Lord MILNER made a fairly cheerful speech in the circumstances; but I hope that potential strikers will not take too literally his observation that the one thing most needed at the present moment was “economy of national energy.”

Mr. CHURCHILL came down heavily upon Sir DONALD MACLEAN’S attempt to delay the adoption of compulsion in the new Military Service Bill.  When rather more than half of Europe was seething with unrest, which might require military intervention, it would be fatal to let our army disappear; yet the right hon. gentleman seemed to think that everyone ought to be disarmed except LENIN and TROTSKY.

For the first time since 1914 private Members had an evening to themselves.  They utilised it in endeavouring to obtain from the Government a direct statement of its future fiscal policy.  On Imperial Preference Mr. BONAR LAW was quite explicit; the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER was already considering how to incorporate it in the next Budget.  As to the Government’s fiscal policy generally it had already been outlined in the PRIME MINISTER’S letter to himself, and would be definitely declared as soon as the time was ripe—­a cautious statement which, as was perhaps intended, left Free Traders and Protectionists still guessing.

[Illustration:  THE BONAR LAW ORACLE WILL SPEAK ON FISCAL POLICY “AS SOON AS THE TIME IS RIPE.”]

Wednesday, March 26th.—­After Lord DESBOROUGH’S vivacious attack upon the Cippenham Motor Depot, it is doubtful whether anyone could have enabled the Government to wriggle out of the demand for an independent inquiry.  At any rate Lord INVERFORTH was insufficiently agile.  The innumerable type-written sheets which he read out laboriously may have contained a complete reply to Lord DESBOROUGH’S main allegations, even if they included no refutation of the stones of the bricks imported by the hundred thousand into a district containing some of the best brick-earth in the country, or of the four pounds a week paid for the services of a railway pensioner aged ninety-two.  But as hardly anyone could hear the recital it created little impression.

The Ministry are evidently unwilling to stake their political lives on Mr. CHURCHILL’S approval of the project, for Mr. BONAR LAW announced that the Government Whips would not be put on for the forthcoming division on the subject.

Mr. G. ROBERTS furnished an interesting analysis of the nine shillings now charged for a bottle of whisky.  Three-and-sixpence represents the cost of the spirit plus pre-war taxation.  The other five-and-sixpence is made up of interest to manufacturers, insurance and rent; increased price of bottles and corks; margins of profit to blenders and bottlers, merchants and other traders; and increase of taxation.  By some oversight nothing appears to have been charged for the extra water, but no doubt this will be remedied in the next Budget.

Thursday, March 27th.—­To those who remember the debates on the Parliament Act, circa 1911, it was amusing to hear Lords CREWE and BUCKMASTER complaining of the unceremonious manner in which the Lords’ amendments to the Rents Bill had been treated in “another place;” and being entreated not to pick a quarrel with the Commons by those ancient champions of the Upper Chamber, Lord CURZON and the LORD CHANCELLOR.