8 FEBRUARY 1902, Page 3

It is extraordinary that a body of honourable men, and

men also who, we admit, are actuated, even when most mis- taken, by the highest and purest motives, should have stooped to the use of such means to destroy the Bill. We do not profess to be possessed of "a House of Commons con- science," and so may perhaps be unable to do complete justice to the case of Lord Hugh Cecil and his supporters, but it seems to us that, though they might claim to use all methods of obstruction allowed by the rules, they could not without loss of sell-respect deliberately and consciously dawdle in the lobbies in order to kill the Bill. When a vote is being taken Members are necessarily outside any physical compulsion and control, and therefore it seems to us that it should be a point of honour and conscience with them to carry out the physical operations of a division in a manly, straightforward way. A Member voting is on trust to run straight on his errand of State, and not loiter on the way like a sly or idle page-boy.