Mr. Chamberlain's speech was a very effective plea for the
emancipation of the House of Commons from the fetters of obstructive talk which hinders all action. He enumerated a great number of pressing administrative measures in his own Department alone which it was useless to propose, simply be- cause they would be talked oat, less for their own sakes than. because other measures not so innocent would be talked out- through them,—and he said that he believed precisely the same thing might be said for every Department of State. Lord Salisbury had replied that he would not let the Liberals- sharpen a sabre on the plea that they were only going to cut bread-and-butter with it. But they had never said that they were only going to cut bread-and-butter with it. They hoped_ the sabre, when sharpened, would be used to cut off the heads- of many abuses favoured by Lord Salisbury ; still, he would recommend Lord Salisbury, while the sabre was sharpening,. not to come too near to the grindstone, or he might get an ugly knock on the head from the sabre. Mr. Chamberlain intimated clearly enough that the Government were determined to dissolve, if their scheme for reforming the procedure of the House of Commons were not accepted, and that they would appeal on that subject direct to the constituencies. Mr. Cham- berlain evidently did not believe that the constituencies wish for a palsied House of Commons.
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