tly put their foot in it. We shall not be surprised to hear,
some day, that when the members had assembled on the floor of the house
for the despatch, of business, they went completely through with it.

* * * * *

THE "FUSION" OF THE BEERBUNG COUSINS.

(_From our Rotherhithe Correspondent._)

"I hasten to inform you of an event, which, if the estimate of the
actors themselves is to be taken, will cause the utmost excitement
throughout this country and the Continent. On this subject your readers
will be judges--in a petty locality small things seem large--and the
preternatural importance which is here given to it may deceive me into
false calculations.

"You, like the rest of the world, are well aware that a feud of no
ordinary virulence has subsisted between the elder and younger branches
of the house of BEERBUNG, which so long supplied all the Publicans (and
a good many of the sinners) to this locality, and indeed dictated to the
magistrates of Limehouse, and defied the authorities of the Commercial
Docks. You remember that when LEWIS BEERBUNG lost his license, and the
'King's Head' was shut up, things went on anyhow in the parish;
everybody opened public-houses, keeping the shutters down Sunday and
week-day alike, and at last we hardly knew whether our heads were on our
shoulders or not. Then the military came in, and we got on better; and,
subsequently, the other LEWIS BEERBUNG (who was given to oysters) and
his brother, CHARLES DICKS, had the 'King's Head' again. DICKS took in
preachers, and cheated in his measures, and at last ran off to Scotland;
and then the house was let to a third LEWIS, who was son to the first
LEWIS BEERBUNG'S younger brother, a very bad fellow, of whom JACK KETCH
had the last accounts. The BEERBUNGS were always a queer set, and this
third LEWIS, though a clever fellow, could not keep the house (which he
had named the 'Pear and Umbrella'), but had to run for it, and was made
bankrupt under the name of SMITH. Then the whole affair was altered: a
committee was appointed to manage the house, which had a new sign, the
'Three Jolly Colours:' and since that the chairman has kicked out the
rest of the managers, and has got the licence transferred to himself.
The house is now the 'Bee and Bayonet,' and seems to be carried on to
the satisfaction of the neighbourhood. Very good order is kept; the
chairman, who was formerly in the Ham, and, indeed, sausage line, has
m