to say, a very hostile attitude from the first. He had nothing good to say for the Bill, for he had never seen an educational measure which was less likely to bring religious...

will only - repeat here that if the Government really desire that Mr. McKenna's Bill shall establish a firm settlement of the education question, they must be prepared to make...

Tuesday. Lord Percy strongly deprecated isolated action by Great Britain in any circumstances, and urged that the only course for us to pursue was to remain in the Concert of...

the Voluntary schools in the single-school parishes would be carried out when the trustees were willing. When they were unwilling they would be at liberty, if they so willed, to...

T HE most important events of the week are to be looked for in Parliament. In the House of Commons on Monday night Mr. McKenna introduced the Government's new Education Bill. He...

was struck by Mr. S. H. Butcher, than whom Mr. Balfour has no more loyal and devoted follower. Though he very properly criticised the Bill in many details he made it clear that...

case.

discretion of the local Justices, abolished in 1904, is restored; (2) Justices are to have the power to decide as to the employment of barmaids and the exclusion of children...

took place in the House of Lords on Monday. Lord Cromer, in a speech which has attracted widespread comment and approval for its force and statesmanship, declared that never in...

our- selves in principle in entire agreement. We have always held that the State has been most foolish, nay, profligate, from the point of view of finance, in the way in which...

duced his long-expected Licensing Bill. His two main purposes were the immediate and progressive reduction in the excessive facilities which are now allowed for the retail sale...

strongly that the State must regain its fall rights over the licenses, we detest the notion of treating the trade in intoxicants as if it were one per se shameful and...

upon so difficult and complicated a measure as the new . Licensing Bill before its clauses have been much more thoroughly discussed. We may say, however, that though we regard...

as predatory in its nature. He declared that in order to combat intemperance reliance must be placed on an improved public opinion. It was very difficult to show any real...

on Monday. The total estimated expenditure for 1908-9 is 232,319,500, as opposed to 231,419,500 for the current year; but it is pointed out that although Parliament is asked to...

the second reading of his Small Holdings and Allot- ments (Scotland) Bill, by which it is proposed to extend the English Small Holdings Act of 1907 to Scotland, with a few...

that General Willcocks agreed to suspend operations for two days at the request of the headmen of friendly Afridi tribes, who wished to discuss the situation with the Zakka...

knew whether the Belgian solution was goiag to be a reality it would be premature to make a definite pronounce- ment. Lord Lansdowne, while urging that the Belgian Government...

of Leitrim. Mr. C. J. Dolan, who was returned unopposed as an official Nationalist in 1906, recently resigned his seat on joining the Sinn Fein Party, and stood again on that...

Settlement the first of three lectures on the Liberal, or "Modernist," movement in the Roman Catholic Church. He began by pointing to the extraordinary contradictions within the...

repudiating the principle of their own English Bill, and remarked that though Lord Crewe had got out of his difficulty with the airy grace of a butterfly, he was still a...

Haldane, were issued on Monday. The total of the Estimates is 227,459,000, which is less than in 1907-8 by 2301,000, and less than in 1905-6 by 22,354,000. There is a reduction...

honour by the London Chamber of Commerce, the German Ambas- sador said that the relations between two countries depended partly on what was real and partly on what was...

Jan. 23rd. Console (24) were on Friday 874—on Friday week 874.

THE NEW EDUCATION BILL. W E cannot profess any very great liking for the Government's new Education Bill. Putting the most favourable construction upon it, we can hardly...

of the Congo Free State have been debated in both Houses of Parliament ; and the unprecedented vigour and earnestness with which the Congo Administration was condemned can leave...

impossible to understand the criticisms upon the present expedition against the Zakka Khel. The operations are apparently being very well managed, with as little loss of life as...

W E cannot express any satisfaction, either at the action of the House of Commons in passing the second reading of the Sweated Industries Bill without a division, or at the tone...

S IR EDWARD GREY'S policy in regard to Macedonia is not, so far as we can see, in any way open to the criticism passed upon it by Mr. Masterman. No doubt a prima-facie ease can...

W HEN Lord Rosebery on Friday week handed over the Union Jacks, presented by the Victoria League, to the Board - schools of Edinburgh he made a speech to the children which was...

P ET animals play a very pretty part in modern poetry. Before the time of Cowper they played none at all. Indeed, so far as English literature is concerned, the per- sonality of...

F LOWERS, like jewels, have the separate settings which suit them best, and the setting of outgoing February is distinct from all the other months of the year. It is a little...

THE NAVY ESTIMATES. [To THE EDITOR Or yes *SPROTATOR." J Sire,—The Navy Estimates for 1908-9, issued on Monday, are of exceptional interest. "Parliament is asked to vote...

SIDELIGHTS ON AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN POLICY. Crit THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR:'_1 Sin,—The already famous speech of Baron Aehrenthal fell like a stone into the sullen pool of...

rro THE EDITOR OF TIIE " sescrrAros."1 Sra,—It is a pity that, owing to the manner in which would-, be speakers do not catch the Speaker's eye, no reply was made to Mr....

rTo Tus EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR:1 Si,—May I be allowed a few words in support of the views of your correspondent "Jam Senior" (Spectator, February 22nd) P At the present...

LTO THIC EDITOR OF THE "SPEOTATOR."] SIR,—It is impossible to overestimate the difficult position in which the Unionist Free-trader is placed at the present time from the...

[To THR EDITOR OF TER "EPECTATOR. " 1 SIR,—The letter of your anonymous correspondent last week in comment on mine resolves itself (omitting the question of my personal...

[To TIEN EDITOR OF MR "srxerma. - ] Sne,—In your issue of February 22nd I see it is stated that "economic ability or wealth" is the only proper and just standard of rating. Is...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. " ] Sin,—May I add a remark on the subject of your recent interesting article (Spectator, February 15th) ? Surely it is a- pity that the...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:] Sin,—In your reference to Mr. Meredith's birthday (Spectator, February 15th) you suggest one peculiarity in the work of our greatest living...

THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 Szn,—May I thank you for opening your jounial to some criticisms on the theatre ? I am sure that many of your readers who are interested in...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THZ " SPECTATOR:1 Si,—The County Council, in reply to a request for their opinion, has suggested to the Royal Commission the abolition of Boards of...

[TO THZ EDITOR OF TES "SPECTATOR." j SIE,—Y011 are the last to wish to support your case against Socialism with garbled historical facts. Yet I fear you have recently done so...

1_TO THZ EDITOR OF TUB "SPECTATOR.'] Sza,—The untimely death of Sir Denzil Ibbetson has robbed India not only of a great administrator, but of a great anthropologist. The...

IVO TRH EDrroe or THE SezorLros."3 SIR,—May I point out that the word "khel" is precisely what you say in your last issue it is not—that is, part of the name of a Pathan...

[To TOR EDITOR OF TER -spaarieros."1 Sin,—The name "Socialism" is surely being misapplied. The Socialism of the founders of New Harmony was, like the beautiful Utopia of Sir...

TTO TIER EDITOR OF THY "SPROTLTOR.".1 Sin,—There are many missionaries and clergy in isolated places who would be thankful for copies of the Spectator. I am trying to supply...

MIN. IX.—OLD-AGE PENSIONS.--CUTTING-DOWN SCHEMES. DEAR Mn. The schemes for old-age pensions assume Many forms, but I will deal with what is apparently going to be the basis...

TO GEORGE MEREDITH. "I BEFALL sup late, but royally, though late : And few, but fit, the table company ; Princes and seers, the learned and the great, My chosen guests shall...

THE SICILIANS. A FEW weeks ago an attempt was made in this column to appraise the acting of Mr. Beerbohm Tree, to analyse its nature, and to indicate the principal faults and...

STUDIES IN VENETIAN HISTORY.* THE real Venice is little known to the world at large. The common traveller sees the aesthetic charm of her site and architecture, and is familiar...

Scnuatasus once lamented how few real musicians could write, and bow few good writers were musicians. In this context Dr. Ernest Walker is a happy example of the conven- tional...

mainly, valuable as com- pleting the biography of Bishop Stanley, and filling up interstices in the preceding volumes, Dean Stanley's Edward and Catherine Stanley and Early...

MR. HUGO MEYER, who was for some time Assistant-Pro- fessor of Political Economy in the University of Chicago, has for several years past been engaged in a careful study of...

A SINCERE admirer and defender of the unhappy Queen of Scots has here collected together every morsel of literary work that has ever been known or supposed to be hers ; has...

MB. STEWART is an officer of stupendous energy and industry, and while the first edition of his Pocket-Book, which has already been noticed in our columns, was in itself a mine...

Mn. HORACE HUTCHINSON has collected into a volume about sixty or seventy articles. Some of them first appeared in print in these columns ; others saw the light in the Guardian,...

THE GRAIN CARRIERS.* SOME two years ago playgoers in Paris added something new to their experience in seeing a little play called La Barciterie. It was a singular piece of...

author of this book has not quite made up his mind whether he wishes to write a story of modern life or a political novel. "The Individualists" are a party of politicians who...

somewhat of a puzzle. His share of his father's estate was ..Z4,000; his wife's grandfather left him the same sum. From another testator he received .00,000. And he sold many...

book gives an extraordinarily realistic picture of what may be called Lower Suburbia, and the ways and speech of a set of young people who inhabit a region about which very...

spirited historical tale. One would like to know a little more clearly the time and place.--Rodwell. By Valentina Hawtrey. (John Murray. 6s.)—A strange, melancholy story,...

[Under this heading we notice such Books of tho week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.] The Case for the Goat. By "Home Counties." (G. Routledge and Sons....

James Alexander Craig. (Hodder and Stoughton. Os.) —Dr. Winckler begins by bespeaking our attention to the Baby- lonian Empire for the reason of its great importance in world...

"People's Library" (8d. net, cloth, and Is. 6d., leather). Among them there are the Poetical Works of H. W. Longfellow; George Borrow's Bible in Spain ; The Opium-Eater, and...

W. R. Lethaby. (B. T. Batsford. 12s. net.)—This pamphlet deals with "Diana's Temple at Ephesus," and is to be followed by one on the "Mausoleum." All that remains of these...

twenty-seven in number, are reprinted from the Ladies' Field. They appear, of course, with the inevitable disadvantage, as far as the reviewer is concerned, that what was meant...

XXXV.-XXXVI. (Chapman and Hall. 10s. 6d. net per vol.)- These two volumes, for which Mr. B. W. Matz furnishes a brief introduction, represent a great amount of labour. This has...

R. Holmes. (A. and C. Black. 7s. 6d. net.)—This is a good specimen of Messrs. Black's "Beautiful Books." The subject is a great one, and it has been worthily treated. Sir...

and Co. 3s. net.)—This is an excellent little book, exhibiting, as it does, the way in which history and geography should be combined in teaching. To have such atlases of all...