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INNS OF COURT RESERVE CORPS.

A psychical seance of the above disembodied Corps will be held on Friday the 26th March, in the Common Room of the Law Society in Chancery Lane (by kind permission of the Council), commencing 7.30 P.M.

Astral members desirous of attending should apply to their late Platoon Sergeants, or to Mr. H.L.  BOLTON, 1, The Sanctuary, Westminster.

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[Illustration:  THE RETURN OF THE EX-CHAMPION.

MR. LLOYD GEORGE.  “WELCOME BACK!  I’VE BEEN WANTING A SPARRING PARTNER TO
GET ME INTO CONDITION; AND YOU’RE THE VERY MAN.”]

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ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Monday, February 23rd.—­The Highland Fling involves, I understand, some complicated figures, but it is nothing to the Lowland Reel (COATS’ variety), on which subject Sir AUCKLAND GEDDES was rather badly heckled this afternoon.  A suggestion that Messrs. COATS might use the profits of their foreign trade to reduce the price to the home consumer drove the harassed Minister into an unconscious mot.  “Suppose,” he said, “they cut the thread ... where should we be then?”

[Illustration:  THE TANK AND THE LITTLE BRICK.

(MR. CHURCHILL AND CAPTAIN WEDGWOOD BENN.)

“The tank, weighing thirty tons, is able to pass over a brick lying on the road without crushing it.  This is a very important point.”—­Mr. CHURCHILL.]

Mr. CHARLES PALMER, the well-known Globe-trotter, has just completed a remarkable journey.  Within the space of a few weeks he has traversed the distance from the Press Gallery to the Floor of the Chamber, going round by the Wrekin.  During the last stage of the route the intrepid traveller was accompanied by Sir HENRY DALZIEL and Mr. BOTTOMLEY.

In introducing a Vote on Account of the Army for a trifle of seventy-four millions the WAR MINISTER proudly announced that Britain and Germany were the only countries in the world that had abolished conscription—­and Germany’s action was not exactly voluntary.

Mr. CHURCHILL’S description of a new tank, so fast that it could outstrip a foxhound “over a country,” so cool that even in the tropics its crew would preserve their sangfroid traditionnel, and so delicately sprung that it could run over a brick without hurting itself—­or the brick—­momentarily encouraged the belief that here was the weapon to make war impossible.  But almost in the same breath Mr. CHURCHILL stated that simultaneously the War Office had invented a rifle grenade which would put the super-tank out of action.  “As you were!”

Criticism was not entirely disarmed.  Mr. DEVLIN of course talked of Ireland—­“the only country with which the Empire is at war to-day;” and little Capt.  WEDGWOOD BENN rebuked Mr. CHURCHILL for his unfilial sneer at “pious America,” and was himself advised “not to develop more indignation than he could contain.”