THE question of the succession of the late Mr. W, A. Smith in the Leadership of the House of Commons was evidently the main topic of the week ending the 23rd of October, foe Tenniel's cartoon in Punch represents Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Mr. Balfour and Mr. Goschen standing at the foot of " staircase leading to the Leadership," each of the two latter politely asking the other precede him. It is called " After you and the motto is from a speech of Michael at Stockton-on-Tees: ' He believed thet every one of them would prefer that some one else would hold that high and honourable office." The verses on the subject in Truth wre better than those in Punch; they ran
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.