Nobody ever expected that the British Parliament was not like any other Parliament. Half the constituents who go there have axes to grind, and half the guests whom members invite to dine or lunch go there to talk about business. You cannot ask your neighbour for his birth certificate, a clergyman's guarantee of moral character, and a banker's reference. You take them as you find them, and most people are sufficiently good judges of character to know when they are being exploited and when they are
able. throwa into contact with undesir-
As a matter of fact, it is not particularly easy to get into the semi-private precincts of the House, and it is pretty uninteresting when vou do get there. The British Parliament is inevitably composed or the most part of heavyweights, with a great opinion of themselves which is seldom shared by others who come into close contact with them.
Hence now, after the case to which T have alluded) all sorts of restrictions ave been infroduced—pink passes, green passes, buff passes, more policemen, more detectives, more anxious waiters watch. ing to see that the MP. pays and not his guest. Tt is the price we poy for sacrosanctity, and British respectability. Our regulation members quite as much consolation is that these new
as they worry us, the mere outsiders.
Rerorts received from the outlying districts of Hongkong state that the heavy rains have caused several landslides lately. Ab the time of writing Stanley Gap Road, Saiwan Gap Road, Shaukiwan Taitam, the 'Castle, Peak Road were all more or' less obstructed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.