tiful as well as useful, that Mr. DEVLIN
could do little more than say "ditto to Mr. BURKE."

_Wednesday, May 16th_.--Those persons, at home and abroad, who persist
in regarding the British as universal land-grabbers will please note
that Spitsbergen, despite the undoubted fact that an Englishman landed
there three centuries ago, leaves us cold. Although no direct response
was made to Mr. ASHLEY'S suggestion that the future of the island
should be referred to the Coal Commission, it is widely felt that if
Mr. SMILLIE and Sir LEO CHIOZZA MONEY would volunteer to explore its
possibilities they would be doing the country signal service.

The drawbacks of having the Leadership of the Opposition in commission
were further exemplified when Sir DONALD MACLEAN in his most
impressive manner asked for a day to discuss Lord FRENCH'S
communications to the Press. Mr. BONAR LAW inquired if he desired to
move a Vote of Censure in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition.
"No, no," shouted the supporters of the rival claimants, Mr. ADAMSON
and Mr. GEORGE LAMBERT. Whereupon Sir DONALD altered his tone and
mildly observed that he only wanted to clear up a constitutional
point.

The debate on Mr. HARTSHORN'S motion regarding the state of Ireland
was unique of its kind in that not a single Member representing an
Irish constituency took the floor; but in spite of that it produced
more heat than light. Both the mover and the seconder (Mr. SEXTON)
were rich in denunciation of the present Government of Ireland,
but poverty-stricken in suggestions for its improvement. Lord HENRY
BENTINCK seized the opportunity to make final recantation of his
Unionist principles, but in default of more practical proposals was
reduced to imploring the people of Ulster "to show some spirit of
compromise;" and Lord HUGH CECIL in a despairing moment declared that
he would sooner see three-fourths of Ireland independent than the
whole of it presented with a form of Home Rule which no Irishman
desired. After that one appreciated Sir KEITH ERASER'S remark, that
during four years' soldiering in Ireland he had only met one man who
understood the Irish Question, and he was an Englishman who had only
been there a week!

_Thursday, May 15th_.--The intelligent foreigner who should try to
disentangle the causes of Egyptian unrest from the speeches delivered
in both Houses this afternoon will be rather puzzled. From Captain
WEDGWOOD BENN in the Commons he would learn tha