despite Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY'S naïve suggestion that we should
restore credit by making a bonfire of paper-money--he did not say
whose--the House agreed with the CHANCELLOR.

[Illustration: COLONEL AMERY CRUSOE RETURNS FROM A SUCCESSFUL DAY WITH HIS
MAN FRIDAY.]

_Tuesday, February 17th._--The Acting Colonial Secretary bubbled over with
delight as he described the success of the operations against the
Somaliland dervishes. The principal credit was due to the Royal Air Force,
but the native levies had also done their part effectively. The only fly in
Colonel AMERY'S ointment was the escape of that evasive gentleman, the
MULLAH, to whom he was careful on this occasion not to apply the epithet
"Mad." As, however, the MULLAH has lost all his forces, all his stock and
all his belongings, it is hoped that it will be at any rate some time
before he pops up again.

The Coal Mines Bill was wisely entrusted to Mr. BRIDGEMAN. Lord SPENCER
once delighted the House of Commons by announcing that he was "not an
agricultural labourer"; and Mr. BRIDGEMAN similarly put it in a good temper
by admitting that he had never himself worked in a mine. But he showed
quite a sufficient acquaintance with his subject, and succeeded in
dispelling some of the fog that enshrouds the figures of coal-finance. The
miners, of course, objected to the Bill on the ground that it was not
nationalisation, but were left in a very small minority.

A Private Members' debate on the Housing Problem occupied the evening.
There was much friendly criticism of the MINISTER OF HEALTH, for whom Major
LLOYD GREAME suggested a motto from the _Koran_:--