Balfour
and coercion had completely failed to do even as much as he had done.
Mr. Balfour made a somewhat feeble reply. And finally, in spite of a
strong whip, the Tories were beaten by forty-five--the normal Liberal
majority.
[Sidenote: The loosing of the winds.]
But all this was but the preface to uglier and worse work which was to
come later on. Supply is the happy hunting-ground of obstructives. The
questions there are small, and so easily comprehended, that even the
dullest man can talk about them, and it requires--as I have said
above--not intellect, but temperament. For nearly four hours there was a
discussion on an item of L100, which had been spent on improving the
accommodation of the House of Commons. John Burns, disgusted at this
palpable waste of time, four times moved the closure. Jimmy Lowther--who
has come wonderfully to the front since obstruction and general rowdyism
has become the order of the day with the Tories--instantly turned to
John with the observation that this was not the County Council;
whereupon John promptly retorted, "Nor are you on Newmarket Heath." At
last, after the waste of these four mortal hours, the closure was moved,
was resisted by the majority of the Tory party, but, at the same time,
was so necessary and proper, that several Tories voted in its favour,
and some disgusted Unionists actually left the House.
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