The first meeting of the London County Council after the
Recess on Tuesday was the occasion of an unemployed demonstration, and ended in uproar. Mr. Frank Smith moved the suspension of the Standing Orders in order to bring forward a motion on unemployment which had been ruled out of order. The Chairman refused to accept the motion for suspension without notice ; but Mr. Smith continued to speak in spite of protests, and was cheered continuously by the unemployed who occupied the galleries. The galleries were cleared, and a brief adjournment was agreed to ; but on the resumption of the sitting, Mr. Smith continued to speak, refusing to retire at the Chairman's request. The Chairman then ordered him to be removed. This only led to some scuffling and confusion, and another brief adjournment was agreed to. Finally the meeting was adjourned altogether without any of the business of the day being transacted. The Government, by their criminal weakness in not at once announcing a clear and firm policy in regard to the unem- ployed, are preparing endless trouble, not only for themselves, but for every public body in the country.
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