28 JUNE 1930, Page 2

A proposal for abandoning the Referendum was moved as an

amendment to the general resolution of confidence in Mr. Baldwin. A forcible and unexpected speech against the amendment was made by Sir Robert Horne. Although the amendment was defeated by a large majority we do not imagine that the Referendum will have a long life. We should not regret its disappearance, as we regard its use for its present purpose as improper. The Referen- dum could be an invaluable instrument for ending a deadlock between the two Houses of Parliament, but it ought to be applied only to Bills which have passed through all their stages. In that case the simple answer " yes " or " no " could be given. It is not fair to the Referendum to apply it either to general questions or to projects in an unfinished form.