Sir Wilfrid Lawson was, as usual, very amusing last Tuesday,
in his resistance to the adjournment over the Derby Day. He complained that the holiday-makers first object to putting down business for the Derby Day, on the ground that there will be no proper attendance, and then make the want of Orders of the Day an argument for adjourning over the day of the mace; but on this occasion, he said, there was some very im- portant business, the first order being exceedingly appropriate to the chief emergency of the time, as it concerned the subject of Irish lunacy. The honourable Member for Cavan (Mr. Biggar) ought especially to favour the opportunity of getting through a little quiet business without any great strain, for, owing to his late sittings, he had fallen asleep in a London church on a recent occasion, and when suddenly wakened up by a peal of the organ, perceiving that the church was rather empty, he moved almost automatically "That the House be counted." But Sir Wilfrid's eloquence prevailed nothing. On a division, it appeared that 246 were in favour of the holiday, and only 119 against it. The House is as fond of a whole holi- day as a school. The only difference is that even those who like the holiday best, also appear to like keeping themselves in, even to the most portentous hours, so long as they can gratify their own self-will and spite their neighbours by the ordeal.
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