20 FEBRUARY 1886, Page 24

We have received the annual issue of Whitaker's Almanack (J.

Whitaker), an admirable publication, which has established a repu- tation for itself as a simply invaluable book of reference. All sorts of guides seem to fail one occasionally, but Whitaker is never at fault. We may notice especially a closely compressed account of the House of Commons, giving, besides statistics of the last election, a summary of how the Lower House of Parliament was constituted before 1832, by the Reform Act, and again by the Bill of 1867. Here are some significant figures.

Mire. 183?. 1867. 1883.

Middlesex 8 14 17 47 LanetaiLire 14 26 30 58 Yorkshire

32

39 38 52 Cornwall 40 14 12 7 Wiltshire 34 18 15 6

The publishers promise improvements and additions for 1887.