30 MAY 1868, Page 2

The House of Commons decided on Tuesday, by a vote

of 76 to 72, on a motion brought forward by Mr. Labouchere, that it would in future vote the money required for the Diplomatic Service on a detailed estimate, instead of, as heretofore, in one lump sum. We have given elsewhere some reasons for doubting the expediency of this decision, but Lord Stanley made such a curiously feeble defence that we half suspect him of agreeing with the mover. His single argument was that voting in the lump was more economical than voting in detail, which is probably true, but to which the House of Commons cannot be expected to assent. Most wives are better managers than most husbands ; but the husbands keep the cheque-books, for all that.