All through the afternoon Mr. Pemberton-Billing had been popping up with questions, interjections and points of order. Now he rose to continue the debate, but Members had apparently had enough of him for one day. After a few minutes he suffered the most inglorious fate that can befall a Parliamentary crusader. One by one his audience melted away, until there was not enough left to make a House. "P. B." was counted out.
Thursday, May 18th.—Lord Lansdowne at least is not afraid of the new Order in Council prohibiting reference to Cabinet proceedings. In answer to complaints of the delay in introducing Compulsory Service he told the old story of the widow who married a widower, and complained to a friend that "his children are always fighting with my children and frightening our children." That, he implied, was what went on in the Coalition.
The Commons enjoyed a pretty little duel between two old friends. Ex-Professor Hewins delivered a long lecture on elementary economics, leading up to the conclusion that we could not beat the Germans without an immediate dose of Tariff Reform. The House, expecting an equally solemn defence of Free Trade from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was at once surprised and delighted when Mr. Chamberlain rose to reply.
Though tied to the Tariff movement "by my heart-strings as well as by my head," he thought it would be imprudent to embark on it at this moment. After the War it would very likely meet with general consent. Mr. Hewins must have felt like Alice with "jam yesterday, and jam to-morrow, but never jam to-day."
DIGNITY AND IMPUDENCE;
Or, The Rival Commissionaires.
