4 MARCH 1876, Page 2

Mr. Hardy, in the course of a discussion on recruiting,

on Thursday, previous to his speech on the Estimates, told a capital story about the utter want of conscience most men display in giving characters. A man of notoriously bad char- acter, residing in a village he knew, wished to emigrate. To obtain assistance from the Emigration Commissioners one must have a character, and the man accordingly asked one from his neighbours. Everybody was anxious he should go, and every- body therefore testified to his excellent reputation. No one was more astonished at this result than the man himself, and after looking at his certificate, with its long list of signatures, " Weil," said he, "I had no idea I was so much esteemed in the neighbour- hood ; I think I shall stay."