This green blotting-paper has now become popular. At the conclusion of the brief recess of ten days, the House met again for the consideration of the report stage of the Finance Bill, which, however, did not take more than ten days to complete.

About this time a disagreeable incident took place between Mr. Ure, the Lord Advocate, and Mr. Balfour. The former had used some expressions which were interpreted to mean that if and when the Conservative Party returned to office, it would discontinue the grant of Old Age Pensions. Mr. Balfour and the Conservative Party were very indignant at this suggestion and Mr. Balfour stigmatized the charge as "a frigid and calculated lie." This led to a heated scene in the House, and much recrimination outside. Mr. Ure explained that he was referring to the impossibility of financing Old Age Pensions on a system of Tariff Reform, but the Opposition were not pacified, and for a time Mr. Ure, who had hitherto been a popular member of the Ministry, was the target for many missiles, some of which were in the shape of squibs and jokes turning upon his name. One of them which I happen to remember was the translation of " Magna est veritas et prævalebit," which was rendered "Great is truth and it will end Ure."

The third reading of the Finance Bill passed on the 3rd of November by a large majority, the Irish Party, who had opposed the Bill throughout, abstaining, however, from voting. During the interval which followed, there was naturally much speculation as to the course which the Lords would take. Their right as well as their wisdom in venturing to reject a finance Bill, was universally discussed and widely disputed; but all doubts were resolved when on the 30th of November the Bill

was rejected by them by a large majority. The Prime Minister at once moved a motion in the Commons denouncing their action as unconstitutional, and it was carried by the usual Government majority. An Irish Land Bill and a Housing and Town Planning Bill went through with some amendments, and Parliament was prorogued on the 3rd of December, never to meet again.

It was obvious that the only solution of the question was to be obtained by referring the matter to the decision of the constituencies, and a General Election was soon announced to take place on the 10th of January.

Before the end of the year I paid a visit to Lord Curzon at his stately home at Hackwood, near Basingstoke, for some shooting, and to the Londonderrys at Wynyard; but the rest of my time was spent at home at Hutton John, where deep snow gave us many opportunities of sleighing.

Just before the final days of the Session my predecessor in the Speaker's chair, Lord Selby, died at the age of seventy-four. Notwithstanding failing health, he had done a considerable amount of public work during the last four years, particularly as Chairman of the Royal Commissions on Vaccination and on Motor Cars. He was not, however, spared long enough to complete the former important investigation. I had known Lord Selby for twenty-five years, first at the Bar, then as Member for Carlisle, and subsequently I had served for ten years under him as Deputy Speaker, and was always on the best of terms with him. His friendliness and amiability in private were only equalled by his courtesy and dignity in public. I do not think that he was ever very happy in the Speaker's chair. When he was elected to the office the work was new to

him, he had never made any particular study of the rules or precedents, and although his natural abilities and painstaking application to the solution of the problems which confronted him enabled him to master his difficulties, he never seemed quite at ease; nor did he convey to the House the feeling that he had complete control of the situation, a feeling which begets confidence and allays opposition. He would have made an excellent judge and adorned the Court of Appeal.

CHAPTER XXI

1910-1911

Madrid-Political Parties after the Election-Constantinople-Death of King Edward-Effect on Politics-Conference of Leaders-Another Dissolution-Mr. Ginnell's Attack on me.

1910

The month of January was mostly occupied by the oratorical campaign which precedes the polls and by the holding of the elections in the constituencies. I was spared the labour of a contested election, which in the other constituencies turned upon the question of the rejection of the Budget, the alternative to the Government proposals, viz. Tariff Reform, the strength of the Navy, the future of the House of Lords, and the nastiness of black bread as an article of diet. This last topic had been introduced as an illustration of what the country might have to swallow if it adopted the Tariff Reform proposals of the Opposition. It gave me a malicious satisfaction to see the black rye bread, which was served at my official dinner to the Government at the beginning of the next Session, not only not declined but evidently enjoyed.

On the 15th of January I was proposed as Member for Mid-Cumberland by my old friend Mr. Henry C. Howard of Greystoke, and seconded by another old friend, Mr. Hamlet Riley. There being no other candidate, I was duly elected, and on the following day my wife and daughter and I left for Madrid en route to Algeçiras.

VOL. II.

81

G

At Madrid we stayed at the Embassy with our old friends, Sir Maurice and Lady de Bunsen, and renewed our acquaintance with the pictures, infinitely better housed and shown than formerly; and we also visited the spot where the bomb was thrown at the King and Queen of Spain on their return from their wedding ceremony and killed twenty-three people. This place had a peculiar interest for me, as my brother, Cecil, who was at that time Military Attaché in Madrid, had been present, and had been, with Sir M. de Bunsen, the first to rush to the royal carriage, hand the Queen down out of her coach and stand by until she was able to enter the coche di respetto, the empty coach which accompanied the procession in case of necessity.

My brother appeared to be destined to assist royal personages in distress, for when His Majesty King George had a fall from his horse at the front during the war, and was in severe pain from the accident, it was my brother who picked him up and carried him to a motor car near by.

I also went with the Ambassador to see the game of pelota, something like the game of "fives" but on a large scale, played in a long court to an accompaniment of shouting from bookmakers which was deafening, and, to my mind, marred the entertainment.

There was a dinner to the King and Queen of Spain at the Embassy, followed by a ball, which was a brilliant function and attended by all the smart society of Madrid as well as the staff of the Embassy. Besides the King and Queen, the guests at dinner included the Duchess of San Carlos, the Duque de Arden, the Marquis de la Torrecilla, Princess Pio, Señor de Perez Caballane, Countess de Casa Valencia, and the Señora de Alcala Galicas, well-known figures in Spanish society. The