Wednesday, August 11th.—­A Bill to prohibit ready-money betting on football matches was introduced by Lord GAINFORD (who played for Cambridge forty years ago) and supported by Lord MEATH, “a most enthusiastic player” of a still earlier epoch.  The Peers could not resist the pleading of these experts and gave the Bill a second reading; but when Lord GAINFORD proposed to rush it through goal straightaway his course was barred by Lord BIRKENHEAD, an efficient Lord “Keeper.”

A proposal for the erection at the public expense of a statue of the late Mr. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN furnished occasion for the PRIME MINISTER and Mr. ASQUITH to indulge in generous praise of a political opponent.  Mr. LLOYD GEORGE (with his eye on the Sovietists) pointed out that, as this was “essentially a Parliamentary country,” we did well to honour “a great Parliamentarian”; and the EX-PREMIER (with his eye on Mr. LLOYD GEORGE) selected for special note among Mr. CHAMBERLAIN’S characteristics that he had “no blurred edges.”

A humdrum debate on the Consolidation Fund Bill was interrupted by the startling news that France had decided, in direct opposition to the policy announced yesterday by the PRIME MINISTER, to give immediate recognition to General WRANGEL.  Mr. LLOYD GEORGE expressed his “surprise and anxiety” and could only suppose that there had been an unfortunate misunderstanding.  To give time for its removal the House decided to postpone its holiday and adjourned till Monday.

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MORE HEADACHES FOR THE HISTORIAN.

Messrs. KAMENEFF and KRASSIN, the Soviet envoys, were in the Distinguished Strangers’ Gallery during the PRIME MINISTER’S speech on Poland last week.  Hence these tears:—­

“In conversation they seem to betray only a limited acquaintance with English, but every word of Mr. Lloyd George’s utterance seemed intelligible to them.  Not only did they follow him with eager interest, but often with animated comment.”—­Evening Standard.

    “The two did not exchange a single remark during the whole of the
    Premier’s speech.” Evening News.

    “Krassin could follow every word of Lloyd George.  His colleague doesn’t
    speak or understand English, so Krassin every few minutes leaned over
    and whispered a translation into the other’s ear.”—­Star.

“The Soviet envoys, especially M. Krassin, seemed somewhat restless, and appeared to take more interest in the scene than in the speech, but this I heard attributed to their difficulty in following the words of the Prime Minister.”—­Pall Mall Gazette.

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BLEWITT ON REAL PROPERTY.

229th ed., folio, 2 vols. (Sour and Taxwell, 85s.).

All persons interested in this entrancing subject will welcome the new edition of Mr. Blewitt’s famous work.  The book is one which should be found on every shelf throughout the country, and is undoubtedly, in its combination of erudition and artistic merit, one of the masterpieces of English literature.  It has been well described by a more competent critic as one which “it is difficult to take up when once you have put it down,” and in this judgment most readers will, we believe, concur.