28 OCTOBER 1882, Page 2

The Procedure debate on Thursday, after the Vote of Thanks

was over, was marked only by one feature. Mr. Gladstone con- seated to exclude expressly the Chairmen of Grand Committees, 'pr- of any Committee but the Committee of the whole House, from the operation of the Closure clause,—which is wise enough, as it is only in the case of final authorities, not in that of preparatory Committees, that obstruction is to be feared. For the rest, the Conservatives continued their course of Obstruction, repeating the same arguments over and over again, till they called forth an energetic protest from the Solicitor-General. The Liberals, for- the most part, having said again and again all they care to say,. hold their tongues.