In the House of Commons ever since Friday week the
debate on the Address has dragged its dull, slow length along. On Monday, after the supplementary questions episode, dealt with by us elsewhere, had be 'dispolied of, by -a division in which the Government majority fell to 45, Mr. Iloird- George, in a foolish and violent speech, declared that General Brace Hamilton was "a brute and a disgrace to the uniform. he wore,"—a speech which will, we believe, prove of great value and importance as showing the true character of the Parlia- mentary support given to the Boers. Mr. Winton. Churchill followed with a really admirable maiden speech. He has had a wide experience of his subject at first hand, and he dealt with facts and not controversial dummies. One of his best points was that representative government ought not to be established in the Transvaal till the population had reached its ordinary level,—that is, till the men who were expelled by the Boers with so much cruelty had returned, and were able to take up the citizenship which the Boers had denied them. Equally good was his point that military rule must not be maintained a moment longer than was necessary, but that it must as soon as possible be replaced by a civil administra- tion. Here we are heartily with him, and for the reason that the civil government will be much more acceptable to the British section of the population.
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