The Minstrels and the Verdict

It remained for Martin Liddle's singing to produce an emotional effect of a really high order, his Hungarian song. "Had a Horse," being for many the highlight of the evening. Other enjoy able items were also given by Kingston Braybrooke and Vesta Emanuel.

The Hon, W. E. Barnard, speaking on behalf of his co-Judges, Mr. W. E. Leicester and Miss I. Wilson, paid the competitors the compliment of saying that he had enjoyed listening to these speeches much more than the speeches he was generally obliged to listen to in the House. "The Judges," he sold, "have experienced some little difficulty in deciding between Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Meek, but have decided in favour of Mr. O'Connor by a narrow margin." The hearty applause with which this statement was greeted showed that the audience concurred in the verdict.—S.