There seemed to be but one element. of uncertainty in the air last Sunday, afternoon when everyone was discussing the possibilities of Mr, Austen Chambo Min's Budget, whioh would be unfolded. on the following afternoon. I was at an afternoon tes-party. It was unanimously" decided that, of course, nothing would be: taken off the income tax; that was much. too good even to dream of. The quostion was: Would twopence be taken off tes, or a penny each off tea and sugar? A young housekeeper at once fervently oped for the latter concession, naively remarking that her woakly consumption of tes was but half-a-pound, whereas she used at least three pounds of sugar, The trath of her statement was universally admitted' and now all housekeepers are fooling somewhat hardly used, though, I suppose, tea growers in China are more or less jubilant. Of course, however, it la the consumer of the article—not the producer—who pays theta, as Idoubt if many people used less toa because it was twopence @ pound dearer. I know we did not. The comments in the papers on the falling off of revenue in consequence of the creased sobriety of the masses are somewhat curious reading. Until the last few days one heard only of the curse" of drink; now we lead that the revenue reckoned on from the consumption of boer and spirits has hitherto been one of the corner-stones of finance," and the ques. tion is being asked s to where we ure to look for revenue if it fails? Of course it is an important matter, and will need clove consideration, but at the same time it strikes one as intensely funny. The Governwent are evidently somewhat anxious," but tariff reformers wee in -the falling-off of the excise revenue but one more plea for a Protectivettariff, when they say it would matter but little if we all turned teetotallers and vegetarians, Eton's New Headmaster. The appointment of the Rev. the Hon, Canon Edward Lyttleton to the head-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.