The Parliamentary Buff-Book, 1875. (Effingham Wilson.)—Here we have again for
the past Session this formidable record of the work done by our representatives in Parliament. The Members are enumerated in alphabetical order ; each is ticketed with a C or an L; and then we are told at how many divisions he was present and from how many he was absent, being further able to learn from figures of reference what the subjects of these divisions were. Nine members, we find, were not present at any division; two gentlemen voted once only, and one twice. It would be unfair to give their names, without the causes of their absence. At the other end of the list., we find three members, Mr. Winn, Sir W. Edmonstone, and Mr. W. H. Smith dividing the first prize, each having one absence only counted against him. As, however, Messrs. Winn and Smith are officials, the disinterested attendance of Sir W. Edmonstono is entitled to a preference. High commendation is deserved also by another unofficial devotee, Mr. Cowen, Member for Newcastle-on-Tyne. It is melancholy to reflect that an ungrateful constituency has dismissed the Member who, if we remember right, won the first place in the Session of 1873,—Mr. Bowring, who then sat for Exeter. It is curious to see how mach place and power have to do with regularity of attendance. Out of the first hundred on the list, twenty-seven only are Liberals, three being marked as Nationalists. We need hardly say that this is a very interesting and useful volume, which all electors should have a chance of seeing. Freedom in voting is an admirable thing, but freedom of absence. may very properly be kept in check by an attentive constituency.
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