d
be issued. But the ATTORNEY-GENERAL pointed out that everything was
already reported "except the talk," and found a powerful supporter in
Sir EDWARD CARSON, who believed that no official reports would have
any effect in keeping Ministers to their pledges. _Hansard_ is as
_Hansard_ does, is his motto.

_Thursday, Feb. 20th_.--Every question put down costs the tax-payer,
it is calculated, a guinea. This afternoon there were no fewer than
two hundred and eighty-two of them on the Order-Paper. It would be
interesting to see what effect upon this cascade of curiosity would
be produced if every Member putting down a question were obliged to
contribute, say, ten shillings to the cost of answering it; the amount
to be deducted from his official salary. If such a rule had been
enforced in the last Parliament Mr. JOSEPH KINO, for one, would have
had no salary to draw.

The shortage of whisky and brandy for medicinal purposes was
the subject of many indignant questions. Mr. MCCURDY, for the
FOOD-CONTROLLER, stated that it had been found impracticable to allot
supplies of spirits for this purpose, but, perhaps wisely, did not
give any reasons. Can it be that the Government, contemplating the
extension of the "all-dry" principle to this country, are anxious to
give no encouragement to the "drug-store habit"?

* * * * *

THE LIMIT.

(_THE JAZZ IS REPORTED TO HAVE ABOUT SEVENTY DIFFERENT STEPS._)

I have waltzed for half a day
In Milwaukee (U.S.A.),
I have danced at village "hops" in Transylvania;
I have can-canned all alone
In a fever-stricken zone,
And I've done the kitchen-lancers in Albania.

I've performed the "tickle-toe"
With its forty steps or so,
I have learnt a native dance in Costa Rica;
I've fox-trotted in Stranraer,
Irish-jigged in Mullingar,
And I've danced the Dance of Death at Tanganyika.

I have "bostoned" with the best
At a ball in Bukharest,
I've reversed with Congo pigmies, dark and hairy;
I have one-stepped in Sing-Sing
And performed the Highland Fling,
I have razzled in the reel at Inveraray.

I have tangoed in Koran,
Danced quadrilles in Ispahan
(Though I haven't done the polka in Shiraz yet);
But I've followed in the train
Of Terpsichore in vain,
For I haven't mastered _one_ step of the Jazz yet.

* * * * *

"THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S EASY CHAIR.