economy of the House; Mr. Edward Baines, the well known editor of the Leeds Mercury; Rear-Admiral Sir John Hay; Mr. McArthur, whose penchant for the Fiji Islands has passed into a proverb; Mr. M'Cullagh Torrens, who would be an excellent speaker if he would but give members an opportunity of hearing the endings of his sentences; Mr. Baillie Cochrane, Mr. Bass, Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. White, Mr. Mundella, Sir George Jenkinson, Mr. Auberon Herbert, Mr. Miall, Mr. Henry James, and several others. But there were many gaps. Death had knocked at the doors of many senators since the prorogation on the 12th of August, and the House mourns the loss of at least one member of whom it might be said that, entering Parliament late in life, he had rapidly ascended step after step of the legislative ladder until he had become one of the favoured few to whom the House listens willingly at all times. Mr. Graves, the late member for Liverpool, whose sudden death shocked everybody, evinced unmistakable senatorial talent: he was a master of all that pertains to commercial business (no mean qualification for a member of Parliament), and he was of so genial and conciliatory a disposition that he won troops of friends. There is little room for doubting that hard work was one of the causes of his decease. He was a constant attendant in the House, sat out the latest debates, and had the reputation of receiving more letters than any other member of Parliament. Mr. Graves's loss, then, is deeply deplored; and there are honest, kindly regrets for Mr. John Francis Maguire, the leader of many a forlorn hope when the grievances of Ireland were under discussion. Mr. Maguire was a journalist and an author as well as a politician, and, like Mr. Graves, he may also be said to have died in harness. Unlike the member for Liverpool, however, Mr. Maguire did not "make money," and it is sad to think that all his family will inherit will be his good name and unblemished reputation. From among this crowd of members we miss also Mr. Dyce Nicol (Kincardineshire), Sir T. G. Hesketh (Preston), and Mr. F. Dundas (Orkney and Shetland), who have all "gone over to the majority," and who are succeeded by General Sir George Balfour, Mr. Holker, Q.C., and Mr. Laing; Mr. Ronayne occupying Mr. Maguire's seat, and Mr. Torr taking the place of Mr. Graves. One or two other changes may be noted. Mr. J. W. Barclay succeeds the Hon. C. Carnegie in Forfarshire; Sir John Cunliffe represents the Flint Boroughs, vacated by Sir John Hanmer, now a peer; Mr. L. Dundas represents Richmond in succession to Lord Selborne; Mr. Dowse, who was transferred to the Irish Court of Exchequer, is succeeded by Mr. C. E. Lewis, a London solicitor; and the Right VOL. X., N.S. 1873.

A A

Hon. W. N. Massey, who has done the State service in India, is the new member for Tiverton, in the room of Mr. Justice Denman, who was elected for the little Devonshire borough upon the death of Lord Palmerston. The hour which precedes the commencement of business on the first night of the Session passes agreeably enough in mutual congratulations and hand-shakings, and the whole affair reminds one of returning to school after the holidays, when for a little while everybody is in the best possible humour with everybody else. For the time, party feeling is forgotten, the most extreme members on both sides greet each other cordially, and the Government and Opposition "whips" appear ubiquitous. Mr. Glyn, who works about twice as hard as any two other members, is among the early arrivals, nor will he slacken his attendance henceforth until the end of the Session; his colleague, Mr. Adam, looks, as some one near him remarks, perfectly "fit," but Mr. Noel, one of the Conservative "whips," is hors de combat, albeit he is in the House, and his colleague, Colonel Taylor, is discharging the honourable gentleman's duties, while Mr. Hart Dyke is acting for the gallant Colonel pro tem. The Parliamentary neophyte will have looked and looked in vain for the two great Leaders of the House; for those right honourable gentlemen never put in an appearance on these occasions until a few minutes before the time for beginning the business. Presently the Prime Minister emerges from behind the Speaker's chair, and makes an attempt to slip into his seat unobserved. This, however, his friends are resolved he shall not do, and they cheer him vociferously as he takes his place; while Mr. Disraeli, who comes in two minutes afterwards, is cheered right and left as he walks slowly up the floor of the House, half stopping as he reaches the table to make his customary bow to the Speaker.

There is generally a goodly number of "notices of motions" on the opening day, but seldom is there such a shower as falls upon the House to-night. The old stock subjects appear again, and are received now with an encouraging cheer, anon with expressions of impatience. Mr. Osborne Morgan and the Burial Laws, Mr. Donald Dalrymple and habitual drunkards, Mr. McArthur and the Fiji Islands, Mr. Newdegate and convents, Mr. Cowper-Temple and occasional sermons, Mr. Macfie and the colonies, Sir Thomas Chambers (represented by Mr. Eykyn) and marriage with a deceased wife's sister-we had them all over again, and probably shall continue to have them until the end of the chapter. The reading of the Queen's Speech by the Speaker is so purely formal a matter that honourable members may be excused for not paying so much attention

to that document (which comes to them at second-hand) as to the speeches of the mover and seconder of the Address in answer to the Royal Message. The mover was the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, the Liberal member for East Worcestershire, who looked remarkably well in the handsome uniform of the county yeomanry, and whose good memory and presence of mind enabled him to speak with-. out reference to notes. It is a great occasion for a young man aspiring to political honours, for he now makes his "profession," as it were, and shows of what metal he is made. Mr. Lyttelton--who, by the way, is a near relative of Mr. Gladstone-did his work admirably, and evidently to the satisfaction of his father, who sat in the ambassadors' gallery, over the clock, where the Prince of Wales invariably sits when he attends a debate; and of the Earl of Dudley, who also had come down to witness the debut of the young gentleman, who is a neighbour of the noble lord. Mr. Stone, the Liberal member for Portsmouth, and the seconder of the Address, was equally successful; indeed, both gentlemen will be a welcome addition to the debating power of their party. The speeches of Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone have been criticised until they are worn to tatters; and therefore nothing need be said of them here save that the two Augurs were quite equal to the occasion.

EDWARD LEGGE.

STRANGER THAN FICTION.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE TALLANTS OF BARTON," "THE VALLEY OF POPPIES," &c.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

A LETTER FROM MR. HORATIO JOHNSON.

BARMINSTER, CANADA WEST,
Tuesday,

18-.

2Y DEAR MR. JACOB,-This is the true land of liberty-boundless and free: too free in some respects and too boundless. You experience this painfully when your stock suddenly begin to extend their knowledge of locality. Last week I was out for three days looking up some oxen which had shown a special desire for geographical knowledge; and while I write, my worthy son-in-law, Tom Titsy, has been away from home for more than four-and-twenty hours on a similar expedition. But Tom is an excellent hand with a rifle. He kills birds better than he used to set up type, and Susan consoles us for his absence by saying he is sure to bring back a leash or two of partridges which, let me observe, Mrs. Johnson cooks to perfection.

"We had a rough voyage out; but, all things considered, we stood it well. I woke up one night in my shirt, rowing for my life on the hard boards of our cabin, with Mrs. Johnson alarming the whole ship by her cries for a light. I had dreamt we were shipwrecked, and during my desperate efforts to save the truest and noblest of women and the best cook in all the world I had fallen out of my berth, and continued my exertions on the floor, to the great discomfort of myself and the consternation of Mrs. J. I narrate this incident to you because it strikes me as funny, and it may relieve the monotony of an uninspired writer like myself, who does not possess those powers which so adorn the name of Martyn.

"The wonders of this country must be seen to be appreciated. Quebec particularly interested us; but Mrs. J. got nervous about the earthquake of 1663, traces of which are still shown to strangers. Poor dear soul, she fancied she felt the earth tremble under her, so we

pushed on with all speed to Montreal. Suffice it to say that, after much travelling, much bargaining, and many strange incidents, I bought a farm out here at Barminster, where we are all comfortably settled, I hope for the remainder of our natural lives.

"In my next letter I intend to give you all particulars of the extent of our dominions, the quality of our stock, the profit we expect to realise by the clearance of the adjacent forest, which towers up in native grandeur to the skies. Our house is roughly built of logs and framework, but it is warm and comfortable, and I should immensely like you to see us at night sitting round the fire and talking of Middleton. Sometimes I read aloud in the old Shakespeare, while Tom cleans the guns, and Susan prepares the supper, and my wife knits stockings for everybody. But Tom, as I said before, is not with us to-night, and we are rather anxious about him, a fierce snowstorm having set in, and the woods being dreadful mazes at such times. However, Tom is careful, and has no doubt found shelter with some distant neighbour. Winter is indeed fierce out here. I came home the other morning, after a ride across country, with the icicles hanging from my beard. I have cultivated a grey one since we parted. We are all longing for the summer, when we have arranged to begin such a vigorous attack upon the bush hard by as shall considerably add to the extent of land cleared, and upon which clearing I intend to found name, fame, and family, which shall be heard of hereafter.

"Susan has just opened the outer door to look into the night. The snow is coming down in great white patches, driven with a hissing noise by the wind. She thinks we ought to have the bell rung and the horns blown, for fear he may have lost his way. Women are naturally timid, though Mrs. J. and Susan have taken to our rough life with a spirit that is delightful to contemplate. But in deference to their anxiety I must leave off writing to-night and seethat the horns are blown, and well blown, though I feel quite satisfied Tom is all right somewhere.

"Moniti meliora sequamur! A week has passed away since I left off writing. The woman's instinct was in part right. Mrs. Titsy in her old remarkable way had more than once said she was sure 'something was going to happen' on the night when I began writing this letter. She felt all over as if something were going to happen. She did not think it was anything very serious, but she had her feelings, and 'there was no denying of them.' She was right. Tom did not return for five days from his first setting out. We were all in the most miserable and abject state of alarm and anxiety about him. We