The Welsh Members who so wantonly wasted the time of
the House on Thursday, in their attempt to render the Clergy Discipline Bill as ineffective, and as unwelcome to the Church for whose benefit it had been introduced, as it was possible to make it, should have been censured formally by the House, if not expelled. They occupied five hours in discussing the first clause on the Report, and the Speaker finally stated that "he had never known a Bill on Report de- bated in this way." The Speaker had previously inter- rupted one of the innumerable obstructive speeches of Mr. Lloyd-George, by saying that the hon. Member was going over arguments which had been repeated again and again, and that if he persevered in so doing, he should have to put in force against him the standing order against tedious repetition; but the rebuke produced no effect at all on Mr. Lloyd-George's subsequent procedure. Nevertheless, by the free use of the Closure, the Bill was at last passed and read a third time. If the Welsh constituencies knew what they were about, they would punish these discreditable and dis- crediting tactics by rejecting the Members who adopted them at the General Election. But if Wales is not patriotic enough for such a course, the House of Commons should defend itself against these Parliamentary pests.
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