and the deserts of Africa or the plains of India will be our
funeral pyres, where many of our people will sleep."

These fears were aroused when, in the latter part of September, it was
announced that the Canadian Government was about to make large purchases
of guns and cannon for the defence of Montreal.

These Canadians became afraid that they were to be drawn into some war
in which they had neither interest nor concern, and they are now anxious
to throw off the English yoke, and be free to make peace or war as they
will.

* * * * *

As the winter approaches, the cry of famine is once more being raised in
Ireland.

The potato crop appears to have failed entirely, and the grain, beaten
down by storms and rain, has not ripened, but lays rotting in the fields
where it was planted.

The cry of famine is heard from Ireland with more or less regularity
every year, and therefore some people are inclined to doubt whether this
is a genuine complaint, but from all one hears it would appear to be
only too true.

Mr. John E. Redmund, member of Parliament for Waterford, Ireland, has
stated that the present harvest is the worst since 1879, and that there
is every reason to fear that a large portion of the Irish population
will soon be on the verge of starvation.

To help these unfortunates, sixty-four of the Irish members joined in a
petition to ask the Government to call an extra meeting of Parliament to
vote money for the relief of the famine sufferers.

The Queen has the right to call the British Parliament into session at
any time she deems it necessary, but for a long time it has been the
custom for it to assemble in February and remain in session until
August.

In reply to the petition from the Irish members, the Government stated
that there did not seem to be any necessity for summoning a special
parliament to deal with the Irish troubles, as, if the worst fears for
Ireland were realized, the Government had power to use funds to relieve
the people without waiting for the consent of Parliament.

The Irish members, in addition to asking for a special session of
Parliament, entreated the Government to lower the rents of the Irish
tenants.

The petition stated that, in consequence of the poor crops, it was
hopeless to expect the tenants to pay their full rentals, and to avoid
the suffering and bad feeling that arises from evictions, or turning out
the people who are behind in their