In the Commons the Simonites made a determined effort to get the minimum age raised from 18 to 19. But Mr. LONG was obdurate, though he promised that, subject to exceptional military necessity, no conscript should be sent abroad till he was 19. Eventually the Bill passed its Third Reading by 250 to 35. A characteristically bitter speech from Mr. SNOWDEN evoked an appropriate retort from Sir ARTHUR MARKHAM. Observing that the Hon. Member had been against the War throughout, he charged him with "making vitriolic speeches and dropping acid drops in every direction." Mr. SNOWDEN (remembering the case of Mr. JOHN BURNS) may think himself lucky if he is not known as "The Acid Drop" for the rest of his political career. _Wednesday, May 17th._--The Summer Time Bill passed into law to-day, in spite of the gloomy prognostications of Lord BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH. He foresaw the time when the Committee of Privileges might be called upon to pronounce a new judgment of SOLOMON on the question whether a peerage should go to a boy born at 2.50 A.M. on October 1st or to his twin-brother, born actually half-an-hour later, but according to statutory time half-an-hour before. While the Lords were illuminating the daylight the Commons were engaged in ventilating the air. The present administration of the Flying Services was severely criticised by Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS, who wanted an Air Minister--not Lord CURZON, but "someone with a reputation to lose." Mr. TENNANT promptly announced that the ex-Viceroy of India would be President of the new Air Board. Colonel CHURCHILL launched into a lengthy history of the Air Services, from which we gathered that but for the exertions of a former First Lord, who used to divert money voted for hospitals and coastguard stations to the building of aeroplanes, the country would have had no aerial defences when the War broke out. He joined in the demand for an Air Ministry. In fact, he had himself proposed it to the PRIME MINISTER a year ago. It is possible that he even indicated a suitable person to fill the post. Before the War it was sometimes said of Lord HUGH CECIL that his Parliamentary speeches were too much up in the clouds. Since he has taken to exploring those regions as a member of the Royal Flying Corps, that criticism no longer applies. In a severely practical speech he flatly contradicted the accusations that had been made against our Air Service, and boldly claimed that it was the most efficient in the world. After that, Mr. BONAR LAW had a comparatively easy task in persuading the House to give the new Air Board a fair trial. In reference to the fears that had been expressed as to the powers to be accorded to its President he drily remarked that from his experience in the Cabinet he did not think Lord CURZON would be found lacking in personality.