I’m goin’ back to Blighty, to the little lonesome lanes,
    The dog-rose and the foxglove and the ferns,
  The sleepy country ’orses and the jolty country wains
    And the kindly faces every way you turns;
  My little bit o’ Blighty is the ’ighway,
    With the sweet gorse smellin’ in the sun;
  And the ’eather good and deep where a tired man may sleep
      When the long day’s done.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  LONG LIVE THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR!]

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Monday, July 16th.—­In the course of a discussion on “rope” in War-bread Mr. THORNE accused the West-End bakeries of mixing white flour with the “G.R.” variety, and so supplying their wealthy customers with better bread than is procurable by his own constituents.  Although no official confirmation of this charge was forthcoming Mr. THORNE appeared to be convinced of its accuracy.  In his opinion the Government, following the historic example of PHARAOH, should give the bread to the people and the rope to the bakers.

It might not be accurate to say that in the matter of beer the Irishman wants but little here below, but he certainly wants that little strong; and being, in spite of a popular impression to the contrary, a seriously-minded person, he resents any reduction of his gravity.  Mr. BRIDGEMAN’S gentle reminder that no Irish brewer need avail himself of the new regulations unless he pleases quite failed to satisfy the Nationalists that a new item had not been added to Ireland’s catalogue of grievances.

Tuesday, July 17th.—­For some weeks Mr. GINNELL has been absent from his place.  No one has gone so far as to suggest that the Roll of the House should be called in order to bring back the hon.  Member to his Parliamentary duties.  But considerable curiosity was aroused by his recent statement that he proposed to make one more appearance at Westminster before retiring permanently to Ireland to watch over the growth of the Sinn Fein Republic.  To-day was the day.  Question 45, “Mr. Ginnell, to ask the Prime Minister, &c., &c.,” was eagerly awaited.  There was no saying that the hon.  Member, if dissatisfied with the reply, would not hurl the Mace at the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, so as to ensure a properly dramatic exit.  At last No. 45 was reached; but Mr. GINNELL was not there to put it.  Once more the Saxon intellect had been too slow to keep up with the swift processes of the Celtic cerebellum.  Mr. GINNELL has on more than one occasion made what his compatriots call a “holy show” of himself; but he refuses to do this sort of thing to order.

[Illustration:  THE EMPTY SEAT.

MR. PUNCH DROPS A SILENT TEAR AT THE DEPARTURE OF ONE OF HIS BEST
PUPPETS.]

Mr. HOUSTON is still harping upon the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER’S recent confession of his ship-owning gains, and laboured hard this afternoon to convince the Committee that shipowners in general were in no sense profiteers.  He failed, however, to avert the wrath of Mr. DENNISS, who declared that if, after what had been revealed, any shipowner was made a peer, he should move to abolish the peerage.