;from our Parlianzentary Correspondent
NEW JUNIOR MINISTERS
The appointments of the r.ew junior iniaisters last week aroused a good deal of interest in the --louse. Promotions in the political world afford a great opportunity to the smoking-room cynics, who are usually members of long standing who have never succeeded in getting office, as also to the ambitious young politicians who. get -a momentat , glimpse into thc
:id of their leader on which to model their own future conduct.
On this occasion the interest was heightened because Mr. Baldwin had to make allowance for the balance of parties formine, the National Overt:men..
This accounted the quite unexpected appointment of Mr. Kenneth Lindsay (National Labour) as Civil Lord of the Admiralty, a job which the prophets had conch:Tilly assigned to Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd, who has served long as Mr. Baldwin's private secretary. Mr. Lindsay, after only tv. years in parliament, is very fortunate and Mr. Lloyd, also a young man, can assuredly look forward to a consolation price whic'. in the near futores will inure
fro _than compensate him for his temporary Csappointment.
THE LORDS AND INDIA The Lords devoted two days to the second reading of the India Bill and passed it by a handsome majority. Although nothing new was raised—it hardly could he after the exhaustive Commons debates—the discussion was full of interest, carried on as it was by men almost every one of whom had had years of experience either in India or at the India Office. The most effective speech for the Opposition came from Lord Lloyd on the subject of federation.
Australia and Canada, he said, disliked 'ederation, the United States were always 'in difficulties with it, as was Switzerland; why, therefore, try tt apply this anachronism to India where it obviously had far less chance of working well?
The new Secretary of State, Lord &Hand, who is a former Governor of Bengal, met the critics with an excellent speech, his complete grasp of the intricacies of the subject being none the less devastating for his almost pedantic delivery, UNCONTROVERSIAL BUDCiT Monday saw the Commons conclude the committee stage of the Financetill, which has proved to be the least controversial for many years. Sir Basil Peto, stalwart champion of income-taxpayers. tried unsuccessfully to get income-tax deductions on wasting assets, a highly complicated matter; but Mr. Chamberlain was, as usual, lucid 'but adamant and after some discussion the amendment was withdrawn.
Mr. Macquisten then moved to reduce the whiskey duty to f2.I 0.0 a proof gallon and treated the House to a fine exhibition of his native pawky humour. He wished that whiskey could be regarded entirely as a medicine and promised the Chancellor that there would not he'esny reduction in revenue becausiesthe world was full of people longing to buy a medicinal halfbottle.
The House laughed and cheered, but Mr. Rhys Davies, Labour member for Westhoughton who, after Mr. Isaac Foot, is the principal teetotatsachampion in the Commons, thought that all should rejoice at the reduced consumption of spirits brought about by the high duty and urged the Chancellor not to give way. The Chancellor obliged, but made it clear that his refusal was .based on financial considerations and thought that the matter might be reconsidered when conditions warranted it.
MR. SPEAKER TO BEOPPOSED
Mr. Speaker to be Opposed.— The decision of the Daventry divisional Lab.qv party to oppose Mr. Speaker at the general election was not unexpected, and though indignation has been expressed in some quarters, the Opposition has been careful to show that this is no personal matter, but merely an attempt to bring to a head a constitutional difficulty which has long needed attention.
It is obviously equally undesirable that Mr. Speaker should be thrust into the hurly-burly of party strife or that a single constituency should be disfranchised for ten or fifteen years; consultations are in progress between the party leaders and it IS probable that a solution will be found, perhaps on the lines of creating a "pocket borough" for the purpose.
THE ELECTION The Liberal National group met last week and many members, including Mr. Runeiman, spoke strongly in favour of an autumn election. It is known that Mr. Baldwin. with whom, of course, the ultimate decision rests, has not yet applied himself seriously to the question, but it is now quite cerfain that his choice will lie• between the autumn or the early spring.
PASSION PLAY AT NOTRE DAME For several evenings the people of Paris have been witnessing an unususl spectacle. Its setting was striking—the parvis of Notre Dame. In this square a stage a nundred and twenty feet long was set up, and more inn seven hundred characters took part in the revival of the "Vray Mist?re d la 'assion," a passion play by Arnould Grban, who five hundred years ago was a canon of Le Mans.