Quite a row followed this statement, and Members enjoyed it
very much,—they are so tired of the monotony of their work. Mr. Gladstone wanted the House to give three morning sittings to the Land Bill before Easter, and moved that the House begin work on Friday at 2 o'clock. Mr. Disraeli thereupon rose, and accused the Premier of want of courtesy to the House in not giving notice of motion. Mr. Gladstone declared be had never heard so unfair a charge, for he had followed Mr. Disraeli's own precedent with regard to the Reform Bill. Then Mr. Hunt wanted to know what was to be done about Committees, and Mr. Bouverie asked the House to take medical advice, and then there was a grand hubbub about a motion for adjournment which Mr. C. Beutiuck was supposed to have made or not to have made, and which the Speaker said was unprecedented, and Mr. Disraeli had to get up and tell his own people to be decent and support the Speaker, and altogether the House contrived to get into a combative state of mind more like the pre-Reform period than auythiug we have had lately. The only serious objection to morning sittings seems to be that they interfere with private bills, and we must say the tendency of things is to snub private members a little too much. Their bills do not pass, but still the House of Commons is not a mere bill-making machine. It has to represent, and educate, the country.
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