is the characteristic of the profession of which he was once an ornament. man who makes a capital And as a gentle harangue in sup port of his brief, it must be said that he takes high, if not the highest, rank among Parliamentary debaters. There have from time to time been rumours that a change of front on the part of Sir William was not impossible. The Tory party in the House of Commons is sadly in want of a dashing leader, and there appears at present to be no probability of the want being supplied from its own ranks. Lord Beaconsfield is believed to have cast longing eyes at one time upon the bench upon which sits the Liberal ex-Solicitor-General. And it must be admitted that there ought to be a good deal of personal sympathy between the two men. But the negotiations, if they ever took place, had no result, and Sir William Harcourt continues to give to the Opposition the benefits of his undoubted talents, his great facility in Parliamentary debate, his smartness in repartee, his creditable ambition, and his unqualified self-confidence. [MR. EDWARD JENKINS is the son of the Rev. John Jenkins, D.D., Minister of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Montreal. He was born in 1838, was educated at the M'Gill College, Montreal, and at the University of Pennsylvania. Married, in 1867, Hannah Matilda Johnston. Has sat for Dundee since February 1874. Acted as AgentGeneral for Canada from February 1874 till December 1875. Is the author of 'Ginx's Baby,' 'Lord Bantam,' 'Little Hodge,' etc.] MR. EDWARD JENKINS. O To what extent a literary man is qualified to succeed in the House of Commons is a point which has not yet, apparently, been satisfactorily determined. Parliament has welcomed many men of letters to its fold; and some of them have risen to high positions in the esteem of the public and the service of the State; but, taking the average result of the experiment of bringing an author into the House of Commons, it cannot be said to be very encouraging. Neither Hume nor John Stuart Mill made any real mark upon Parliament. Lytton |