ANDOM RECOLLECTIONS OF TI1E 110FSE OF COMMONS.
TO TILE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Sin—In the lengthened, and in many respects commendatory notice of my Random Itee, lerHons of the Honse of Commons, which ;omens iu the Stectatur of last Sunday, you censure the writer for dwelling so much on the mew pers.,nnel of the Members. You mention that I have so described the personal appearauee of the gentlemen whose names I have introduced. as that the reader, with the book in his hand. can identify them at once. Now this was one of the principal of jeets I had in view ; as may be boleros' both from the titlepage and the preface to the work. Part of the t it lepage runs thus: " Including P. ?woad Sketches of the Leading Members of all l'arties." I am sure you must often have observed I bat the questions usually put by a person who has not seen the leading Members of Parliament to one who has, white to their age, features, stature, and personal appearance generally. I have endeavoured to an- t icipvt e stall questions : and as out admit that my likenesses are good, I hardly think that I am deserving of censure for doing that which I professed to do. You praise the sketch of Mr. O'CostNEt.r. as one of superior merit. I ant sure I need not mention to you, that though my abilities were much greater than they are, it would be impossible to make as good a sketch from the materials which so man) of the Members afford as from those which are furnished by such a person as Mr. 01;0x:cr.:LI,. I need not say that there are many Members in the Douse whose names often appear before the pub- lic eye. who afford nothing but " personal materials fur a writer to work on. I know it is very unusual to allow authors to make observations on reviews of their works, in the journals ill Willa such reviews have appeared : such indulgeuce on thus part of the conductors of the public press, were it generally granted, would be attended with great inconvenience to themselves. But as I am only anxious to prevent any one coming. from the tenor of your obseivat ions, to the erroneous conclusion, that I had proposed to deal chiefly with the intellectual characters of Members, while, in point of fact, I had in many cases principally sketched their personal appearance, I am sure you will not refuse inwrtion to these few lines.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, THE ACTILOR.
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