S.

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[Illustration: THE LAST CRUSADE. COEUR-DE-LION (_looking down on the
Holy City_). "MY DREAM COMES TRUE!"]

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

_Monday, December 10th_.--One would gather from the hoardings that the
Government wished to encourage the sale of War Bonds by every possible
means. Yet the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER threw cold water on the
efforts of certain firms to increase the sale by the offer of cash
prizes, and thought it undesirable that this inducement should be
imitated. The advocates of Premium Bonds were a little depressed by
this announcement, but cheered up somewhat on observing that the
conscientious CHANCELLOR has no intention of refusing the millions
already raked into the Treasury by these "schemes of doubtful
legality."

[Illustration: THE BAD BOYS OF BROMPTON AND OXFORD STREETS.]

On the vote for an increase of fifty thousand men for the Navy Mr.
GEORGE LAMBERT solemnly announced that the Admiralty was "fumbling
with a magnificent weapon." It is distressing to think that a body
which for nearly ten years enjoyed his services as Civil Lord should
have deteriorated so rapidly since he left it.

Mr. LYNCH does not think much of the new scheme for securing unity
of effort among the Allies. He called it "the analogue of the Aulic
Council" (pronounced "Owlic," to give more effect to the description).

The Chequers Estate Bill passed through all its stages amid a chorus
of praise, despite the injunction of the generous donors that there
should be "no flowers."

_Tuesday, December 11th_.--After all, London is to have the BARNARD
statue, despite the protest of Lord CHARNWOOD, LINCOLN'S latest
biographer, that it is not a portrait of his hero, but of a man whose
only connection with the PRESIDENT was that he was born in the same
neighbourhood. Against this Lord WEARDALE quoted Mr. ROOSEVELT'S
description of the statue as "the Lincoln we all knew and loved."
As Mr. ROOSEVELT had reached the mature age of six when LINCOLN was
assassinated the COMMISSIONER OF WORKS seems to have regarded his
testimony as conclusive.

At the request of Mr. KING the Peers are to be allowed to listen to
the secret debates of the Commons, if any of them desire to do so.
The hon. Member having expressed a hope that the Peers would grant
reciprocal facilities to the Commons, Mr. HOGGE kindly suggested that
the Government should grant him