Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/48

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io<" s. in. JA*. w

before going into action in these words, " My men, you are going to hold the worst post there is. By to-night you will be either the most distinguished regiment in the British army, or the most extinguished."

General Prim, when colonel of his regiment in the Spanish army during the war of Morocco, is said to have flung his cap into the enemy's trenches, crying out to his men, "Follow me! O caja 6 faja!" ("Either a coffin or a general's sash ! ") W. L. POOLE.

Montevideo.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S ARMS (10 th S. ii. 327, 417). I think Dr. Conway is mistaken in saying that the estate (is the family meant ?) gave name to the village of Washing- ton, co. Durham. Is not it more likely to be the other away about that the village gave name to the family, especially taking into account the prefix "de," de Wessington or Washington? K. B R.

PARISH DOCUMENTS : THEIR PRESERVATION (10 th S. ii. 267, 330, 414, 476, 512, 535). In the discussion of this subject at these refer- ences parish registers are mixed up with parish documents (or records), which it would have been better to have kept apart.

By clause 17, section 8, of the Local Govern- ment (England and Wales) Act of 5 March, 1894, church registers are excluded from parish records by these words : " The cus- tody of the Registers of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, &c., shall remain as providec by the existing law unaffected by this Act.' That being the case, the two subjects should be dealt with separately.

As regards parish documents (or records) no mention has yet been made of a Bill for the Preservation of Public and Private Loca Records. This Bill (108) was presented to the House of Commons by Mr. Bull (Ham mersmith) on 19 March, 1903, and was reac the first time. It was down for the seconc reading on 7 April, 1903, but Parliamen adjourned on 8 April for the Easter holiday. and (so far as I know) nothing further wa done with this Bill. It was proposed in th Bill to be cited as " The Local Records Act 1903."

The Bill presented by the Marquis of Salis bury in the House of Lords on 12 August 1904, and mentioned by MR. PAGE at the la; reference, is of a much more comprehensiv

ne for the Government to grapple with, if we may judge from their consumption of ime over it. Five years have been spent bus :

The Committee was appointed 10 August, 899.

The official letter from the Treasury and wo Schedules of Queries to England and 1 Vales, Scotland and Ireland, 30 November.

Latest date of a reply to this letter,. 6 August, 1902.

Report of the Committee, 29 October.

Bill of Mr. Bull presented, read a first time n the House of Commons, 19 March, 1903.

Bill of the Marquis of Salisbury, presented 1 nd read a first time in the House of Lords, 2 August, 1904.

It would be an inestimable boon if the- authorities of all the remaining City parishes- vould at once decide upon following the most excellent example of their City brethren, and send all their "local records" to th& jruiklhall Library as soon as possible. Of the sixty-one City parishes (within the Bills of Mortality of former times), forty-three lave sent in their local records, leaving:

ighteen more parishes to do likewise.

C. MASON.

29, Emperor's Gate, S.W.

ARMORIAL VISITING CARDS (10 th S. ii. 509). Such cards are still used in Italy. I have before me now the card of one of the com- mittee of the Exhibition of Sienese Art of last autumn, which he was good enough to give me in September. It bears his coat of arms and coronet in the left-hand corner. WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK.

Dowanhill Gardens, Glasgow.

These are in use in Portugal at the present time. E. E. STREET.

"PuiL ELIA" (10 th S. ii. 527). As most lovers of Charles Lamb are aware, the so- called preface to the 'Last Essays of Elia,' signed Phil Elia, was one of Lamb's own "lie children." This was a form of mystifica- tion in which he delighted. The ' Biographical Memoir of Mr. Liston ' and the 'Autobio- graphy of Mr. Munden' are other well-known instances. As Procter (Barry Cornwall) states in his edition of the 'Essays.' the preface was evidently intended originally as ~ postscript to the first series of 'Essays/

nature than Mr. Bull's Bill of 1903; but in my Lamb at the time did not intend to furnish

humble opinion the definition of the expres- any more contributions to The London

sion "Local Records" is most unsatisfactory Magazine, in which the first 'Essays' had

and perfunctory (see clause 6, section 6, on appeared, except possibly a few pieces he

p. 4 of this Bill). may have had in hand, and was only pre-

This subject appears to be a very difficult vailed upon to continue them at the solicita^