The application of the Closure to the clauses of the
Educa- tion Bill, which was especially persistent on Thursday night, has given rise to a certain amount of comment and feeling in the House of Commons. If, however, the Opposition think that they will be able to make any political capital in the country out of the closuring of debate, they are entirely mistaken. Members of the House of Commons, even on the Unionist side, may regard the use of the Closure with anxiety, and feel disturbed and perplexed at the curtailment of the sacred rights of chatter ; but the country will never be roused to indignation by the use of the Closure. The feeling of the plain man is to cover his ears and to call "Hush, hush!" when he watches the tedious garrulity of Parliament; and anything which stops talk and promotes action is really to his taste, whatever his opinions. He feels perfectly secure that no one whom he wants to hear or who ought to be heard will ever be denied a hearing in the House of Commons, and he would remain perfectly serene if he heard that the Government had decided that only half-a-dozen more nights in all could be allowed for the discussion of the Bill. The country is no doubt wonderfully patient of the verbosity of its servants, but no one who tries to get a little more work and a little less talk out of Parliament will ever be unpopular.
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