_Tuesday._--Pirate Peer in the offing again. Ran in, as before, under protection of guns of consorts, GEORGE CURZON and ST. JOHN BRODRICK. Lay to under gallery whilst question discussed at large. House never able to keep up interest in this kind of thing over successive days. Novel and exciting enough yesterday; steam not to be got up for second day. Only for JOE, business would have come to conclusion after formal proposal by SQUIRE OF MALWOOD to refer whole matter to Select Committee. JOSEPH'S interposition led to inevitable row. Wanted, for some inexplicable reason, to drag in CARMICHAEL. Quoted _Debrett_ to establish his claim to dormant Earldom of Hyndford. JOE left alone in advocacy of this line. SQUIRE OF MALWOOD had rare good time. Read passage from JOE'S speech of last year, when question to succession of Coleridge Barony under discussion. Had said then exactly the reverse of what he to-day averred in respect of succession to Selborne Peerage, and status of new Peer in House of Commons. [Illustration: Evidently a Dormant Duke! (Mr. Kn-tchb-ll-H-g-ss-n.)] "The fatal thing about JOSEPH," said SARK, "is that when he makes a statement on one side of a case or the other, he does it with such point, in such felicitous phrase, with such convincing emphasis, that it sticks in the memory. When, twelve months or nine years later, circumstances lead him to other side of question, he delivers himself on it with same incomparable gifts of point and lucidity. The bringing out of his former assertion is not so conclusive as you would think, because the two--affirming a thing is white one day, protesting on the next it is black--are so evenly balanced that the case stands exactly where it did. This sharp confronting of JOSEPH denying with JOSEPH affirming would be fatal to some men. To our JOE it is not even embarrassing. House roars with delight. He sits silent, apparently unconcerned, and somebody else will suffer by-and-by." _Business done._--Committee appointed to inquire into case of the Pirate Peer. _Thursday._--The longer Major RASCH lives, the fainter grows his faith in the nobility of human nature. To-night brought down with him a few carefully selected, choice specimens of the American pea-bug. Naturally expected everybody would welcome the little stranger. Especially interesting to Minister of Agriculture. Being a man of taste, Major had installed the insects in dainty _bon-bon_ box; swung it lightly between forefinger and thumb as he inquired what HERBERT GARDNER meant to do about it? "Will the right hon. gentleman," he said, "have consignments of peas coming from America marked as such, and put in bond, so that the bugs may develop there, and not in the British market garden?" At this way of putting it, SQUIRE OF MALWOOD pricked up his ears. To quick instincts of CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER bugs in bond suggested new field of taxation. Made a note of it.