Friday 12.15 A.M.—­All this in Committee of Supply, which came to end at midnight.  Then Report of Supply brought on; uproar renewed; Vote for Irish Teachers’ Pension Fund under discussion.  Irish Members mysteriously disappeared; SEXTON, understood to have ready prodigious speech on the subject, nowhere to be found.  “JOHN O’CONNOR,” NOLAN hoarsely whispered, “you have the longest legs in the Party; go and look up the bhoys, and I’ll talk.”

Silently but swiftly LONG JOHN stole forth on his mission; NOLAN nobly performed his part.  At end of forty minutes’ breathless talk, the Colonel, feeling his mouth growing parched, moved adjournment of House.  SPEAKER didn’t recognise relevancy of argument; declined to put the question.

“The Hon. Member,” he said, “has spoken for forty minutes, and not given a single reason in favour of his proposal.”

“I was coming to that point,” said NOLAN, “and, if it is quite in order, I will now approach it.”

Ruled out of order.  LONG JOHN, back from his foray, in course of which had hunted up SEXTON, threw himself into breach; moved the adjournment for irresistible reason.

“I object,” he said, “to this important subject being dealt with at nearly one o’clock in the morning on St. Patrick’s night.”

T.W.  RUSSELL, condoled with his compatriots below Gangway on difficulties of situation.  “Certainly hard,” he said, “that on St. Patrick’s night they should be called upon to discuss questions involving facts and figures.”  BALFOUR opposed adjournment; CONYBEARE strode in; commenced what promised to be long speech; Prince ARTHUR moved Closure; carried by nearly a hundred majority.

1.35 A.M.—­House just back after division on question of adjournment; Ministerialists in full muster and full of fight; 41 for adjournment, 121 against.  As if nothing been said during previous hour-and-half, ILLINGWORTH urges Prince ARTHUR to concede adjournment; PRINCE ARTHUR rises to reply.  Irish Members, pulling themselves together, walk steadily out, amid ribald laughter from Ministerialists.  Once more the CURSE OF CAMBOURNE turns up.  This seems, quite naturally, to suggest the Closure; sort of automatic procedure; CONYBEARE—­Closure.  One more division just to wind up, and at ten minutes past two Vote carried and House up.

Business done.—­Revival of old times.

Saturday, 1.20 A.M.—­House just up, after prolonged wrangle, lasting, with interval for dinner, straight through from two o’clock yesterday afternoon.  Met then for Morning Sitting designed to make progress with financial business.  For four hours disputed how business was to be arranged.  This left one hour for doing it.  Sitting suspended at seven, resumed at nine.

At it again talking about Royalties on Gold in Wales.  Domestic Policy in Zululand, the Irish Question in the Falkland Islands, and Parliamentary Reporting.  All this led gently up to passing Vote on Account; a conclusion finally arrived at with the assistance of the Closure.