* * * * * ELECTION NOTES FROM THE WEST. This is how the _Western Daily Mercury_ describes "the fight"--before it began. "The electoral battle continues, but it is a most unequal contest. The Tories have been out-generalled, outmanoeuvred, and outclassed. They are like the Chinese fleet at Yalu, stolid and uncertain, whilst the Liberals are sailing round them, pouring into them a withering fire from quick-firing guns, sweeping away masts and signal-yards, and scattering their crews in confusion. The fire from the Tories is intermittent, insufficient, and badly directed. It is doing very little harm." * * * * * This is quite a gem of nautical description. Such as might justly be expected from a great naval port like Plymouth, which is the home of the _Mercury_. The chief beauty of it, moreover, is that it will serve again to describe the battle--when it is finished ("after the poll"), the only alteration necessary being a transposition of the two words Tories and Liberals. * * * * * _Cornwall._--Excellent programme, including Two MACS. As usual, when one "scores," the other doesn't. MCDOUGALL beaten, while MCARTHUR of course held whip-hand in St. Austell's division. * * * * * LOVE'S LOCAL OPTION.--"Drink to me only with thine eyes." * * * * * SCRAPS FROM CHAPS. ANOTHER IRISH PARTY!--The snakes are coming back to Ireland! In a Cork paper we read the following:-- Mr. CORNELIUS DONOVAN, while crossing a grass field near Blarney, encountered a snake, which at first he believed to be an eel, and struck it with his walking stick. Having killed the reptile, he discovered it was a snake, measuring 3 feet 9 inches. Evidently a political omen of some kind, this return of the emigrants to Erin. What does it portend? Mr. M-RL-Y, on being consulted, is "inclined to fancy that the Cork snake is a herald of Coercion, and shows that the venom of Dublin Castle will soon be at work." Mr. G. B-LF-R, on the other hand, says that "the return of general confidence at the advent of a Unionist Government, and a really capable Irish Secretary, has never been better exemplified. Even the reptiles are not afraid now to try Ireland as a place of residence!" And Mr. J-ST-N M'C-RTHY has no doubt at all that "the incident is another sign of the growing Irish spirit of disunion. Did not St. Patrick banish snakes from Ireland? And ought not snakes, if they are worthy of the name of patriots, to obey St. P., and stay away? Well, they are returning, and defying St. P.--just as R-DM-ND defies _me!_ And," added the eminent leader, meditatively, "I've often thought there was a good deal of the eel about him, too." * * * * * "PEERS ARE CHEAP TO-DAY."--From the _North British Daily Mail_:--