14 NOVEMBER 1868, Page 2

Mr. Bright made a most dangerous proposal at Birmingham on

Thursday. He recommended that, as the majority of members knew little about the Estimates, a Committee should be appointed every year, which should go into the whole question, hear opinions, and make a report on every item in the Estimates. Clearly Mr. Bright intends that such report should be acted on, and the Com- mittee would be, in fact, a Cabinet for finance only. Public policy would be directed by one responsible set of men and public finance by another irresponsible set, an arrangement which, besides pro- ducing utter anarchy in administration would, we venture to say, in ten years double the expenditure. Every Minister would say " yes " to every demand, and leave the Committee to protect the Treasury.