1 NOVEMBER 1884, Page 1

On Thursday, there was a crowded House assembled to see

the drawing of the Birmingham "badger," as Lord Randolph Churchill had termed Mr. Chamberlain, by the Woodstock terrier. The terrier, however, turned out to be rather too little of a terrier, and too weak for his work. Lord Randolph is slow and pertinacious, but not strong. He tracks a scent,—usually, however, a false scent,—with skill and patience, especially if his prey be weak and timid ; but he is not equal to a real struggle. The omen for Lord Randolph was not good, when Mr. Chamberlain, in the early part of the evening, apologised so frankly to Mr. Ritchie and Mr. Thornhill for the blunder made in the sugar Blue-book, in which some of their statements had been characterised as " false,"—of course, the word should simply have been " erroneous,"—in letters of his officials. He remarked that it was impossible for him to revise the whole of the Blue-book ; that he much regretted the use of the term ; that be would have the Blue-book cancelled, the offending page left out, and the reply of the Members inserted ; and that he earnestly hoped that his amends would be accepted as heartily as it was given. The Conservative Members were quite satisfied, the House cheered, and Mr. Chamberlain, it was clear, was not the man to persevere in a wilfully perverse course.