[Illustration:  ANOTHER VISIT—­AND IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN.]

[Illustration:  THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS.

“AM I REALLY SUFFERING FROM SENILE DECAY?”]

Tuesday, June 3rd.—­According to the view of Major WOOD and his friends the Mother of Parliaments is played out.  The Grand Committees which were to have restored her vigour have left her more enfeebled than ever, and unless she devolves a large part of her duties upon subordinate assemblies her end is near.  But I noticed that, although Ireland was expressly excepted from their resolution, most of them talked of little else, and I fancy that but for Dublin we should not have heard much of devolution.

As a statesman His Grace of CANTERBURY has hitherto enjoyed the reputation of being “safe” rather than dashing.  But that is evidently a mistake, for in introducing the Bill which is to enable the Church to free itself from some of the trammels imposed upon it by the State he begged his hearers not to be afraid of “brave adventurous legislation.”  His appeal was quite lost upon Lord HALDANE, who was shocked by the terrible possibilities of the measure, and warned the PRIMATE that if the Bill became law he would have signed the death-warrant of the Establishment.  Coming from a Presbyterian who helped to disestablish the Church in Wales, this showed the heights of altruism to which a real philosopher may rise.

Colonel WEDGWOOD was shocked to learn that in the occupied territories Germans had to take off their hats when addressing British officers.  But it would be a mistake to assume that his concern was due to any tenderness for our foes.  On the contrary, it was exhibited out of regard for the feelings of British officers.  Mr. CHURCHILL regretted the inconvenience, but pointed out that it had always been the practice—­even in Belgium—­for an Army of Occupation to exact certain acts of respect from the inhabitants.

Mr. KELLAWAY, who announced last week with such pride that “the Government have struck oil,” was now able to state that the oil had reached a height of 2,400 feet and was still rising steadily.  There is some talk of inviting the successful engineers to put down bores at Westminster.

Wednesday, June 4th.—­Complaint was made recently that under the new Rules of Procedure Members were expected to be in three places at once.  I fancy that a good many of them settled their difficulty to-day by betaking themselves to a fourth place, not in the precincts of the Palace of Westminster.

There was anything but a Grand Parade on the green benches, and the faithful few who were present put a good many questions “on behalf of my honourable friend.”  The Front Benches were well manned, however, and Mr. LONG had quite a busy time explaining to Commander BELLAIRS why the Admiralty thought it inadvisable at this date to hold courts-martial in regard to the Naval losses of 1914.  The House was more interested to hear that the Peace celebrations will include a Naval procession through London, and that there will be a display in the Thames of war-ships of various classes, including, possibly, some of those captured from the enemy.