Lord Salisbury had a funny little defeat on Thursday. He
proposed Lord Balfour of Burleigh as Chairman of Committees in place of the Duke of Buckingham, who died last week, stating that, deep as was his respect for Lord Morley, whom Lord Granville was about to propose, Lord Balfour of Bur- leigh had shown such ability in managing temporarily the business in Committee, and in conducting last year the Local Government Bill through the House of Lords, that be thought him eminently fit to be Chairman of Committees. Espe- cially in relation to the Scotch Local Government Bill, he thought that Lord Balfour's Scotch experience would be of the utmost value. Lord Granville spoke very respectfully of Lord Balfour, but said that Lord Morley had now just the same superiority of claim over Lord Balfour which four years ago the Duke of Buckingham had over Lord Morley,—a much greater length of official experience. Lord Morley had been as many years in official life as Lord Balfour had been months ; and on this ground the Duke of Abercorn (disavowing all disloyalty to Lord Salisbury, whose claim on him as a party leader he recognised, he said, with more and more willingness every day) seconded Lord Granville's proposal of Lord Morley. On a division, Lord Morley (who is a Liberal Unionist) was elected by 95 votes against 77 (majority, 18). Probably the Tory Peers were not reluctant to give Lord Salisbury a rap for imposing on them a much younger man who is less a general favourite with the House of Lords than Lord Morley.
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