Business done.—Another day passed talking round Address. Naoroji moved Amendment raising question of financial relations between England and India. Read a paper of prodigious length; beat the tom-tom for nearly an hour. "In churches," said the (almost) Reverend Jemmy Lowther, "an incumbent sometimes reads himself in. Naoroji reads his congregation out. Mayn't be quite so black as the Markiss painted him, but he's quite as long-winded as could have been expected."
Thursday.—New Session not quite a fortnight old, and lo! a strange thing has happened. Electric bells struck—I mean they won't strike. When, just now, House cleared for division on Amnesty motion electric knobs touched as usual. Thereupon should have followed tintinnabulation of the bells in all the rooms and corridors outside the Chamber. Only little tinkle heard; sort of weird mocking laugh, "Ha! ha!" and then silence.
Labby's Share.
Consequences might have been serious. Last thing well-trained Member regards as absolute preliminary to voting is to sit throughout the debate. Scattered far and wide, in library, tea-room, dining-room, or smoking-room, when they hear the bell they rush in to vote. If they don't hear it they stop where they are. Difficulty temporarily overcome by sending policemen and messengers bawling along all the passages, "Division! division!" This all very well for the moment; but what is to be done about the bells?
Albert Rollit, steeped in parliamentary usages, says, "If the bells won't obey the Speaker's order, send them to the Clock Tower."
Stuart promptly places at disposal of Speaker a squadron of Star boys, to run about premises on given signal and proclaim division. "They'd do it much better than the policemen and messengers," he says.
True; but as Colonel Legge apprehends, they would be certain in excitement of moment, instead of calling out "Division," to lapse into more familiar cry, "Hextra Speshul!" That would never do. Simplest plan is to stop this interminable talk round the Address and get to work. When the electric bells shut up in sheer disgust at waste of time, grown-up men of business may be expected to reconsider the position.
Business done.—Tim Harrington talked for two hours and five minute about ancient history of Maamtrasna.
Friday.—Much murmuring below Gangway just now because to programme of Session already overloaded Government decline to add Bill providing for payment of Members. Sage of Queen Anne's Gate been observed to regard this topic with smiling equanimity. Secret of his content now disclosed. Papers report how Spanish merchant, resident in Barcelona, having studied Sage's public Parliamentary career, begs leave, as trifling indication of his esteem and admiration, to be permitted to pay Sage's election expenses whenever incurred.