Weekly Mail

The Quaker's Wooing. There is a story of a .Quaker maiden wooed by; a suitor not of her own rect who pressed her Ml allow him to kiss her, a favour long refused till the impetuous love* cried, i Tow I will do Weil, friend," was the quiet response, now thotg- hast vowed I must allow thee to do to, for it wouljf be sin to force tliee to break thy word." .:f t:

SALE AND EXCHANGE.! COLUMN. ju future we have decided to impose a chargtt' of id. for every six words for advertisements putaf Jrsbed jmdar tins beading,. In every case amount HMMt be prepaid ia postage -staanpf. 11 SALE OR EXCHANGE. PGR Pure-bred Aylesbury Oook « luli»n Geese Ss, 6d. sitting »• R-elf Eggs, 5s. 8d. sitting. Sent, eavjT<e pai-i, eg* recent Postal Oraw. fi.j Bfo" Orickho—™ ,It. "Å

1UR LONDON LETTER. 4w i BY OUR OWN COERESPOXDF.NT. LAST NIGHT'S WELSH WATERLOO. That the crashing defeat sustained by the Welsh party yesterday is regarded as a severe check is not seriously denied. It seems that up till the last moment it was believed that Mr. Gladstone would so far soften down in hisi opposition to the Bill as to walk out with- out voting, instead of actually going into the lobby against the Bill. Indeed, a few mem- that ^Ai1186 r1,0 ,beIieve<even after the division, J?,! ii Gladstone and Mr. Morley had actually gone the length of voting against 0n' !}ls s ^'11- But. as a matter of fact, the PPosition leaders knew perfectly well that I«e AVernment Were not So'mg to weakly j? an 1Dcla'ry or commission, and they v Q 7 wade up their minds beforehand to bn C a^pU1S^ se°ond reading. Mr. Ilan- w.iu- ac^' 't seems, excuses his act inr walking- out of the House without voting on e plea that the Bill was introduced at an ^opportune moment, but Mr. Uathbone, if 4 estioned on the matter, would, no doubt, say itself°e °^ectC(^ to the measure in THE MINERS' PLAY WFEKI As I foretold yesterday, the miners' con- erence has decided that "stop work" IS to fJtop on Saturday and the men to return to ^oi-k on Monday. Confessedly, the thing has 7yren.* as far as miners are concerned, n r'"hf ^kraham tacitly admitted to me to- t t that the men would not gain anything 7 the week's work they have lost. Mr. \\T, m rePi'esents the miners of South *j:8 wbo have remained at work. He is dis- l. ?|et~to agree withme that themiddleman only M benefit by the recent panic prices, cer- taInly not the miner. Mr. Abraham is in favour of a gradual restriction by a reduction Of the working time by a five days' week. He QHiS that this would have the effect of raising prices, because the setting-down of pits one day a week would entail loss on the coalowners, Mr. Abraham does no however, think it would be practicable rap the p-ts going by dividing the mere into shifts, one of which would take en.Gay on Monday and another on Saturday. Mr. Abraham thinks that the reduction of output can only be properly secured by total cessation of work on one day, that is, by a reduction of the working week from six days to five. I am glad to hear that Mr. Pickard, M.P., the president of the Miners' Federation, is improving in health since he ha3 been down at JJ as tings. A CRACK FOOTBALL TEAM. Captain Grice Hutchinson has invited the rasttbera and officials of the Aston "Villa unto dine with him at the Criterion on ^aturday night after their match with West -ffroruwich Albion in the final of the Associa- tion Football Cup. Mr. Secretary Matthews has promised to bo at the festivity. Here it 18generally anticipated that Aston Villa will repeat the victory they scored off the West Brorrnrich men at the Oval in Jubilee Year, THE LABOUR DIFFICULTY IN LONDON. The labour difficulty has already made its appearance in the London Council. It was noticed that Alderman Ben Tillett was at the bottom of the list, and had considerably fewer votes than the others. This was on account of the hostility of the labour members. Ben- jamin is in ill odour with his fellows, and they resolved that his mess should be much less Than that of his brethren. Hence the bad position in which the most distinctly labour alderman stands is due to the refusal of the labour members to support him. A MINISTERIAL LABOUR BILL. j fn* T *n*ormed that there is no foundation r.r.r+ u& ^emarltable statement that has been consul;^ iaS £ Sir John Gorst having been Labour Bill h*PaJinet on the subject of a of a certain 4.'rlr 13 the Bogie Man to compromiseCthenrand when«ver the-v want que'tioi ^o^mment on the labour Johi V*"7 trot oat Sir Cade IIM. 80 Ministerial Jack »u_ hat has given rise to infrtv^T- t rumoar is, 1 believe, the ATr. '°n able to oonvey to you on AT ^a^inet had Mr. Secretary atthew3's Employers' Liability Bill under consideration on Saturday. That is the only labour Bill Ministers have in consideration. Jhey would very much like to pass that. If they did, it would have a broad and generous oasis. I am, however, afraid there is not time between Easter and the end of June. THE GENERAL ELECTION AND IRELAND. The Irish Unionists have arranged to con- test some sixty or seventy constituencies in Ireland. This raises a very serious pecuniary question for the Nationalist parties. They will not be able to meet their opponents at the polls unless they are subsidised by hand- some donations from the sorely-taxed war- chest of the Gladstonian party. The Perplexity is a bitter one. The Nationalists have hardly any Parliamentary funds. Yet if they accept Saxon subsidies it will be made an occaeion of stumbling to them in their pre- sent divided condition. On the other hand, they cannot go to the constituencies without ample funds. Two hundred pounds is a moderate average per constituency. At this figure, and supposing they leave uncontested a number of safe Unionist seats, they will !laT)t about £ '30,000 to meet the monist onslaught. The beet of it is that without cash they cannot go to the Poll's at all. A beneficent provision of election dst 0360 straw requires that candi- ex shall deposit the returning-officers -fl'ases before they can be effectively ^"Heated. Thus the Irish candidate who ss not go up money in hand will be sent b-aelf -&d. In this dire distress I do not think the two sections wiil be long in coming to an Thto "handle" the Paris fund. at a:jd the donations of their ovai rich men e tneir only visible resources. GLADSTOX'IAXS CL!B DOWN. It j3 more imperative that the Irish p?tionalista should not be dependent on adstonian gold in that Ireland will in the S^neral election be the key of the Gladstonian Position. The Irish Nationalists will control ustonian policy in the event of suooess at G polls. The very important admission *de by the 1'all Mall Gazette yester- y» in deference to the unanswer- ne logic of figures presented by the St. «fa»ies'.s Gazette in elaboration of my t?f-v that a Gladstonian victory will be As pi only worse," has revolutionised the adstoni«»n position. The Pall Malls steady ^ry for the last five years has been As in i-o-—-only better." When the figures of the Je-elections—admirably arranged in the St. shown that at the most favour- anvthinsr^w6 Gladstonians oannot do anything like we, I as in 18s5. the Pall ¡"lall murmurs, "As in 1885-^1°'* now sadly the bearings of this, if the 0.bse,r*e' as well as in 1885-whioh, on their owna<W sion, is impossible—they will, R3 the pj^l sagaciously remarks, have a majority of 168, But it will not be a Gladstonian majority it wjU be made up by the Nationalists. Their 6o members will be the oontroAliug poWer They will control the Gladstoaians, because the moment they cross over and vote with the Tories the CrhtdstoBian majority will disappear. Thns, at the very but the Gladstoniaas can onl| bpjie to tteooifte the helots of the Healeyites. They may propose, but the Irish allies will dispose, It would be highly diverting to watch the result, and it would be a good sporting event to toss up whether the Gladstonians would be "chucked" by their Irish allies or by a new exodus of disgusted Liberals. It is for the electors to spare the country the humiliation and loss that would be entailed by the degrading spectacle by giving the Unionists a sufficient majority to keep them in power. NOTHING FOR METROPOLITAN MKMBKKS. Mr. De Lisle has given notice of an amend- ment to Mr. Fenwick's motion for the pay- ment of members which tests in a diver- tingly practical manner the plea that payment is necessary to meet the expenses of members who have to come up to town. Mr. De Lisle proposes that the allowance be three- fold for Irish members, double for Scotch members, double for IVelsh members, and nothing for Metropolitan members." Of course, the Welsh, Scotch, and Irish mem- bers would support this. if Mr. Gladstone be true to his wild theory that remoteness justi- fies over-representation, he should also strongly support it. I need scarcely add that Mr. Do Lisle's amendment would only be moved in the improbable event of Mr. Fen- wick's motion being carried. A "KIXG OF BEASTS." The late Professor Freeman, though he had the reputation of being a kindly-disposed and affectionate man amongst his own friends and in his family oircle, was somewhat gruff and crusty at times to strangera. When put out he rarely took the trouble of hiding his feeling3. There is a tale told about the professor which vividly illustrates this characteristic. He was much affronted on a certain occasion in the course of a banquet given in his own honour in the North of England. No one quite understood at the time the precise reason of the great offence taken by the professor, who actually, it is said, rose from the table whilst the toast list was still unfinished, and stalked out of the room for good. The chairman himself was a trifle peppery, and the brusqueness of the professor provoked him at once to conside- rable wrath. He rose at table and addressed the company, according to the story, in the following words Gentlemen, we assembled here to-night to do honour to a lion amongst men. I think you will agree with me that we have certainly been entertaining a king of beasts." OBSTRUCTION RAMPANT—AND A STURDY RADICAL. Friday morning's reflection did not improve the mood of the political roysterers who tried to stop the business of the nation on Thurs- day. The main body of the Opposition went home, and left the coarser form of ob- struction to the irreconcil-ibles, who, in the matter of political reputation, have nothing to lose and nothing to hope for. This after- noon, true to their promise to make the situation a hot one for Mr. Balfour, the Opposition rallied round Mr. Conybeare and Mr. Labouchere. True, a new and better turn to the debate was given by the spirited and well-timed speech of the Hon. Arthur Elliot-a typioal Scotch Liberal, but a Unionist to boot. Scottish business had been made the stalking-horse for the obstruction of the afternoon. Mr. Elliot, with trenchant terseness that told terribly on the Opposition, repudiated the idea of separate treatment for Scotland, denounced the sheer and wanton waste of time by the obstruc- tionists, and declared that the Treasury Bench ought to have the support of the House. Point by point the hon. mem- ber was cheered with vigorous solidarity, and when he described some of the speeches that the House had been forced to listen to last night as "mere drivel," the burst of cheering that expressed the relieved feelings of members went off into a pro- onged roar. REVOLT AGAINST DRIVEL. So deep was the effect of Mr. Elliot's speech, that after him even so well esteemed a member as Mr. John Leng could not obtain a patient hearing. Sir William Haroourt made a blundering attempt to climb down by suggesting such a compromise as no leader with respect for himself and his fol- lowers could accept. Mr. Sexton capped it by an announcement which the House inter- preted as a declaration of determined obstruc- tion. Mr. Conybeare backed it up by his own valiant declaration that he intended neither to give nor take quarter. Throughout Mr. Conybeare's ridiculous speech members laughed and oheered ironically, until the hon. member was taunted into a fever of indigna- tion. Mr. Alpheus Cleophas Morton had the hottest reception. The House simply refused to listen to him. When he rose a great roar like a grumble of thunder rolled round the House, and until the elect of Peter- borough sat down there was no space of time when his voice could be heard separately above the roar of indignation which expressed the revolt of reason against "drivel." Mr. Leonard Courtney made a much better bid for peace than Sir William Harcourt had. Mr. Balfour adopted Mr. Courtney's sugges- tion, and presented to the House a plan by which the Scotch members would obtain two hours of the time of the House to-night and as long as they please after ten o'clock on Monday. This did not suit the irreoon- cilables, and the question was fought out to the bitter end. There were three divisions, in which the Government majorities were 96, 95, and 79 respectively. The last was on the main question, and with it Mr. Balfour obtained permission to prooeed with the business of the House. At the time of wiring there is every anticipation of a long sitting, but competent authorities are of opinion that the determined stand made by Ministers, and the splendid backing they are having from their followers, will cow the obatructionisfs into submission. Anyhow, the vote is going to be carried before the House rises. A :• PECIMES OF OBSTRUCT'VK SPISKCHBS. To justify Mr. Arthur J Diet's description of tha irreconcilable oratory as "årivd," I send you a sentence I took down on Friday as it fell from the lips of one of the members who follow Mr. Labouchere and Sir William Harcourt. It was as follows It was owing to the fault of the Government in not giving way on a question that could have been given away, and WAS given away." MR, ITALFOURIS FOLLOWERS UNITED. An exoelbent effect haf5 been produced on the Unionist pal ty by the outbreak of out- rageous obstructions on the Opposition benches. T7ae Unionists have got up their backs, are in splendid fighting form, and will see Mr. Balfour grandly through this business. He is leadiing magnificently. His nuwearied- ness, his toderance, his dignity, his tact, and hia firmness are simply admirable. ^-k.e Opposition have blundered badly. Their insufferable attempt to stifle business, pal- pably aimed at Mr. Balfour, has proved to be the tonio the Unionist party required to renew their vigour. SIR "JiMMX FEBSCSSON. I was in the House on Thursday when Sir James Fergusson was undergoing his first, experience of baiting in Supply. He emerged splendidly from the ordeal, It was very try- ing at first. Mr. Sexton, to the manner born, WAS rehearsing the postal grievances o. folk in all ttorte of plaoee with uncouth names, whioh he reeled off with ease. The Postmas- tw-Gen*trjJ, with hand to his ear, and leaning forward in strained attention, every now and then interpolated. 1 "bee pardor I did .not 'I catoh the name of that post-office." But when Sir James had to reply, his soldierly frankness and directness, with his unvaried courtesy and his admirably concise and lucid way of stating his case, won over the Irish- men, Sir James is undoubtedly as great a success at the Post Office as he has been elsewhere. His thoroughness in his new work reminds me of the incident that gained him the affectionate abbreviation of Jimmy." It was when Sir James was Governor of New Zealand. He was walking by the quay or docks one day,! when a labourer engaged in unloading a steamer cried out, Here, Jimmy Fergusson,! lend a hand." Sir James, without a moment's hesitation, pulled off his coat and lent a hand. Then there came up another hand who, it appears, also answered to the name of "Jimmy" Fergusson, and who had been really called on. But Sir James did not feel a bit ashamed of his mistake. It was the mistake that a man with his mind on duty need not be ashamed of. IN A SLIPPER? PLACE. The lobby of the House of Commons is be- coming a decidedly slippery place. The other night a stranger slipped and knocked his hat off, a member only saved himself by an un- dignified slide, and a burly constable capsized and landed on his beam end with a crash that excited some concern until the gallant man rose gravely, and walked away with a sad smile on his expansive countenance. On Thursday, from a similar cause, Mr. Bowen Rowlands collided with Mr. Henry Chaplin. Both are men of weight in the political world. Happily, the impact was of the mildest character, and no damage was sustained on either side. The hon. members gently dis- entangled themselves, and parted with a flourish of bows and wreathed smiles. The floor of the lobby is smooth and hard, as may be learnt by personal investigation, and it has become polished to almost glacial slipperiness. Hence these falls. ST. PATRICK'S NIGHT. The high jinks cut a wretched figure in the high jinks with which they celebrated St. Patrick's night in the House of Commons. Coming into the House after dinner, they re- sorted to disorderly obstruction, which con- tinued until two o'clock, when a reluctant minority was effectually sat upon. The Government triumphed all along the line. From the irregular inroad made by the Front Opposition Bench on the financial procedure ofj the Treasury, down to the undisguised obstruction of Mr. Labouchere and his little band of lower Radicals, Ministers simply swept everything before them. The wretched mess the Opposition made of their financial onslaught was shown by the fact that after they bad been pulverised and paralysed by Sir John Gorst (who won golden opinions), Mr. Gosohen, and Mr. Jackson, they were in such a state that Sir William Harcourt actually gave notice of motion in the words of an old resolution of two years ago, and he had not the gumption j to alter the dates As for the sheer obstruc- tionists, they were at incessant issue with the Chair, being chided and oorreoted at every turn. Mr. Balfour conducted the business brilliantly all the night, and was splendidly supported by his oolleagues, and the result was that Ministers got the public business through and had magnificent majorities, starting with the 97 against Mr. Sexton, and, after 71 against Mr. Henry Fowler, yielding snoces- sive majorities of 83, 81, 100, and 102agaimt the sheer obstructives. GOVERNMENT V. PRIVATE FACTOBIES. The rivalries of Government factories and private firms came to a head in the House of Commons on Monday. Captain Bowles had a portentous question in the interests of Eniield, while Mr. Chambevlain intervened on bebalf of the Sparkbrook factory. The lively lire of questions was crisply taken up by Mr. Secretary Stanhope, who answered sharply several times. He sweetly reminded his hecklers that he had answered s-imilar ques- tions five or six times already. To Mr. Chamberlain he stuok to it that small a'ms can be made cheaper at Enfield than at Spark- brook, even taking into accoun t all the ex- penditure on Enfield. When Mr. Chamberlain asked him for a committee to inquire into the relative cost, Mr. Stanhope replied that he would give Mr. Chamberlain privately the information he possessed, and if after that he wanted a committee, he could have it. THE CASE OF MB. HASTINGS. When the unhappy case of Mr. Hastings came to be dealt with, it was seen that the ex-member for East Worcestershire is still strong in the belief of t his own personal merits. Mr. Speaker opened the subject by reading a letter he had received from the culprit via the Home Office. It was such a letter as only Mr. Hastings could have written, and pleading for considera- tion, first, on the ground that he did not mean to misappropriate the money he had misappropriated, and, secondly, on account of the services he had rendered as chairman of the Police and Sanitary Com- mittee. To such a plea the House could only be discreetly deaf, MR. SEXTON'S INTERPOSITION. Like an overfilled vessel, little Mr. Sexton was overflowing with objections. On Monday, as in the case of Mr. de Cobain, he seemed to revel in the chance of embarrass ng the pro- ceedings, and, like poor Mr. Rowland a few minutes previously, he was horribly disoom- fitted. He commenced operations by objecting that the motion for expulsion should have been on the paper. Gladstonians, who had not the bad manners to intervene themselves, listened with ill-concealed delight. Surely here was an instance at length in which the much maligned Balfour had blundered. Not so. In a dozen words Mr. Balfour explained that he bad handed in his motion when he gave notice, and it was not his fault it had not appeared on the paper. Then Mr. Speaker turned a headmaster s glance of solemn indignation on the uneasy Mr. Sexton, and informed him it was not necessary to put the motion on the paper, because it was not one of the orders of the day, and, as a matter of privilege, could be put without notice at all. Not crushed completely out of oonceit with himself by this tumble, Mr. Sexton essayed a second objection, with even more fatal results. He wanted to Know why the usual course was not followed, of stating in the resolution the offence for which the member was expelled. This had been done in the case of Mr. de Cobain, but not of Captain Verney, So cocksure was Mr. Sexton that he actually handed in an amendment of the motion with his malign addition. Thereupon Sir Henry James rose and suavely informed the hon. member that it was not necessary to state the offenoe in the-motion of expulsion, because the member to be expelled had been convicted, and the House held a record of the convic- tion. In the cases of De Cobain and Sadlier, relied on by the hon. member, there had bf-en no ceiivictions, and it was necessary to have a record of the offence in the motion for expul- sion. The dramatic effoot of thisexplanation was seen when Mr. Sextan's amendme-^ -s put-. 11 is performance of the part of iotru.jriist on the amenities of justice has cost Mr. Sexton dearly. It has destroyed at a sirolre what little of reputation for political wisdom and Parliamentary knowledge he has spent laborious years ia acquiring. MR. ■C'HAWBiMcfLrtJ'fc AND T..BiE HAT TkHX. There was a personal application in one of the string of delightful Parliamentarv -A- miniscenoes with whicn Mr. Chamberlain delighted the Birmingham jewellers on Satur- day which might not be immediately apparent either to those who heard or those who read the speech. I refer to the passage where Mr. Chamberlain, describing "moments of emotion," said:—"Some member, in his excite- ment or agitation, banged his hat on the head of the member in front of him, or sat down on his own hat and orumpled it up, and the House burst into roars of laughter." The personal application is this-that Mr. Cham- berlain himself once sat down on his own hat, and reduced it to ruin. Trusting to memory, I believe this was three sessions ago. Mr. Chamberlain, therefore, speaks feelingly on the subject of the hat trick." THE CASE OF MRS. OSBORNK. The information which has been permitted to leak out to the effect that Mrs. Osborne, although still ia the infirmary, is bearing her imprisonment fairly well and is actually in better health than before her conviction, dis- poses (for the present, at any rate) of all idea of pardon. Neither the attempt to get up a petition nor the remarkable theory of hysteria set up by a medical journal last week will help the unhappy lady. As to the hysteria theory, I understand it cannot now be entertained, If there had been any substantial defence of that character, it would have been raised at the trial. But, as the clever lawyers who had Mrs. Osborne's case in hand knew very well, hysteria would not, in the mind of a jury, have squared with the premeditated delibera- tion with which the theft of the jewels was accomplished. As I have stated before, Mrs. Osborne will only be released if the priaon surgeon certifies that she is in danger of her life. 1 regret to add that in the case of a prisoner who has displayed such aptitude for deception, the prison authorities will feel bouud to guard carefully against malingering. THE ELECTRICAL EXHIBITION. We do not read much in the papers about the Electrical Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. Nevertheless, it is a most successful exhibilion, and is attracting a rush of visitors proportionate to the great merits. I looked in the other day to take a more leisurely inspection of the exhibits than was possible on a first visit. The two things that impress one most are the enormous number of people, evidently not of the class from which ordinary visitors to the Palaoe are taken, and the intelligent interest they display. They discuss in the most matter-of-fact way marvels wrought by electricity that would have excited grandfathers into a paroxysm of excitement. The favourite things in the show are the suites of furnished rooms elec- trically lighted, the great search-lights and reflectors, the magnificent screen of 5,000 glow lamps, the great gibbet lamp for public light- ing, and the latest adaptation of electricity to cooking. It is true that only a light break- fast can be cooked with the electric kettle and electric frying-pan, but it is the beginning of electrio cookery, and no one may say where it will end. THE NEW LORD HAMFDHN. The new Lord Hsmpden, who oontested Cardiff against Sir E-J. Reed in 1886, has, developed of late years a great taste for fly- fisbing. I met him last season plying with much enthusiasm his favourite craft on a small river in Hertfordshire, and upon com- paring notes we foo-nd that between us we had taken two small fish during the day. THE LABOUR COMMISSION. I am permitted to reveal the stupendous mystery of the so-call interim report of the lioyal Commission on Labour, which has excited the fervid imagination of some of your contemporaries. It has been hastily assumed that the only possible reason for the report was to oblige the Cabinet, by giving them a peg on which to bang a crude Labour Bill. The actual reason is much less interest- ing. The' commiasion resolved to report because of the very oommon-place necessity of freeing the large quantity of type in which the evidence already taken is locked up. There are 2,000 pages of evidenoe in type that is 2,000 printed pages. THE CASE OF MR. HASTINGS. There is a certain amount of congratulation among Gladstonians, and of smug self-oonoeit among Nationalists, as to the expulsion of Mr. Hastings. There are Gladstonians who lay it unto themselves for consolation that Cap- tain Verney's expulsion is now counter- balanced, if not atoned for, by the catastrophe which has befallen the Unionist members. In short, they point out that one member of each scot, except the Nationalists, has been expelled for a criminal offence. That is to say, a Gladstonian, a Tory, and a Liberal Unionist. It is one of the exceptional circumstances in favour of Irish members that they have hitherto escaped the drastio treatment by purgation. But if anyone suggests that this is evidence of the superior virtue of the Irish brigade there is a smell of incredulity. TUR THEATRES. A visit to The Mountebank at the Lyric on Monday satisfied me that this Gilbert-and- Cellier opera is in for a long run. The house was filled in every part, and the music stands the strain of being heard often, as well as does the delightful libretto of Mr. Gilbert. Bat, although the words are as good as anything Mr. Gilbert has written, mature consideration drives me to the conclusion that the plot and and construction are not quite as smart as Mr. Gilbert has given us. There is a palpable hang in one or two parts. This would be more conspicuous but for the, magnificent mounting and the brilliant cast Mr. Horace Sedger has given the piece. Nothing funnier has been seen than the automata performance of Miss Jeneure and Mr. Monkhouse, the mellow oomedy of Mr. Lionel Brough, the "mountebank," and Mr. Wyatt, the chief brigand, or the fascinating vivacity of Miss Ullmar. Several changes took place at the theatres last night. The Comedy has re-plaoed The Grey Mare with Jane," while Called Back h:tS been taken on at the Olympic. AttheAdeiphi on Tuesday The Trumpet Call" completes its two-hundredth performance. THE SOLDIER A^D THE SHAMBOCK. There was a flare up in the House on Tuesday over the grief of T. O'Grady. It had become known to the Irish members that Privata Thomas O'Grady, of the 2nd Welsh had been sentenoed to 48 hours imprisonment at Aldershot for refusing to take a shamrock from his cap on St. PatrIck s Day when ordered so to do by an officer. O'Gradv was in undress, and not on duty at the time. Three Irish members, to wit, Mr. Condon, otherwise known as the "Tipperary Dragoon," Sir Thomas Ksmonde, and Mr. Webb wanted to know the reason why. Mr. Secretary Stanhope was "unable to satisfy them, because his telegraphed inquiry for in- them, because his telegraphed inquiry for in- 11 formation had not yet been answered. On j Tuesday the fire fizzled out after the Irish members had fiercely threatened what they would do. Of course, the questions will be put again. In the mean- time, it may not be amiss to point out that j the punishment of O'Grady oould not have 1 been a punishment for the wearing of the green," inasmuch as two members of the Government, named Mr. Jaekson and Mir. Hunkett, were among the members of the House who gaily sported shamrook on St. Patrick's Day. I shrewdly inspect that a j -question xrf discipline hty behind <5'Gh^dy'R 1 C t of shamrock, i. THE GQTEE.NMF.XT AND T.KLKMJOITES. t Sir James Fzxgugsonls ialpcdant *■ nounoement of a telephone policy thai afternoon confirms the golden opinions that are being formed of the PosW master General as an able and progressive administrator. Telephony is now to come into line with telegraphy in the Po<t Office system, and is to be established on a scale commensurate with the public ooiw | venience. The existing companies are not t4 be interfered with, but the new companies are ) to be licensed by the Government. Thi* j necessitates the withdrawal of the Telephone Bills now before the House, and they will be re-introduced in another form so as to secured licences under the Government scheme. IRISH NATIONAL EDUCATION. Irish National education rather bored tM j House, and was left very much to tlMt Nationalists. While they were orating t House was almost empty, but the meri were in the House somewhere, ready in cami of a division, but saving themselves for thcÎ debate lat3 to night on Mr. Fdmond .Roberta son's attempt to abolish the law of conspiracy. This promises to be an interesting talk, fat a number of members are lamentably ignorant of what is the scope and bearing of Robertson's invidious but distinctly revola* tionary efforts. THE OLD AGE PENSION COMMITTEE. Mr. Chamberlain, apparently in the enjoy- ment of his full vigour, but looking a triihj pallid after his recent illness, came down tCjt the House on Tuesday and presided over I the meeting of his pensions oommittee. He spoke for an hour, and afterwards the oom* mittee adjourned with the intention of dix. cussing the draft scheme of pensions, clauff# by clause, at their next meeting. It was noteel with satisfaction that the Evrl of Dudley was present. Dr. Hunter was the solitary Glad. stonian who attended, all the others present being Tories and Liberal Unionists. Among them were Colonel Howard Vincent and Captain Grice Hutchinson. THE ARCHBISHOP OF VVESTMINSTER. When I foretold weeks ago that Bishon. Vaughan, of Salford, would be the Aroh.^ bishop of Westminster, I did not provide fofc the reluctance of the bishop to go up higher., His disclaimer of the honour the Papal Sea would confer on him was not unexpected by his friends, but it is not certain his relac- fanos will be allowed to prevail. If it is finally determined that the Good Bishop is to go to Westminster, not all his modesty will save him from promotion. With the Roman ecolesiastio, to hear is to obey, and Dr. Vaughan must have been strongly reluctant to demur at all. MINIS EES AND LABOUR LEGISLATION. Every one of the numerous and more or less "authoritative" announcements that have been made about the intention of the Cabinet to introduce a Labour Bill founded on the partial report of the Royal Commission is precisely inexact. The Cabinet has not, nor has had, the slightest intention of attempting legislation on the basis of the Labour Com- mission s report, or on any other basis save that of the Employers' Liability Bill of Mr. Secretary Matthews. That is quite a different thing from any Labour Bill so-called. It is the measure Mr. Secretary Matthews has worn nearest his heart for five sessions. The desire on the part of the Cabinet to bring forward that Bill this session has become crystallised into resolve. Only the chapter of accident can prevent the introduction of the Bill at an early date. When it is laid before the House it will probably be of such a character that it will run through the House without any very prolonged opposi- tion. What are the concessions that will be made 1 need not particularly indicate. Those who are acquainted with the questions involved in employers' liability will be able to forecast for themselves when 1 aver that the Bill will maintain the honourable reputation that the Conservatives have hitherto enjoyed as the pioneers and leaders in legislation for the benefit of the working classes—vide He unsolicited testimonial of the most eminent labour men.

ROUND THE WORLD FOR NIL c; An American's Novel Plan. JggAn American from Boston has reached Paris on a voyage round the world 11 personally by himself under entirely novel circumstances. His .•wowed object is to complete the whole trip with- out the expenditure of any:money whatever, ancJ, according to his own statement, he has already crossed the ocean and visiied England and Ger- many in accordance with the conditions of big self-imposed task, which also contain the stiputftp tion that he mast do no work on the voyage. Needless to say ttmt our traveller's raUier unusual methods do not meet witii the approval of wli the hotelkeepars whom be bonouig with his custom, and in Berlio he underwent OM month's imprisonmeNt for failing to pay his biffT, The only wonder is that this unusual kind of traveller does not spend most of his time in gaol, but, needless to say, he is gifted with an unlimited supply of what may be beat -described as ma- confidence, anil is a past-orvaster in the peculiarly American art of 11 bluffing." As he himself puts it, If I can only make a man laugh I've got him t" and certainly there is a sublime assurance aboofi his Bystem w*hich must force a smile even from FAES victims. Our circumnavigator has, of comae, sot eet himself any particular route for his voyage. as he is dependent on u free passes," and has to be content with what he can get in that direction^ content with what be can get in that direction^ Thus, to reach Paris from Berlin—as the railway,; companies declined to oblige him—Mr. Gookf travelled via Bremen and LondoD, He is new bopkig to reach the Riviera, but what his itinerary will be is a matter of conjecture even to himself.

The failure was announced in the London Bank*- I rupity-court on Wednesday of Mr. Robert MR plierson, coal merchant, C^al Exchange. Th<T liabilities are estimated at £ 50,000- if