The beginning of the Committee stage of the London Passenger
Transport Bill produced some of the best fun of the Session. Poor Mr. Pybus sought vainly to placate criticism, which is mainly prejudice against a Bill origin- ally produced by the Labour Government and as such is implacable. The Attorney-General made desperate efforts to come to his rescue, but for more than two hours astute Parliamentarians such as Mr. Churchill and Lord Winter- ton made airy rings round them, and they were finally forced to vote down their own motion to report progress. The incident will do little harm to the Bill, but it did not show up the Ministers concerned in too good a light. They should never have allowed themselves to be the victims of the rules of procedure. - However, the House finally started calmly on the Bill, having thoroughly enjoyed as good a piece of Parliamentary baiting as has been seen since Sir Frederick Banbury went 'to the House of Lords, or the late Mr. Pringle passed away.
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