More than once during the week the House of Commons
has discussed the new procedure which was proposed by the Prime Minister on Wednesday week. The Prime Minister, it will be remembered, moved that when a Bill bad been read a second time it should be sent to a Grand Committee, unless the House should otherwise order. Money Bills, and some others of a specially important nature, would not come under the Resolution. But some Bills might be considered in part by a Grand Committee, and in part by Committee of the whole House. The number of Grand Committees would 'be increased from two to four, and one of these would deal exclusively with Scottish bisiness. On Monday Mr. Balfour argued that it ought to be made quite clear that only non- controversial Bills should be removed from the criticism of Committee of the whole House. Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman refused to guarantee this. Every Bill, he pointed out, was in a sense controversial. All he wished to do was to expedite business, and he believed his scheme would concen- trate and shorten discussion without lessening its value. Several amendments were moved, all aiming at giving the House more power to retain Bills for Committee of the whole House. But the Government successfully resisted them all. On Tuesday the Prime Minister's Resolution that a Motion for the retention of a Bill should not require notice, and must be made immediately after the second reading, wa's carried after a long debate.
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