The only remaining Bill of national importance, the Bill pro-
hibiting pablic meetings in the Parks, and enabling magistrates to imprison all who hold them by summary process, has been withdrawn. Mr. Hardy fought for it stoutly, and had a majority of two to one at his back ; but the more extreme Liberals were resolved that it should not pass. Influenced partly by disgust at the caste feeling perceptible in the Bill, and partly by a fear that if passed by this Parliament it would create an imeute, they determined to "employ the forms of the House." They talked on Tuesday for a whole sitting, and though Mr. Hardy gave up part of his measure, leaving the Ranger to prohibit meetings, instead of prohibiting them directly, they threatened on Thursday to go on talking till Christmas. With comical shrewdness they put up Mr. Whalley, among others, which, as they doubtless expected, proved too much for human nature under a temperature of 94 degrees. -Mr. Hardy took a division to save his dignity, and then, victorious, withdrew his Bill. He is right. London may want a lesson, as he probably thinks, but he had better delegate the tawse to the Householder Parliament, which will not be suspected of discriminating between " white " and " horny " hands, but will blister both impartially.
