Business done.—­In Committee on Small Holdings.

Tuesday.—­Happy circumstance in the history of all Administrations that there is never lacking a friend on their own side to keep them on the right path.  RADCLIFFE COOKE suddenly developed tendency towards personally conducting the Government.  Hitherto appeared as a docile follower.  New state of affairs arose in connection with Breach of Privilege by Cambrian Railway Directors.  HICKS-BEACH last night gave notice to take into consideration Special Report of Select Committee charging Directors with Breach of Privilege.  BEACH proposed to wait awhile till “the other side” had got up a case or two, to show that if Masters were prone to punish their Servants for giving inconvenient evidence on question of Hours of Labour, the Servants were no better when they had power to inflict

[Illustration:  WANTED, A FIGURE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.

SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS SENT IN TO MR. PUNCH.]

on each other similar punishment.  BEACH made his proposal in matter-of-fact way, anticipating general concurrence.  But CHANNING objected; GEORGE TREVELYAN did not approve the suggestion; while the SQUIRE OF MALWOOD eagerly seized BEACH’s maladroit phrase about “the other side,” and made great play with it.  Probably BEACH might have disregarded this action from Opposition Benches; but different when RADCLIFFE COOKE rose from Bench immediately behind Ministers, and in severely judicial manner criticised proposed action of President of Board of Trade.  BEACH said nothing at moment; after some hours’ reflection, announced withdrawal of original proposition and intention of proceeding with indictment of Cambrian Directors without waiting for case of “the other side.”

To-day he moved that on Thursday the accused should appear at Bar of House.  This on point of being agreed to when COOKE again appeared on scene; with increased impressiveness of manner argued against BEACH’s proposal.  Prince ARTHUR began to look uneasy; no knowing where this sort of thing would end if it spread.  What with SEXTON on one side correcting grammar of Ministerial Resolutions, and RADCLIFFE COOKE on the other amending their procedure, it really seemed time to go to the country.  Something like condition of paralysis stealing over Treasury Bench when SPEAKER came to assistance of Ministers, and benignly but effectively pointed out to COOKE that he was one too many, was in fact spoiling the broth.  COOKE tried to argue the matter out, but SPEAKER peremptory and Ministers saved from fresh rebuff.

“It’s all very well for them arguing round the subject like that,” said MACLURE, nervously mopping his forehead.  “But it’s a very different thing with me, at my age and fighting weight.  An Insurance Broker, Director of various Railway and other Companies, formerly Major of the 40th Lancashire Volunteers, a Trustee for three Church livings, and father of a large family, to be brought up on a Breach of Privilege is no slight matter.  Indignity is aggravated by the locality.  ‘The Bar’ is the last place in the world where the friends of JOHN WILLIAM MACLURE would think it likely to find him.”