PUNCH AND THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 4, 5 January 1907, Page 16

PUNCH AND THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

The following is Mr. Punch's report of a recent debate in the House of Lords on the Education Bill: — Thp Archbishop of Canterbury : I am so deeply convinced of the necessity for this amendment that 1 now beg to move it. Lord Halifax : I do not rise, my Lords, for the purpose of intervening for more than a few moments in your Lordships' debate. Is this fair? Is it right! Is it honourable T , Is it what we have a right to expect? Aie wo going to take it v I may seize this opportunity of referring to a remark once made by a noble Lord who .is no longer a member of your Lordships' House, or, for the matter of tb.it, of the world at large Lord Ampthill (intervening) : Is the noble Viscount entitled to discuss Lord Emly (interrupting) : When my ancestors lost their heads m the French Revolution Lord St. Aldwin (interposing) : Is the Lord aware that Me are now discussing Lord Cawdor (breaking in) : This is not the House of Commons Lord Salisbury (interjecting) : Let me recall your Lordships to the portentous and unparalleled and unmatchablo and unexampled gravity Lord Clifford of Chudleigh (interjecting) : My Lords, the Catholics of England will never Lord Harris (expostulating) : My Lords, I have been listening with great attention to this debate, and I confess that I utterly fail to understand where we tire. Who, my Lords, has moved what? Will not the noble Earl who Las charge of this Bill give us some guidance? There was once, I remember, a slow bowler who had a most deadly delivery. It used to puzzle us, my Lords. My Lords, we are noiv puzzled. (Opposition murmurs of sympathy). The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I will endeavour to explain, or, if I may use a vulgar phrase, to put the matter in a nutshell. If this amendment 13 carried we shall by the insertion of mandatory words previously rejected by the Government and therefore eminently worthy of your Lordships' best attention, nullify — at least I hope we shall to some extent, though to what extent I cannot quite say, but at any rate the effect cannot well be the same ; and we shall thus, if wo strike out lines fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen, and substitute the w ords "such teaching us a majority of parents may or shall after an appeal to the Board *of Education " 1 think this makes it perfectly plain. (Lord Harris faints "and is carried out). Lord Stanley : To which clause does the Archbishop refer? Six Noble Lords (rising together) : The clause to which be refers has already been omitted. Lord Onslow (Chairman of Committee) : Ah, yes, that was the day before yesterday; but it was reinserted yesterday. Ten Noble Lords (rising together) : We never understood that. Lord Onslow: Anyhow, that is what was done. Lord Lansdowne : We re-omitted it half an hour ago. Lord Onslow : That being so, the Archbishop is perhaps not strictly entitled to move iiis amendment. The Archbishop of Canterbury : I shall move it, nevertheless. Lord Salisbury : Hear ! Hear ! (iueir Lordships then divided, and there appeared— Contont, 352; Not Content 31 ; majority in favour ot the amendment, 321).