On Tuesday the Lords supported the Trustees of the British
Museum, and others who bear similar responsi- bilities, by disagreeing with the Commons' amendment to the Bill that would allow national possessions to 'leave the country on loan. The Trustees do not want the odium of refusing, as they would feel bound to refuse, loans of irreplaceable objects, and would only except from the prohibition objects of British art produced later than 1600. But they agreed to allow pictures to be lent for hanging in Embassies and Legations abroad. We confess that we have often envied the call that French Repre- sentatives have upon the Garde-Meuble. The Commons entered on the first of three days allotted to the Report stage of the Finance Bill. Clauses were added that had been conceded in Committee. Mr. Amery vainly tried to have a new clause inserted to help our sugar-growing colonies by preferences. On Mr. Chamberlain's- amend- ment, supported by Sir John Simon, and designed to avoid the double payments involved in the Land Value Clauses, the Government majority sank to 23. The Unemployment Insurance Bill, introduced on the 26th, was read a third time.
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