House of Commons, Monday, February 8.—­The coming of Prince ARTHUR anxiously looked for as Members gathered for last Session of a memorable Parliament.  When, in August last, he, with the rest of us, went away, OLD MORALITY still sat in Leader’s place.  He was, truly, just then absent in the flesh, already wasting with the dire disease that carried him off.  It was JOKIM who occupied the place of Leader; Prince ARTHUR, content to sit lower down.  It seemed to some that when vacancy occurred JOKIM, that veteran Child of Promise, would step in, and younger men wait their turn.  But youth of certain quality must come to the front, as BONAPARTE testified even before he went to Italy, and as PITT showed when the Rockingham Administration went to pieces.

Prince ARTHUR came in shortly after four o’clock.  House full, especially on Opposition Benches; faint blush suffused ingenuous cheek as welcoming cheer arose.  Seemed to know his way to Leader’s place, and took it naturally.  Pretty to see JOKIM drop in on one side of him with MATTHEWS on the other, buttressing him about with financial reputation and legal erudition. Tableau quite undesigned, but none the less effective.  Prince ARTHUR, young, hot-tempered and, though not without parts, prone to commit errors of judgment.  But with JOKIM at his left shoulder, and HENRY MATTHEWS at his right, humble citizens looking on from opposite Benches, felt a sweet content.  On such a basis, the Constitution might stand any blast.

In absence of Mr. G., who still dallies with the sunshine of Riviera, SQUIRE OF MALWOOD, fresh from hunting in the New Forest, more than fills the place of Leader of Opposition.  A favourable opportunity for distinguishing himself marred by accidental prevalence of funereal associations.

“The Squire,” said PLUNKET—­watching him as, with legs reverently crossed, and elbow sympathisingly resting on box, carefully suggestive of life-sized figure of tombstone-mourner, he intoned his lamentation—­“is not fitted for the part, and consequently overdoes it. L’Allegro is his line. Il Penseroso does not suit him.”

Everyone glad when, sermon over, and the black-edged folios put aside, the Squire began business.  Happy enough in his attack on JOKIM, always a telling subject in present House of Commons.

“He is,” says SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE’S GATE, drawing upon his theatrical experiences, “like the Policeman in the Pantomime; always safe for a roar of laughter if you bonnet him or trip him up over the doorstep.”

For the rest, as Prince ARTHUR pointed out when he came to reply, Squire’s speech had very little to do with the Address, on which it was ostensibly based.  Couldn’t resist temptation of enlarging on financial science for the edification of the unhappy JOKIM.

“Finance,” observed DICKY TEMPLE, “is HARCOURT’s foible.”

“Yes,” said JENNINGS, whom everyone is glad to see back in better health, “and funeral sermons are his forte.”