On Friday week the measure framed to meet the refusal
of certain Welsh County Councils to administer the Education Act was considered in Committee. After two amendments had been discussed for four hours, the debate was closured, and Mr. Balfour moved that the question that the first four lines stand as part of the Bill be put. Whereupon Mr. Lloyd-George asked, as a point of order, whether the closure could be used to prevent the discussion of substantial amendments. On the Chairman deciding the point against him, he and a number of other Liberals refused to go into the division lobby, and were Conse- quently named to the House for disregarding the authority of the Chair. The Members named refused to leave, while deploring the necessity of behaving as they did; and finally Mr. Asquith announced that the party proposed to quit the House in a body as a protest. With a few exceptions, the whole of the Opposition trooped out, the Committee stage, of the Bill was speedily got through, and Mr. Balfour yielded to the request of the Liberals and took no further business that day. The whole proceeding seems to us of doubtful use and more than doubtful dignity. At the same time, and though we think the Bill amply justified—local bodies cannot be allowed to pick and choose as to what legislation they will administer—we cannot but feel that Mr. Balfour should have introduced the Bill at an earlier date. It is stated, we see, that Mr. Lloyd-George means to defeat the Bill, if it is put into operation, by throwing all the provided as well as all the Church schools on the Department. The plan is ingenious, but we sincerely trust that Mr. Lloyd-George will think better of the proposal. The education of the children is a thing too serious to be used in effecting, a party " score."
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