"To set class against class is the crime of all crimes."
That's the dictum of FUSBOS, a type of our times;
Yet FUSBOS himself all his co-scribes surpasses
In rancorous railings concerning "the masses."
He thinks that all efforts injustice to right
Are inspired by mere malice and fondness for fight.
He might just as well urge that morality's rules
Set slaves against tyrants, or rogues against fools;
Or mourn that each new righteous law that man passes
Must set honest folk 'gainst the criminal classes!
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"THE MEETING OF THE WATERS."--The Engineers of London and Birmingham have
been requested, says the _Daily Telegraph_, to "lay their heads together,"
so as to see if an amicable arrangement cannot be effected. This is an
instance where to have "water on the brain" is absolutely necessary. Odd to
think that in this "water difficulty" are contained all the elements of a
burning question; so much so indeed, that the Engineers who may be clever
enough to solve the problem without getting themselves into hot water, may
confidently be expected to follow up their achievement by proceeding to
"set the Thames on fire."
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QUEER QUERIES.--CURRENCY REFORM.--I see that the CHANCELLOR OF THE
EXCHEQUER intends to "call in" light sovereigns. The sovereigns I have all
seem to be tolerably heavy, so would there be any objection to my
lightening them by taking some of the gold off, and keeping it? This would
form a nice little "metallic reserve" for me, a thing which Mr. GOSCHEN
seems to approve of. Would not an appropriate motto, to be inscribed on the
new One Pound Notes, be--"_Quid, pro quo?_"--SLY-METALLIST.
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[Illustration: LONDON IN VENICE.]
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[Illustration]