There has, however, been more interest in the proceedings of the Lords than of the Commons this week. OnFriday evening the Deceased Wife's Sister's Bill was down for the Third Reading; and in spite of the opposition of Lord Salisbury, the Duke of Argyll, and the whole Bench of Bishops, it was carried by 38—s considerably larger majority than that by which the Second Reading was adopted. A strong effort is being made to induce the Government to give time for the passage of the measure through the Commons; but seeing that opinion among Ministers is sharply divided on the subject the effort is most' unlikely to prove successful. Then last night the Peers were engaged in rediscussing the vexed question of saddling the Indian Government with the pay of the Indian soldiers at Suakim. But although a few Conservative and Liberal Unionist. peers voted on the side of India, the division list showed the substantial majority of ninety-two votes against forty in favour of the Government. The Times is deeply grieved that the Upper House did not take the opportunity of showing once more that they are niore truly representative than the Commons of the opinion of the country. In the Commons many Conservative members undoubtedly did violence to their convictions rather than risk overthrowing the Government; but an adverse yote in the Lords would not have compelled the resignation of the Government.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.