_Thursday, June 22nd._--The House of Lords welcomed a notable recruit in the person of Lord CHAPLIN. To his many remarkable performances in the field and the forum the newcomer has added another by gaining a step in the peerage before taking his seat. Last April it was announced that the KING had been pleased to confer upon him a barony, but it was Viscount CHAPLIN, of St. Oswald's, Blankney, who subscribed the roll this afternoon. Out of 173 questions on the Paper of the House of Commons a large number related to Ireland; but Ministers were extremely economical of information. The anticipated settlement still hangs fire, and there are increasing fears that it will not hold water. Almost the only fact revealed was that Lord WIMBORNE is no longer Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. His resignation has been definitely accepted. By Ireland, where he was by no means an unwelcome GUEST, he will be more regretted than some other Viceroys. The extra income-tax on American securities again led to some lively exchanges. Sir FREDERICK BANBURY found himself in the unwonted company of Mr. D. M. MASON in resisting the Government proposals. These "Old Tories" were told by Mr. G. FABER that the world was upside down, and that the sooner they realised it the better. But even he thought the Government were using up these dollar securities rather fast. They ought to treat them as "pearls of great price" and not cast them away for American bacon. Mr. MCKENNA was not at all in a conciliatory mood, and startled some of his opponents by reminding them that under the Defence of the Realm Act the Government could take any kind of property at prices far below the market value. When other men had given up their lives for their country why all this boggling over shares?--an argument that the House as usual found unanswerable. * * * * * "At Colmar a merchant has been sentenced to a fine of L5 by a German court-martial for repeating in a public restaurant the well-known joke about ordering a sandwich at a Prussian railway buffet, and being served with a neat ticket between two bread tickets." _The Times._ Anyhow he deserved his punishment for spoiling the only Teuton joke. * * * * * "The bride's mother was costumed in black stain."--_Shepton Mallet Journal._ Under the stress of War-economy we are evidently getting back to the days of woad. * * * * * [Illustration: "BLESS 'IM! AIN'T 'E A LITTLE _PATRIARCH_?"] * * * * * OUR BOOKING-OFFICE. (_By Mr. Punch's Staff of Learned Clerks_)