"My dear TOBY," he said, "I don't know whether you meant it, but
you've paid JACKSON the highest compliment it is possible to convey.
When in these times the CHIEF SECRETARY so manages to conduct business
of his department that he himself is temporarily forgotten, he's doing
it surpassingly well. My big brother ROBERT was once Chief Secretary,
though perhaps you forget that also. He resigned because, as he said,
there was not enough work to keep an active man going. That was long
time ago. I daresay you had no chance of forgetting during the last
five years that Prince ARTHUR was Chief Secretary?"

[Illustration: T.P. Gill.]

Cannot claim to have invented the compliment the SPEAKER discerned;
merely mentioning matter of fact; but, as he says, when in these days
a Chief Secretary manages to get himself forgotten, the wheels at the
Irish Office must be going pretty smoothly. JACKSON has not brought
about this miraculous change by laying himself out to flatter or court
Irish Members. He is exactly the same as he was when he filled office
of Financial Secretary; doubtless the same as when he looked after his
tanyard in Yorkshire. Goes straight to the point in simple unaffected
business manner that ruffles no sensibilities. Fancy he could tan a
hide in such a way that it would not feel any resentment.

A predecessor at the Irish Office who succeeded, in more troublesome
times, in living on peaceable terms with Irish Members, was
CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN. Irish Members, swift judges of character, taking
measure of both, came to conclusion nothing to be gained by rowing
round them. What killed FORSTER, and turned GEORGE TREVELYAN's hair
grey, made CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN smile--not an offensive smile, but one
of interested amusement. JACKSON's sense of humour not so keen, but