I Lord Lansdowue at Liverpool on Wednesday protested against the allegation that the House of Lords had arrogated to themselves the right of controlling taxation. In reality...

Mr. Asquith added that he believed that this money is being and will be better and more fruitfully expended than it could have been if it or any part of it bad been spent...

In the course of his speech at Iaddington on Monday I ng ht Mr. Asquuith defended the Cabinet's policy of Imperial I de3ence. He began by referring to Lord Midleton's recent...

A tariff cannot be created in a moment, and the doctors of I Tariff Reform seem to differ more and more as they fancy themselves to be getting nearer to the achievement of...

Mr. Lloyd George's speech at the Qneen's Hall. on Friday week was chiefly concerned with the effects of Protection upon employment. Mr. Lloyd George quoted figures which showed...

I In view of the fact that for the moment Mr. Balfour has deferred any detailed treatment of the question of Rome-rule, we welcome the very explicit statements of Mr. Walter...

Mr. Balfour's speech hlas of course provoked a good deal of comment in Germany. We agree with him that it would be intolerable that any foreign Power should dictate to us our...

Such talk, it might be objected, gives needless irritation to I a great and friendly Power. Mr. Balfour declared that he was a great admirer of Germany, from whom we could...

We regret to record the death of M1. Leon Delagranfre, who was killed at Bordeaux on Tuesday through an accident to his aeroplane. He was making a turn against a strong wvi(lt...

Our national art collections have lately benefited by two most splendid bequests. A large part of M1r. Salting's wonderful collection of paintings and porcelain is already on...

Mr. Asquith devoted the greater part of his remarks at Bath on Thursday to answering Mr. Balfour's Hanley speech. He taunted him. with advertising fears and apprehensions...

At Ipswich on Thursday Mr. Balfour spoke of the reform I of the House of Lords, arguing that though reform was desirable, it was a secondary matter to the important question of...

Lord Rosebery, in reply to a correspond ent.. has stated bip views on the situation as follows:-" You ask me how I should vote were I an elector. The answer is in a nutshell...

We are glad to see that Lord Cromer in a letter to Major I Levita, the Unionist candidate for the St. Ives division, finally disposes of the fiction tLiat he did his utmost to...

Last November the Postmaster-General was asked by Mfr. Rowland Hunt, M.P., whether, in order to reassure many of the aged poor, he would arrange to have notices posted up...

Mr. Chaurchill spoke at Dundee on Wednesday, and devoted most of Ihis speech to an argument against import-duties. In replying to some questions, however, he indicated more...

TOPICS OF THE DAY. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS. HllE appeal to moderate minds has been enormously T reinforced by the advice of Lord Rosebery to the electors. He, like ourselves,...

A FRENCH ADMIRAL ON SOCIALISM AND PROTECTION. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-There died last year at Brest, at the age of seventyeight, a distinguished naval officer,...

GIRL SCOUTS. [TO THR EDITOR OF ToZ " SrECTATOR."] Sin,-Miay I trespass on your space to reply to the correspondence which has taken place about the Girl Scouts ? Many letters...

A WORKING MAN'S DIFFICULTY. [TO THS EDIO OF TXR "SPECTATOR.I SiR,-Nothing has vexed me more, as a humble reader of your ably conducted paper and splendidly written articles,...

HOME-RULE AND NATIONAL SECURITY. [TO TIL EDITOX Or THE "SPXCTATOR'1 SIR,-In your issue of the let inst. "Armchair" argues:" Thus if Home-rule be granted, our national security...

IRISH POLICY AND THE "SPECTATOR." [TO THE EDITOD. OF THE " SPECTATon."] SIR-In criticisin l my article, "Irisih Policy and the Conscrvatives." which appeared in the Nizeteendth...

LAND-TAX S IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. [TO TRZ EITOB OF T0 "SPECTATOR.'l SrR,-Will you allow an American citizen to protest against your statements about the Budget, as...

THE IRISH MINORITY AND THE GENERAL ELECTION. [To THE EDITOR O0 TRo "SrECTATOR."1 S.-,-Grave as will be tbe issue of the coming Election to England, it will be far more so to...

THE NEW KING OF THE BELGIANS. A LBERT I., the King of the Belgians, has come to A the throne by an unexpected train of events; anil now, by one of those curious ironies which...

MR. BLATCHrFORD'S ARTICLES. [TO TIlE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.] SIR,-In your footnote to my letter in your last issue you ask a question which you will perhaps kindly allow me...

MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S LLANELLY SPEECH AND THE BUDGET. [To Tux EDITOR OF THU1 SPZCTLTOL'1 SIR,-" In the end they are in the trap .... . we have caught the large rats at last .... ....

[TO THE EDITOR O THE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,-It is very difficult to understand whether it is Mr. Blatchford's patriotism or his infidelity that shocks the Rev. George Taylor...

[To TEEB EDITOR OF TIE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,-On the ground that Mr. Blatchford has published irreligious and demoralising works, the Rev. G. W. Taylor reproaches you with the...

THE WALL OF CHINA.* A TRAVELLER through the English countryside may come suddenly upon some strange building-a ruined imitation of an Indian temple, or a vast mansion the only...

THE GENTLE SHAKE SPEARE.* THE English are a strange people. Although for the most part we dislike thoroughness, and tend rather to muddle through with the assistance of the...

GREECE AND MODERN CIVILISATION.* DR. MAIIAFFY has published in this volume some lectures recently delivered on the other side of the Atlantic on one of the foundations to which...

THE MAGAZINES. SIR BAMPFYLDE FULLER s paper in the January Ninetccnth Centtury on "The Indian Responsibilities of Liberal Politicians" will, we trust, be attentively studied by...

ARCHBISHOP MACHRAY.* IN this biography various questions are discussed on which a prudent reviewer will not express a definite opinion. He will always see, however, in Robert...

Directory of the Royal Society of Arts. Edited ljy Sir Henry Tiuman Wood. (George Bell and Sons. 2s.)-This pamphlet in a very timely publication It gives an official...

I SCHOOL-Booxs.- -A brief notice may be given of sundry school- books, all of which will be found useful in their way:-A First and A Second Latin Unseen Book. By William...

Some. Incidents of the Events in Egypt in 1882. (L. Schuler, I AlexandrlLa. Sd.)-]£r. Cornish, who was in charge of the watersuprly of Alexandria at the time of the...

SOME 130OKS OF THE WEEK. [Unidsr this hoadir. ore novice suck Books of the week cu havs snot Us, restrued for review in othor forns.] Thg Dictionary of National Biography....

A BrV f Miszory of the 31Middle Temple. By C. E. A. Bedwell. I (atlterwvorth and Co. 2s. net.)-Mr. Bedwell has expanded an aticle contributed in 1908 to the Quarterly Reciew,...

We have received another volume of the Expositio ns of Holy Scripture, by Alexander Maclaren, D.D. (Hodder and Stoughton, 7s. 6d.) It contains a homiletic treatment of three of...

vict-f i'l History of the Counties of England: London. Ecitedby I Williamr Page. Vol. I. (A. Constable and Co. 31s. 6d. per vol.)-The I managers of this great undertaking...

READABLE NOVELS.- -The Stran,7e Story of Rab Rdiby. By Maurus I Jtikai. (Jarrold and Sons. 6s.)-This is a striking story of uinary in the last quarter of the eighteenth...

Lodge's Peerage, 1910. (Kelly's Directories. 21s. net)-here I we have a record, carefully brought up to date, of Peers, Baronets, Knights, and their families, with lists of...

The Fruit-Growers' Year-Book, 1910. (Cable Publishing Com- I pany. Is. net.)-Fruit-growing can scarcely be regarded with much favour in view of the experiences of the year...

TIDES. [To THE EDITOR OF TUE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In the article upon " Tides " in your issue of January st you state that "smacksmen believe that frost checks the tide." This...

THE SEVERN BORE. [TO TER EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. ] SiR,-In the article on " Tides " in your last issue I see that reference is made to "the Severn boa." This, I take it, is...

CEREMONY AND SURVIVAL. rTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SrECTATOR."1 Sin,-In the article " Ceremony and Survival " in your issue of October 30th, 1909, mention is made of the six...

fTO THE EDITOR OF THIE "SPECTATOR.-] SiR,-In the interesting article on " Tides " in your issue of January 1st there is a reference to the influence said to be exercised by an...

THE BRADFIELD COLLEGE RANCH. rTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 SiR,-In your issue of last week you describe and discuss Dr. Gray's project for turning Bradfield boys into...

[To THx EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,-The interesting article on the above in your number of December 18th, 1909, contains the following passage-" The ultimate explanation...

We notice in United Empire, the journal of the Royal I Colonial Institute (Sir I Pitman and Sons, Is.)-the January number is the first of a new series, and is an admirable...

The Prime Minister, M. lfavromicmaeli, accepted the situa- tion, and the League, thus encouraged, made a new demi-iiand that the Minister of the Interior must resign within...

The dismissal of tbe- Greek Minister of War wbich we recorded last week led to a rather unexpected result. The Minister, Colonel Lapathiotis, was the nominee of the Military...

NEWS OF THE WEEK. TUESDAY was a memorable day in India, for then the enlarged Legislative Councils of Bombay and Bengal met for the first time. The Governor, Sir George...

Mr. Balfour addressed a large meeting at Hanley oil Tuesday. Declining for the moment to deal with the questions of Home-rule, the functions or reform of the House of Lords, or...

The Session of the Bengal Legislative Council was opened I by the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir E. N. Baker. Defending the regulations under which the elections were conducted, he...

THE OPEN-MINDED BIGOT. W E all believe ourselves to be open-minded, tho-a-1h it NV Y would puzzle us to explain exactly what significance we attach to the phrase. We have all...

ART. OLD MASTERS AT BURLINGTON HOUSE. TEiE wealth of England in pictures of the great ages of painting seems unbounded. For some months past every picture-lover has marvelled...

MORE ANONYMOUS VOICES. LTO THE EDrrOR OF THE " SPECTATOR." 1 SiR,-May I point out that " the Scotsman " described in the article, " More Anonymous Voices " (Spectator, December...

POETRY. NON DEFICIT ALTER. (Tidy 23rd, 1403-Decem))ber 30th, 1909) IsN crisis of revolt and raid, How were the Border hosts dismayed, When from the field the word was told...

THE TO-M-TIT'S REPLY. [TO TIlE EDITOR OF TIHE "SPECTATOR."] Sni,-May I venture to offer the enclosed verses as a reply to M2r. Horace Smith's in the Spectator of December 18th,...

A QUEENSLAND POET. THE State of Queensland, destined, as others besides her own people believe, to become one of the foremost States of the Australian Commonwealth, has lately...

NIETZSCHE AND SCIENCE. rTO THE EDITOR OV THE "SPrCTATOI."] Sin-As a student of Nietzsche's philosophy, may I make a few l. rarlis concerning one passa.ge in your reviewer's...

SECRET REMEDIES. [TO THM EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."J SIR,-Your reviewer (Spectator, December 18Lb, 1909) objects to patent medicines on three grounds,-viz., (1) their cost, (2)...

[To ToH EDITOR OF THo " SPECTATOR."] I SAI,-Is there not a simple solution to the dilemma in which sczne Free-trade Unionists find themselves as to voting for a TaLriff...

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. [TO THR EDITOR o0 THE " SPzCTATOR.1 SiR,-No partisan is likely now to be converted, but some moderate men are still wavering. As a moderate man and...

[To Sz EDITOR oP THE " SPXCTATOI.'1 I OIR,-As a UJnionizt Free-trader I, together with many other Conservatives, am very much concerned as to how our votes should be given at...

[To TV EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] I 'SIR,-May I, an insignificant" person, venture through your columns to ask Sir Frederick Pollock, before it is yet too late, if his love...

NOVELS. GAR.RYOWEN. I MB. STACPOOLE is that not uncommon and char acteristic product of his country, an Irishman who loves Ireland and is yet a candid friend of his...

I Special Messenger. By Robert W. Chambers (T. Werner Laurie. 6s.)-This is a series of deeply interesting stories of the war of the North and South. The heroine is a spy in...

I Ordinarv People. By Una L. Silberrad. (A. Constable and Co. 6S.)-If a bare outline of the plot of this novel were to be given the reader, he would conclude that it was one...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. - THE DUTY OF UNIONIST FREE-TRADERS. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOl."] SiB,-There is a point at which sensitiveness of conscience becomes moral...

LONDON TRAFFIC. rpE traffic of London may truly be said to be about our bed, which it sometimes makes sleepless, and about our path, which it always makes dangerous. Formerly...

B OO K S . | THE CAMEL AND THE NEEDLE'S EYE.* MR. PONSONBY'S essays on the deceitfulness and harmfulness of riches are a mixture of lay-sermon, political argument, and...

THE PORTEOUS MOB.* THE grim tale of the Porteous mob deserved retelling by a lawyer, for, though it raises few legal conundrums, it is well to have the evidence sifted from the...

THE MENDIP COUNTRY. ON the nortlhern side of Mendip there is a narrow valley winding inland a long way, very little above sea-level; ou "lie other side there is a wide plain,...

PLUTOPHOBIA. THE word has not yet, we suppose, found a place in our T English dictionaries. The thing, however, is with us, for the fear of plutocracy is growing to the...

BOTANY, SCIENTIFIC AND POPULAR.* THE enormous industry of botanists who are working all over the world is little appreciated by the general public. A book that stated in plain...