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ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.

House of Commons, Monday, April 25.—­Session resumed to-day after Easter Recess.  As TENNYSON somewhere says, Session comes but Members linger.  Not forty present when business commenced.  “May as well go on.” said the SPEAKER, whom everybody glad to see looking brisk and hearty after his holiday.  “They’ll drop in by-and-by.”

So they did, but without evidence of overmastering haste or enthusiasm.  Only half-dozen questions on paper; very early got to business in Committee on Indian Councils Bill; supposed to be measure involving closest interests of the great empire that CLIVE helped to make, and SEYMOUR KEAY now looks after.  Appearance of House suggestive rather of some local question affecting Isle of Sheppey or Romney Marsh.  Below Gangway, on Ministerial side, only MACLEAN present.  Member for Oldham a sizeable man, but seemed a little lost in space.  Above Gangway RICHARD TEMPLE on guard.  Prince ARTHUR and GEORGIE CURZON had Treasury Bench all to themselves.  Opportunity for observing how cares of office are beginning to tell on GEORGE.  Growing quite staid in manner, the weight of India adding gravity to his looks, sicklying his young face o’er with pale cast of thought.  Pretty to see him blush to-night when SEYMOUR KEAY made graceful allusion to his genius and statesmanlike conduct of affairs.  “Approbation from Sir HUBERT STANLEY,” as he later observed, “is praise indeed.”

[Illustration:  “So-and-So.”]

Only sign of life and movement displayed below and above Gangway opposite.  SCHWANN evidently in running for BRADLAUGH’s vacant place as Member for India.  Fortunate in finding a party brimful of energy, enthusiasm, eloquence, and encyclopaedic knowledge—­MORTON, SEYMOUR KEAY, SAM SMITH, JULIUS ’ANNIBAL PICTON, SWIFT MACNEILL, and the CURSE OF CAMBORNE, who has been as far East as the Cape, and therefore knows all about India.

Some Members looking across the waste place behind MACLEAN whilst he was delivering vigorous speech, thought of poor LEWIS PELLY, who really knew something about India, and therefore would probably not have spoken had he been here to-night.  A kindly, courteous, upright, valiant gentleman, who took a little too seriously the joke House had with him about the Mombasa business.  Everyone recalls his luminous speech on the question, with its graphic description of forced marches “from So-and-so to So-on,” dubious nights by night “from Etcetera to So-forth.”

PELLY was with us when the House adjourned.  In recess he, too, has made a forced march, passing from the ordinary So-on into the unmapped So-forth.

MACLEAN’s speech stirred up the dolorous desolate House.  Only one other movement.  This when SEYMOUR KEAY, in one of several speeches dropped the remark, “I am sure my friends near me will bear me out when I say—­” Instant commotion below Gangway.  SWIFT MACNEILL on his legs; SCHWANN tumbling over PICTON; CONYBEARE cannoning against MORTON.  All animated by desire to take up KEAY and carry him forth.  He breathlessly explained that it was merely a figure of speech, and, they reluctantly resuming their seats, he went on to the bitter end.