d be useless
unless it produced peace. But could Lord MIDLETON guarantee that even
the most complete fiscal autonomy would satisfy Sinn Fein? If later
on, when the Irish Parliaments were in operation, a demand came from a
united Ireland, the Government would give it friendly consideration.
Lord MIDLETON'S motion having been rejected by eighty-six votes, and
Lord DUNRAVEN'S by ninety, the Second Reading was agreed to without a
division.

[Illustration: _Lord Curzon._ "Lord WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE still remained
a magnificent relic of the Old Guard."]

In the Commons a final attempt to defeat the Agricultural Bill was
made by the Farmers' Party. Mr. COURTHOPE declared that the Bill
would produce only doubt and uncertainty, whereas the farmer needed
confidence, a plant of slow growth (as we know on the authority of
another statesman), which would not flourish under bureaucratic
supervision. Sir F. BANBURY said the measure must end in
nationalisation, and he would prefer nationalisation--_cum_ proper
compensation, of course--straight away. The surprising statement by
a Labour Member, that the farmers had subsidised the nation to the
extent of forty millions a year by selling at less than world-prices,
may have helped to placate their champions, who had not quite realised
what generous fellows they were, for only a dozen stalwarts carried
their protest into the Division Lobby.

* * * * *

"Learn to be independent of domestics. In four months I undertake
to train any young girl of good family, and willing to learn, as a
thoroughly competent and economical Plain Cook. Live in as one of
family. Three maids kept. Mrs. ----."--_Church Times._

The advertiser seems to fight shy of her own medicine.

* * * * *

IMPROVING "HANSARD."

If _Hansard_ would only introduce a little brightness into its bald
and unconvincing narrative of Parliamentary procedure it would provide
reading-matter which would grip the heart and stir the emotions,
winning many new readers from the students of fiction and other light
literature. _Hansard_ will otherwise never find it worth while to
organise sand-castle competitions for the little ones about its
certified net sales.

It suffers under the disadvantage of having no sporting expert, no
front-rank descriptive writer and no specialist in the humanities
(sometimes known as a sob-artist) on its staff. That is why it repo