But, of course, we must have some politics. Boys are hot politicians. We don't care about long debates in Parliament, but we can tell you who is right and who is wrong. We know that well enough. Our line of politics may be described as strongly _loyal_; it is our duty, of course, to support the Government of the time, because they support us. But--well, murder will out--boys always were Conservatives. They can't help it. They are made so. We know that you, at any rate, Mr. Gladstone, will pardon us graciously when we say, as we must, that the sooner the great Conservative reaction takes place the better we shall be pleased. [Illustration: THE KENNEL. _Photo: W. M. Crockett, Plymouth._] In such fashion is the _Britannia Magazine_ introduced to its public. The editorial arrangements are probably unique, the commander, and subsequently one of the lieutenants, being editor _ex officio_. Sometimes an individual of a literary turn of mind would join the ship, and take it on for the pure joy of scribbling; but this only made the difficulty of obtaining volunteers more apparent when he left. It was, in fact, the old story: everybody likes to read a light and amusing periodical, but few care about assisting to run it, unless, of course, there are emoluments attached to the office; so the purely honorary editor had the onus of selecting the most suitable compositions presented for each number; and sometimes, like Oliver Twist, he had to ask for more; while of him was expected an able and well-written summary of news, etc., every time. On some occasions he was compelled to have recourse to the time-honoured subterfuge of devoting considerable space to a wail over the dearth of material; a process which does not bear repeating too frequently. Some people always commence their letters in this fashion, and get comfortably over the first page before they start, as it were. One always looks with some suspicion--such is the frailty of editorial and other samples of human nature!--on an item headed "a positive fact"; or, still worse, with an asterisk, and "fact" tersely inserted as a footnote. The following appears with these credentials in the _Britannia Magazine_:-- Two countrymen were heard discussing a cadet who was swaggering in his brand-new uniform: "What is he, Bill?" "Don't you know? 'E's the new telegraph boy!" (Exit cadet.) This may be capped by another story--of equally unimpeachable veracity, of course--of a cadet who, many years ago, was making a journey in his uniform. A discussion arose between two of his fellow-passengers on some more or less technical point concerning railways; and, to the young hero's surprise, it was referred to him. His audience appeared to be both surprised and grieved at his professed ignorance on the subject, and ventured a remonstrance: "Why, you're one of 'em, ain't you?" (No exit available.)