A SPECTATOR
2S NOTEBOOK , NOTHING can excuse, and nothing but the Government's craze for doctrinal legislatiori can explain, the pace at which the- House of Commons is being driven in these days. The all-night sitting on Monday night, followed by a Tuesday sitting which lasted till 4 on Wednesday morning, was slicer folly. Whatever Members' physical endurance—and many of them showed quite astonishing endurance—this kind of thing wears human being out. Many of them spent over 33 hours out of 37in the House. The whole thing is completely inexcusable. To have given one extra day, or even two, to the Finance Bill would have hurt no one on earth. But the Govern- ment, having said the Bill must be through-by Tuesday, insisted with a blind obduraCy impervious to all argument. The affair, incidentally, won some Members unsought and easy fame. Tuesday. evening's papers contained pictures of Major Gwilym Lloyd George in Palace Yard, spruce and active after the so-hour sitting. Major Lloyd George was in fact in Palace Yard ; he was notably spruce and active and it was after the 20-hour sitting. But Major Lloyd George had not spent the night in the House ; he had dined out on Monday evening, gone home to a full night's sleep, and not having listened to the wireless on Tuesday morning did not even know that the House had sat late when he reached Palace Yard about it—and was caught by the cameras to his complete bewilderment. Lady Megan Lloyd George, who had seen both night-sittings through to the bitter end, was left unhanoured and unsung.
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