On the motion for the second reading of the Appropriation
Bill on Tuesday, Sir Stafford Northcote braced himself up to a general review of the Session, which was not, however, a striking performance. He quizzed the Government for having carried only three out of eleven measures contemplated in the Queen's Speech,—the real proportion, as Mr. Gladstone showed, was five out of thirteen,—made some rather judicious remarks on the excessive competition amongst Departments for the display of legislative energy, and its disastrous result in always encumbering the House of Commons with a number of Bills which it proves necessary to withdraw,—so that all the time spent upon them is wasted,—and repeated the old remarks on the supererogatory labour of the Affirmation Bill. He passed over the subject of Ireland,—a great implied tribute to the success of the Government there,—and then discoursed on the anxieties concerning Egypt, concerning the Suez Canal, con- cerning South Africa, concerning Madagascar, and concerning India, amidst which the House was about to separate.
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