posed to patronise one of her husband's race. The
meeting was numerously attended, but excuses were received from some of
the more distant stars, who alleged that if they travelled at the rate
of 12,000,000 of miles per minute they could not arrive until 4,000
years after the meeting had broken up. The GREAT BEAR pleaded illness as
an excuse for non-attendance; and it was whispered that mortification at
the ill success of PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF had brought on a fit of the gout.
Many of the NEBULAE arrived from a great distance, and were accommodated
with seats in the Strangers Gallery; but we regretted to observe that
their uncouth forms laid them open to the silly remarks of CAPRICORN,
who certainly cannot boast of his own personal attractions, and of
JUPITER'S satellites, who, though they are bound to amuse their master,
should have known better than to insult foreigners. In the Reporters'
Gallery the GEMINI attended for the _Herald_ and _Standard_, but could
only muster one pen between them; TAURUS appeared for the Conservative
weeklies, and SIRIUS (TOBY is _en rapport_ with Sirius, and always howls
when he sees him,) kindly undertook to report for _Punch_.

After an absurd attempt on the part of a clique to thrust the sun of our
system into the chair, ALCYONE, who is at present the centre of gravity
round which the whole universe revolves, was selected for that important
office, and immediately called upon "her excellent friend MERCURY," for
the first and only resolution. The _facundus nepos_ ATLANTIS thus
adjured, in a speech replete with eloquence, moved, "That this meeting,
viewing with extreme displeasure the practice of associating the newly
discovered sidereal bodies with the names of persons who have had no
share in the discovery, proposes to call the nine planets, discovered by
MR. HIND, by the common name of HIND'S Night Lights, as a small mark of
the grateful feelings entertained for that astronomer throughout the
sidereal system." This resolution, having been briefly seconded by
ALDEBARAN, was put and carried unanimously; and, after the customary
vote of thanks to ALCYONE, the stars returned to their orbits; but not
until the nine planets aforesaid, who, dressed in white, had been seated
in a row on the platform, had induced POLLUX to take round a castor, and
make a collection for their support. We ought also to state that the
well-known MUSIC OF THE SPHERES was in attendance, and gave great
satisfaction by i