XLV 



IN all the sportsman's calendar there is no day to which 

 The such reverence is paid as the twelfth of August. 

 Twelfth' Just as in the early Victorian era, when 

 mention was made of ' the Duke,' everybody knew that it 

 was the victor of Waterloo who was referred to, so in 

 these early years of Edward vn. there is no ambiguity, 

 in sporting circles at least, when people are heard dis- 

 cussing their plans for 'the Twelfth.' Bitter taunts are 

 often hurled at Ministers by the Opposition in Parliament 

 because of their anxiety to bring the session to a close 

 before this famous anniversary. Mr. Crooks last week 

 (July 1905), pleading the cause of the unemployed, was 

 specially pungent upon this point. 'Are they not of 

 more value than many grouse ? ' was, hi effect, the burden 

 of his indictment. But the truth is that the red grouse 

 is made the scapegoat for the procrastination so success- 

 fully practised in Parliament for many nights squandered 

 in desultory discussion, in wilful obstruction, in ponderous 

 votes of censure, and exasperating motions for adjourn- 

 ment. The session must be brought to a close some time 

 or another : fifty years ago or more it became the custom 

 to prorogue the Houses in time to allow members to get 

 to the distant moors ; and it is found convenient to main- 

 tain the somewhat fictitious obligation to set them free 



