y Lord GALWAY, who thought it an insult to
Parliament to bring forward so ambitious a measure at the fag-end of
the Session. Lord CURZON vainly endeavoured to avert the coming storm
by accepting a suggestion that the Bill should be carried over till
next Session. The majority of the Peers were out for blood, and they
defeated the Second Reading by 57 to 41. Dr. ADDISON, from the steps
of the Throne, gloomily watched the overturn of his omnibus. It is
understood that, following the example of his distinguished namesake,
he is going to write to _The Spectator_ about Lord STRACHIE.

So many of the Commons appeared to have anticipated the Christmas
holidays that Questions were run through at a great pace. Mr. HOGGE,
however, was in his place all right to know how it was, after all the
protestations of the Government, that an official motor-car containing
an officer and a lady had been seen outside a toy-shop in Regent
Street. "Mark how a plain tale shall set you down," said Mr. CHURCHILL
in effect. The officer was on his way from an outlying branch of the
War Office to an important conference in Whitehall; the lady was his
private secretary; the natural route of the car was _via_ Regent
Street, and the officer had merely seized the opportunity to pick up
a parcel.

A Supplementary Estimate of six and a-half millions for the Navy gave
the economists their chance. Mr. G. LAMBERT could not understand why
we were employing more men at the dockyards than before the War, and
suggested that three or four of the yards might be sold. This proposal
was received with singularly little enthusiasm by most of the Members
for dockyard constituencies; but Sir B. FALLE (Portsmouth) handsomely
remarked that Chatham might well be leased for private enterprise.
The Member for Chatham was not present, or he would, no doubt, have
returned the compliment.

_Wednesday, December 15th._--A less adventurous Minister than Mr.
CHURCHILL might have funked the task of justifying to a House of
Economists a Supplementary Army Estimate of forty millions. But he
boldly tackled the job, and proved to his own satisfaction that half
the liability was a mere book-entry, and the other half inevitable,
in view of the Empire's commitments. Sir CHARLES TOWNSHEND, in a
maiden speech which in the more flamboyant passages suggested the
collaboration of the EDITOR of _John Bull_, announced his intention
of supporting the Government "for all I am worth," and proceeded