The Government, with the tenacity it always exhibits in bad
things as well as good, brought up its Bill for depriving London of the Embankment land reclaimed out of London rates on Mon- day once again. Mr. Lowe, reckoning doubtless on the departure of so many members to the country, was as obstinate as a male about it, and would not hear either of defeat or delay ; but Mr. Vernon Harcourt can be obstinate too, particularly when obstinacy is popular, and be was, alleging that it was better to wait till the negotiations between the Board of Works and the Duke of North- umberland were concluded. The House did not exactly see what the Duke had to do with it,—note that his Grace is treated all through this discussion as if he possessed somehow a veto on legislation,— but it did see that the excuse would do to defeat a Bill which it did not intend to pass. Mr. Gladstone, who never will acknow- ledge that a metropolis is not a " local " institution, himself inter- vened for his lieutenant ; but the House lives in London, and swears personally at London "improvement rates," and the Go- vernment was defeated by 154 to 133. Mr. Lowe is quite sure to
up to time again next Session, but London is as long-lived as any Minister, and London, just for once, intends to have some- thing for her money.
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