An 18th Century Epigram.

Tho' George, with respect to the wrong and the right,
Is of twenty opinions twixt morning and night,
If you call him a Turncoat, you injure the Man;
He's the pink of consistency on his own plan,
While to stick to the strongest is always his trim,
'Tis not he changes sides; 'tis the side changes him.

—Samuel Bishop.

Mr. Alfred Saunders, an aged gentleman, whose veracity has never before been questioned in his fifty years of public life, is thus spoken of by the Seddonite candidate Hornsby: «A great deal has been made about Mr. Saunders being offered the Colonial Treasurer-ship. I give this a flat contradiction.» Every member of the House and every reporter in the press gallery knew that Mr. Seddon asked Mr. Saunders to accept the portfolio because it would "help him in the elections." Even Mr. Seddon himself has not the cast-iron effrontery to say what his puppets announce as confidential information.

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Mr. Mitchelson's nomination for Auckland makes the result of the elections throughout the Colony a certain win for the Conservatives who will have a majority when the fight is over: but is too much to expect that the Liberals will do what the Conservatives did when beaten in 1890—call Parliament together and hand in their checks. They love place too well for that.

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Our friend the Hon. G. F. Richardson looks like winning the Mataura seat if votes of conficence for him everywhere, and a denial ot even a vote of thanks to Mr. McNab at some meetings count for anything.

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Christchurch is going to be one of the surprises of the election. In 1893, eight Government candidates polled 27,499 votes, and one Independent and two oppositiouists polled 5,346 votes. The Cathedral City intends to turn over a new leaf.

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All parties agree that Scobie Mackenzie will poll the biggest vote ever cast in Dunedin. Begg is most fancied for second place, and there is a lot of choosing for third man, the mosl likely being either Pinkerton or Millar.