On Monday the House of Commons reassembled in lassitude after
a recess which had lasted a Parliamentary week. The Christmas holiday is always a period of strenuous repose, and one hardly knows whether the House or the country is the more weary of the Government's legislative programme. In the seven weeks which remain of the present amazing session the Government have announced their intention of passing their three Bills of first-class importance—the Home Rule Bill, the Welsh Disestablishment Bill, and the Franchise Bill. We should not be surprised if the Trade Unions Bill, which is not altogether liked by the Labour Party, were allowed to enjoy a gentle euthanasia ; and as for the Railways Bill it seems to have no better chance, though at one time it appeared that the promise to pass it could scarcely be ignored. One would think that the results of the Insurance Act would be a warning to any Government against dropping half-baked Acts into the mouth of the people to digest as best they may, but the Government are evidently determined to repeat the process with as many Bills as possible. The worst case of all is the Franchise Bill, because an honest franchise could always be passed by consent. Home Rule and Welsh Disestablish- ment have to be fought in any case, but if the Government would add a Redistribution Bill to their Bill for one man one vote they would produce a perfectly acceptable reform. As it is, the so-called Electoral Reform Bill is the last word n electoral partisanship.
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