The debate on the Permissive Bill on Wednesday was as
languid as most other debates in this languid Session, when nobody appears to feel much interest in anything human, or at least anything political Mr. Julian Goldsmid remarked rather happily, that if it had not been "for the honourable baronet's personal popularity and gay gravity," the House would have been sick of the Bill long ago,—which would be true, only that the House is seldom quite "sick" of any question of which so many constituents in the country make a test-question, though they may fear and deprecate it. Mr. Carter, the Member for Leeds, made a somewhat amusing attack on his colleague in that constituency, Mr. Wheelhouse, who led the opposition to the Bill, and who appears to owe his return very much to the Leeds Licensed Victuallers, and is not at all ashamed of his obligations. Mr. Carter quoted a speech of Mr. Wheelhouse delivered last November at a dinner of the Leeds Licensed Vic- tuallers, in which Mr. Wheelhouse declared that "he never felt so happy as when he took part in their proceedings, and never felt so much in his proper place as when he came among them." Mr. Carter himself had received invitations, but had declined them, not doubting, he said, that the dinners would be good, but doubting how far the company would be good ; and the disorder in which this particular dinner attended by Mr. Wheelhouse broke up, served to confirm him in his prejudice.
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