THE INFANT SAMUEL.
Animated debate on another Bill in charge of John Burns amending Insurance Act in direction of removing administrative difficulties and diminishing working costs. Nothing to complain of in way of acerbity. Second Reading stages of both measures passed without division, and House adjourned before half-past ten.
At Question time peaceful prospect momentarily ruffled. The Sahib Rees, taking advantage of absence of Speaker, prolonging his holiday amid balmy odours of Harrogate Pump Room, was in great form. With extensive view he surveyed mankind from British Columbia to the Persian Gulf, just looking in at Australasia to see what Ian Hamilton has lately been up to in matter of compulsory military service.
It was in Persian Gulf that squall suddenly threatened. Sahib wanted to know whether His Majesty's ships in that quarter of the world "had been engaged with gun-runners."
Byles of Bradford, seated on Front Bench below Gangway, pricked up his baronial ears. What! More gun-running and nobody either hanged or shot? On closer study of question perceived that use of ambiguous word misled him. When the Sahib enquired whether His Majesty's ships had been "engaged" with gun-runners he did not mean that they had rendered assistance in illegal enterprises, nocturnal or other. On the contrary, word had directly opposite meaning.
Byles of Bradford accordingly abandoned intention of putting Supplementary Question, reserving his energy for his own searching inquiry, which appeared lower down on paper, impartially denouncing importation of arms "whether by the Ulster Volunteers or the National Volunteers, or both."
"Who said 'gun-running'?"
(With acknowledgments to a popular picture.)
["Byles of Bradford pricked up his baronial ears.">[
Business done.—National Insurance Act Amendment Bill, and Milk and Dairies Bill read a second time.