On Thursday, June_ 21st, in, the House of Lords the
newly elected Speaker of the Lower House received his Majesty's approval of " the choice of His faithful -Com- mons." The Lord - Chancellor announced later that by Order in Council the Judicial Committee would receive
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instructions to consider anew the _question of compensa- tion payable to Civil Servants transferred after March, 1922, to the Provisional Government of Ireland or to the Government of the Free State. Our readers will remember that we were greatly shocked when, at the end of February last, it appeared that the Dominions Office and the Irish Government were deliberately flouting a decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Since then it has been admitted that the Committee were wrongly informed on certain points and now use is made of a section of the Judicial Committee Act under which the King can again refer the matter to them. The British and Free State Governments have agreed that this is the right course to take. Lord Balfour of Burleigh moved the second reading of his Liquor Bill, which aims at disinterested management and improved houses through voluntary local option, which may demand a Board of Control on the lines of the Carlisle system. The debate was adjourned till Tuesday.
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