isterial Benches. Things looking bad for
Ministry lately, what with Spalding, North Paddington, Coventry, and
Miss CASS. But now, Leader of House having avowed himself a Separatist,
outlook black indeed.

Elated with having brought out this damaging fact, TIM HEALY went on
rampage for rest of sitting. ARTHUR BALFOUR moved Second Reading of
Irish Land Bill. CHAMBERLAIN, breaking long silence, delivered speech in
support of measure. TIM kept up running commentary, growling, laughing
spasmodically, and interjecting remarks. CHAMBERLAIN an ugly customer to
tackle when at bay. Gave TIM as much as he brought. Wrangling getting a
little high, when SPEAKER interposed, threatened to name TIM.

"Name away!" TIM sang out, cheerily; but knowing from experience that
SPEAKER not to be trifled with, presently subsided.

On the whole a small House, and only whilst CHAMBERLAIN speaking any
evidence of interest in proceedings. Next to the unexpected disclosure
of Old Morality's falling away, most startling event of the evening was
announcement by FERGUSON that WOLFF'S pic-nic had already cost the
country L27,000.

"L27,000!" exclaimed CODDINGTON, making his maiden speech, and that
_sotto voce_. "I'll undertake to say that if it had been proposed to him
at first, WOLFF would have taken the odd seven thousand and closed the
bargain, leaving the tax-payer a clear gain of L20,000." And the Member
for Blackburn softly whistled, and feebly rattled the loose change in
his pocket.

_Business done._--Irish Land Bill introduced.

_Tuesday._--WOLFF at door of both Houses. In fact he's there every night
now. Peers and Commons are Unionists in desire to know when the pic-nic
will be over, or, as BRYCE put it to-night amid cheers, "When will
finally and positively terminate the unparalleled and undignified
position in which the country is placed?" In Lords the Markiss disowned
a capital retort the reporters invented for him. On Monday, ROSEBERY
understood to ask whether WOLFF was supposed to be in a state of
suspended animation what time the SULTAN made up his mind. The Markiss
reported to have replied that WOLFF was "rather in a state of animated
expectancy." Capital capping of a joke, only it appears Markiss isn't
personally responsible for it.

[Illustration: "L27,000!"]

"It would," he said, with a wink at GRANVILLE, "be disrespectful to use
language like that with respect to Her Majesty's Ambassador."

HERSCHEL says, Markiss is only ma