The House of Commons during the past week has been
chiefly occupied with the discussion of procedure. Except, however, for one or two simple and essential points, the debates have been dull and tedious to outsiders, though full of eager interest, no doubt, to the Members themselves. On Tuesday the great and absorbing problem ef substituting Fridays for Wednesdays as the private Members' night came under discussion, and was argued with no little heat. The opponents affected to hold that the Govern- ment plan was a base surrender to the desire of a corrupt and effete aristocracy to get out of London net merely for a week-end, but from Friday till Tuesday. We confess that our sympathies are all with those who desire that Friday, not Wednesday, shall be handed over to the private Member, and that the ordinary Member shall be able, if he likes, to escape from the din of the fads and follies aired at present on Wednesdays. The Government proposal. was not accepted by all their supporters, but, on the other hand, Mr. Labonchere and Mr. Broadhurst came to the assistance of the week-enders. On Thursday night the Satur- day-to-Moilday question was again debated, and the amend- ment was finally negatived by 97 (263 to 166). Next the ,pr9poeal to meet at 2 o'clock instead of, as now, at 3 o'clock was agreed to by a majority of 147 (256 to 109)2
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