Paddy. "I'll not have conscription.
Premier. "That's all right. You're left out of it."
Paddy. "Is it lave me out of it? Another injustice to th' ould Counthry!"
House of Commons, Tuesday, January 4th.—This is the Pertinacious Pringle's day. True it is also, to a certain extent, the Empire's. A Session opening in 1914 has entered upon a third year. After briefest Christmas recess Members called back to work. They come in numbers that crowd benches on both sides. Atmosphere electrical with that sense of great happenings that upon occasion possesses it. Understood that Cabinet have resolved to recommend adoption of principle of compulsory military service. Rumours abroad of consequent resignations from Cabinet. To-morrow Prime Minister will deal with these matters. Sufficient for to-day is urgent business of amending Munitions of War Bill in order to meet Labour objections.
In such grave circumstances reasonable to expect that private Members, howsoever fussy by nature, would restrain themselves and permit public business to go forward. Member for North-West Lanarkshire does not take that view of his duty. Here is a day on which eyes of nation are with exceptional intensity and anxiety fixed on House of Commons. What an opportunity for Pringle-prangling! So at it he went, kept it up not only, through Question Hour but, by interruptions of Minister of Munitions when speaking during successive stages of Amending Bill, by questions in Committee, by acrimonious speeches on Report Stage and Third Reading, he hushed Hogge, snowed-up Snowden, ousted Outhwaite, and dammed the flow of Dalziel's discourse.
In spite of this, which, in addition to major objections, wasted something like two hours, work got through a little before ten o'clock.
Business done.—Munitions Amendment Bill, recommitted for insertion of now clause, passed through remaining stages. Read a third time amidst general cheers.
THE PERTINACIOUS PRINGLE