“Very embarrassing.”  SCHNADHORST says, “to have a fellow first putting his mouth and then his ear to other end of your trumpet.  Sometimes I say to him, sharply, ‘I don’t speak through the trumpet.’  ’Oh, no, of course not,’ he says, ‘I beg your pardon,’ and draws away.  Presently he’s back again, politely, as I speak, applying his ear to the trumpet.  But it’s only the absence of mind that arises from preoccupation in matters of State.”

BOBBY, besides being the political director of the strategy of the Liberal Party, is a County Member.  It was in this last capacity he appeared at Table to-night in Debate on Second Reading of Small Holdings Bill.  House received him with hearty cheer.  No one more popular than BOBBY.  Delight uproariously manifested when, daintily pulling at his abundant shirt-cuff, and settling his fair young head more comfortably upon summit of his monumental collar, he deprecatingly observed—­

“Mr. SPEAKER, Sir, I am not an Agricultural Labourer.”

The speech a model of Parliamentary debating, full of point, resting on sound argument, lucidly stated, and all over in five minutes. Business done.—­Debate on Small Holdings Bill.

Tuesday.—­Morning Sitting.  SEXTON at length worked off the speech on Irish Education Bill, that has hung over House like cloud since Bill was introduced in earliest days of Session.  Wasn’t in his place the first night; so friends and colleagues wore out the sitting to preserve his opportunity.  When this next presented itself, SEXTON thought the hour and condition of House unsuitable for person of his consequence; declined to speak.  To-day, his last chance, things worse than ever.  Benches empty, as usual at Morning Sitting.  But now or never, and at least there would be long report in Irish papers.  So went at it by the hour.  Finished at a quarter to five.  At Morning Sitting, debate automatically suspended at ten minutes to seven; two hours and five minutes for everyone else to speak.  SINCLAIR long waiting chance to thrust in his nose.  Found it at last; but House wearied and worn out; glad when seven o’clock approached, and Bill read First Time.

[Illustration:  THE LEADER OF THE HOUSE—­(VIDE THE OPPOSITION PRESS.)]

At Evening Sitting, Lawyers had it all to themselves.  ROBERTSON opened Debate on Law of Conspiracy in admirable speech.  Later came LOCKWOOD, speaking disrespectfully of “B.”  Then SQUIRE OF MALWOOD, girding at SOLICITOR-GENERAL; MATTHEWS followed, with plump assertion that Squire had not been talking about the Resolution.  Finally CHARLES RUSSELL, with demonstration that “the Right Hon. Gentleman (meaning MATTHEWS) had displayed a complete misconception of the character and objects of the Resolution.”  Being thus demonstrated upon unimpeachable authority that nobody knew anything about the Resolution, House proceeded to vote upon it.  For, 180; against, 226.  Ministerialists cheered; Opposition apparently equally delighted.  So home I to bed, everyone determined first thing in morning get hold of newspaper, and see what the Resolution really was about. Business done.—­Miscellaneous.