in the course of his investigations, been fortunate enough to acquire important and exclusive knowledge with regard to the early life of Sir THOMAS CHUBSON and his chief supporters in Billsbury.  “If it is published,” he continued, “it will absolutely blast the prospects of Radicalism in Billsbury.  I am not a grasping man, but I must consider my family.  Still, Sir, such is my respect and liking for you, that I am willing to place a sealed packet containing all these stories in your hands on payment of L150 down.”  I told him that wasn’t my way either of fighting a constituency or of doing business, whereupon he became more voluble than ever, and I had no end of a job to get rid of the oily beast.  JERRAM tells me to-day that he was once a solicitor’s clerk in Billsbury, and had to leave on account of some missing money.  Since then he appears to have lived a shady life, varied by attempts at blackmail.  Faugh!

Came down to Billsbury to-day, to attend the inaugural dinner of the season of the Billsbury Cricket Club.  I am a Vice-President, and so is CHUBSON.  The dinner was held in the large room of the “Blue Posts Hotel.”  General BANNATYNE, an old Indian, who is the President of the Club, was in the chair, having CHUBSON on his right, and me on his left.  Old CHUBSON, to whom I was introduced, seems not half a bad old fellow, but he can’t speak a bit.  The dinner was awful, everything as tough as leather, and the Cabinet Pudding more beastly than any Cabinet Pudding I ever tasted—­which is saying a good deal.  CHUBSON proposed, “Prosperity to the Billsbury C.C.”  “Politics,” he said, “are like Cricket.  We spend our time in bowling overs.”  At this point a young Conservative, who had drunk too much, shouted, “Ah, and you mostly change sides, too”—­an allusion to the fact that CHUBSON is believed to have started in politics as a Tory.  Somebody removed the interrupter, and CHUBSON finished his speech all right, but the incident must have annoyed him.  I proposed “The Town and Trade of Billsbury,” and started by saying what pleasure it gave anybody occupied in politics to take a part in a non-political celebration like this.  “My friend, Sir THOMAS CHUBSON,” I said, “and I have not met before, and I congratulate myself, therefore, on having been introduced to him to-day.  We shall do our level best to bowl one another out, but I know we shall play the game according to the rules, and in that spirit of fair-play for which Englishmen in general, and Billsbury cricketers in particular, are celebrated.”

This was rather mixed, but it went very well.  I think I took the shine out of CHUBSON.  Later on there was a shocking row between two of the town-councillors, who got to loggerheads over the question of the Billsbury Waterworks.  It was smoothed over, however, after everybody had shouted “No politics!” for about ten minutes.

TOLLAND says we must begin to canvas a little soon.  Horrible work, but absolutely necessary.