader of the Opposition who would also attack him, and that it was manifestly unfair that he should be called upon to defend himself till he had heard the whole accusation. In spite, however, of Mr. Balfour's appeal, the disorder continued, till at last the Deputy-Speaker, Mr. Lowther, rose and declared that he should adjourn the House without question put. We have dealt with the whole question elsewhere, and will only say here that we greatly regret that the less responsible portion of the Opposition should have joined with the Irish Members in shouting down Mr. Lyttelton. The only result of such action was to give Mr. Balfour an opportunity, of which he at once availed himself, of riding off on a side-issue, and so escaping from the tightest place in which he has been placed since he entered on the policy of evasion.
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