inaugural, and was one of the first to tell Mr. Gray
so, and to express his pleasure and appreciation of the fact that his
request (mailed in November) had been complied with, that the substance
of his bills had been recommended in the governor's programme.

He did not pause to reflect on the maxim, that platforms are made to get
in by and inaugurals to get started by.

Although annual efforts have been made by various public-spirited
citizens to build a new state-house, economy--with assistance from room
Number Seven has triumphed. It is the same state-house from the gallery
of which poor William Wetherell witnessed the drama of the Woodchuck
Session, although there are more members now, for the population of the
State has increased to five hundred thousand. It is well for General
Doby, with his two hundred and fifty pounds, that he is in the Speaker's
chair; five hundred seats are a good many for that hall, and painful in a
long session. The Honourable Brush Bascom can stretch his legs, because
he is fortunate enough to have a front seat. Upon inquiry, it turns out
that Mr. Bascom has had a front seat for the last twenty years--he has
been uniformly lucky in drawing. The Honourable Jacob Botcher (ten years'
service) is equally fortunate; the Honourable Jake is a man of large
presence, and a voice that sounds as if it came, oracularly, from the
caverns of the earth. He is easily heard by the members on the back
seats, while Mr. Bascom is not. Mr. Ridout, the capital lawyer, is in the
House this year, and singularly enough has a front seat likewise. It was
Mr. Crewe's misfortune to draw number 415, in the extreme corner of the
room, and next the steam radiator. But he was not of the metal to accept
tamely such a ticketing from the hat of destiny (via the Clerk of the
House). He complained, as any man of spirit would, and Mr. Utter, the
polite clerk, is profoundly sorry,--and says it maybe managed. Curiously
enough, the Honourable Brush Bascom and the Honourable Jacob Botcher join
Mr. Crewe in his complaint, and reiterate that it is an outrage that a
man of such ability and deserving prominence should be among the
submerged four hundred and seventy. It is managed in a mysterious manner
we don't pretend to fathom, and behold Mr. Crewe in the front of the
Forum, in the seats of the mighty, where he can easily be pointed out
from the gallery at the head of the five hundred, between those shining
leaders and parliamentarians