* * * *

"At the fifth each played a magnificent tea shot. Hodgson again
used his favourite spoon."--_Provincial Paper_.

Obviously the right club for the purpose.

* * * * *

"'The Tongue Can no Man Tame.'
_St. Peter._"
_Heading in Daily Paper_.

A clear case of robbing James to pay Peter.

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

_Monday, July 12th._--Viscount Curzon's complaint about "crawling"
taxi-cabs was ostensibly based upon the obstruction thus caused to more
rapidly moving traffic. But I fancy that it was really due to an
inherent belief that the motor-car is a noble creature, only happy when
exceeding the speed-limit and dashing through police-controls, and that
to compel the poor thing to crawl is "agin natur'" and ought to be dealt
with by the R.S.P.C.A.

As usual much of Question-time was devoted to Russian affairs. Colonel
Wedgwood wanted to know whether the Cabinet had approved a message from
Mr. Churchill to the late Admiral Kolchak, advising him how to commend
his Administration to the Prime Minister, who was described in the
telegram as "all-powerful, a convinced democrat and particularly devoted
to advanced views on the land question." Mr. Law, while provisionally
promising a Blue-book on Siberia, declined to pick out a single message
from a whole bunch.

The news that the Soviet Government had accepted the British conditions
with regard to the resumption of trade and had thereupon been requested
to conclude an armistice with Poland did not seem particularly welcome
to any section of the House. Those whom Mr. Stanton in stentorian
whispers daily describes as the "Bolshies" evidently feared that the
request had been accompanied by a threat, while others were horrified at
the idea of recognising the present _regime_ in Russia, and drew from
Mr. Law a hasty disclaimer. The House as a whole would, I think, have
liked to learn how you can do business with a person whom you do not
recognise?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer refused to accept Mr. George Terrell's
proposal to reduce the Excess Profits Tax from sixty per cent. to forty,
but, in reply to Sir G. Younger--who "has such a way wid him"--promised
that next year he would make the reduction. He admitted that it was in
many ways an unsatisfactory tax, but the Government could not afford to
part with it unless a su