The Motion for the adjournment of the House of Commons
over the Whitsuntide Recess, which was brought forward on Wednesday, was the occasion for a very remarkable debate. All the Prime Minister would do in answer to Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman's searching interrogatories was to reiterate the Edinburgh speech, and to say that everything he has said since was consistent with that speech. As to Mr. Chamber- lain's interpretation of his speech, his answer was that each man must be judged on what he says and by what he says. On some Unionist Free-traders speeches like that of Mr. Balfour have an extraordinarily hypnotic effect. Fortunately for himself, and those who act with him, Mr. Arthur Elliot is not affected in this way, and in a manly and straightforward speech, which did him the greatest credit, he exposed the fallacies underlying Mr. Balfour's position. That Mr. Balfour felt the exposure may be judged from the fact that when Mr. Arthur Elliot dealt with Mr. Chamberlain's speech at St. Helens, he interpolated the remark: "Well, I choose to be cross-examined on my own speech, and not on other people's."
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