uly 1st._--Unfortunately the House of Lords does not contain a
representative of Sinn Fein and therefore had no opportunity of learning
the opinion of the dominant party in Ireland regarding Lord MONTEAGLE'S
Dominion of Ireland Bill. Other Irish opinion, as expressed by Lords
DUNRAVEN and KILLANIN, was that it would probably cause the seething pot to
boil over. Lord ASHBOURNE made sundry observations in Erse, one of which
was understood to be that "Ireland could afford to wait." The Peers
generally agreed with him, and, after hearing from the LORD CHANCELLOR that
of all the Irish proposals he had studied this contained the most elements
of danger, threw out the Bill without a division.

"A sinecure, whose holder is in receipt of a salary of five thousand pounds
per annum," was Mr. BONAR LAW'S description of his office as Lord Privy
Seal. The House rewarded the modesty of its hard-working Leader with
laughter and cheers. None of his predecessors has excelled him in courtesy
and assiduity; as regards audibility there is room for improvement. Mr. LAW
rarely plays to the Gallery; but he might more often speak in its
direction.

* * * * *

[Illustration: "THERE--THAT'S WHAT COMES O' ARGUING ALONG O' YOU; I'VE LAID
FOUR BRICKS OVER ME THREE 'UNDRED!"]

* * * * *

"The funniest game in the world is chicket."--_Provincial Paper._

We should like to hear more of this humorous pastime.

* * * * *

A daily paper describes the contest at Henley for the "Silver Giblets." It
is rumoured that the Goose that laid the Golden Eggs has become a
bimetallist.

* * * * *

THREE EXCEPTIONAL MEN.

"If these men are types, how London has changed!" I said to myself. But can
they be? I fear not; I fear that "exceptional" is the only word to use. Yet
it was very remarkable to meet them all on the same day, Friday, June 25th.

The first was on an omnibus. A big man with a grey beard who was alone on
the seat. Several other seats had only one passenger; the rest--mine among
them--were full. At Westminster came up a youth and a girl who very
obviously were lovers. Owing to the disposition of the seats they had to
separate, the girl subsiding into the place beside the big man immediately
in front of me. At first he said nothing, and then, just as we were passing
the scaffolding of the Cenotaph, he did something w