If this should be done, the mother country would have the right to demand that the colonies should contribute to her wars, and help her, and stand by her on all occasions. The federating of England and her colonies would bind them together in much the same way that our United States are bound together. They would be under one head and one government, but each portion of the empire would take its share of the profits and losses. It is this which has roused the Canadians of Quebec. Here is their complaint: "Canada, more securely chained, will be thrown into the defensive and offensive politics of Great Britain. We will be called upon to contribute toward the military and naval forces of that country. We will have to give our money and our blood to defend the interests of the noble lords who scorn us, the London merchants who exploit us, and the deserts of Africa or the plains of India will be our funeral pyres, where many of our people will sleep." These fears were aroused when, in the latter part of September, it was announced that the Canadian Government was about to make large purchases of guns and cannon for the defence of Montreal. These Canadians became afraid that they were to be drawn into some war in which they had neither interest nor concern, and they are now anxious to throw off the English yoke, and be free to make peace or war as they will. * * * * * As the winter approaches, the cry of famine is once more being raised in Ireland. The potato crop appears to have failed entirely, and the grain, beaten down by storms and rain, has not ripened, but lays rotting in the fields where it was planted. The cry of famine is heard from Ireland with more or less regularity every year, and therefore some people are inclined to doubt whether this is a genuine complaint, but from all one hears it would appear to be only too true. Mr. John E. Redmund, member of Parliament for Waterford, Ireland, has stated that the present harvest is the worst since 1879, and that there is every reason to fear that a large portion of the Irish population will soon be on the verge of starvation. To help these unfortunates, sixty-four of the Irish members joined in a petition to ask the Government to call an extra meeting of Parliament to vote money for the relief of the famine sufferers. The Queen has the right to call the British Parliament into session at any time she deems it necessary, but for a long time it has been the custom for it to assemble in February and remain in session until August. In reply to the petition from the Irish members, the Government stated that there did not seem to be any necessity for summoning a special parliament to deal with the Irish troubles, as, if the worst fears for Ireland were realized, the Government had power to use funds to relieve the people without waiting for the consent of Parliament.