Mr. Balfour moved yesterday week that the House should meet
at 2 o'clock on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Government taking the morning sittings, and leaving the evening sittings to private Members. Thereupon a general discussion arose, and he was much urged to find a good six hours for Mr. Blane's motion, put down for yesterday, on the form and extent of Home-rule for Ireland. Mr. Gladstone, rather unfortunately for him, thought it well to banter the Government on the mystery of their proceeding in giving so much time at this period of the Session to secondary measures, and not pro- ceeding at once with either the Small Holdings Bill or the Irish Local Government Bill. He maintained that in proceeding with a Bill that concerns the Scotch Equivalent grant, the Government are pressing on a measure which Scotch Members do not think themselves as yet well qualified by the information at their disposal to debate ; while the Small Holdings Bill, which they were very anxious to proceed with, was to be postponed. He entreated Mr. Balfour to dissipate "the cloud of mystery" which hung over the arrangements of the Government.
