Punch: Punch (54.1868)

82 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [February 22, 1868.

STUDY OF AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION

BETWEEN TWO GENTLEMEN OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE VIEWS.

Subject of Discussion : Gentlemen’s Evening Dress. Shall it remain as it is, or shall Black Velvet Knickerbockers
and Silk Stockings be Substituted for the discreet Cloth Unmentionables now in vogue ?

ANOTHER “ ROCK AHEAD.”

Mr. Punch is chivalry itself. Whenever a new Knight comes into
the ring, Sir Magnus Punch courteously hails him introduces him to
the spectators, reads out the heraldry on his shield, and wishes him
good fortune and the smiles of dames. Having thus done his duty to
the stranger, there is nothing to prevent Sir Magnus Punch from
laying lance in rest, and coming down, as Lord Lvtton says, like an
Armed Storm on horse and horseman, and knocking them into the
middle of next week. It all depends upon the like or dislike he may
take to the proceedings of the new party. In this spirit he apprises
his readers that, there is a young weekly paper called The Rock, which is
of the class called religious. He has seen but oue number—the fourth.
There is no lack of vigour in it. The new journal’s mission is to assail
the Church of Rome—the Mock Turtle Ritualists—aud the enemies of
the Church of Ireland, and, as we infer, the Broad Church aud the inde-
pendent thinkers. Dean Close, who signifies his admiration of the
paper, encourages it not to be afraid of speaking out. So it attacks
t,he Archbishop of Canterbury for presuming to call the Greek
clergy “ his brethren in the Lord.” The paper has a picture of itself,
but this is not a rock, but a mountain cone, on the top of which only a
very few people can stand; a hint, we suppose, that the Evangelical
conductors believe that a very few people thiak rightly, or are in a safe
condition. The pitch into Catholic priests generally is done with
energy ; and when we have added that the Rock recommends Eoxe’s
Book of Martyrs to everybody, we shall have performed our office of
courtesy. Greeting the Rock politely, we retire with the idea that we may
have to smash some Roc’s eggs.

Legally Impossible.

“At the last sitting of the March Magistrates ’’—such is the be-
j ginning of a paragraph detailing something which occurred before this
Bench one day last month. Can any one explain how it is possible
for the March Magistrates to sit in January F

A PEABODY TO THE POLICE.

It is with peculiar satisfaction that Mr. Bunch transcribes, from a
police report of the proceedings at Marlborough Street, on Saturday,
the 8th instant, the following announcement :—

“ Inspectors Thompson and Garforth came to the Court to apprise Mr. Knox
that agentleman had given a donation of £1000, the interest of which was to be
applied to the purpose of giving recompenses and gratuities to future constables
injured or maltreated in the exercise of their duties. Sir Thomas Henry, Mu,.
Vaughan, Mr. Knox, and another Magistrate were named trustees ; and the gentle-
man, who did not desire his name to be made public, wished the circumstance to ba
known, as it might have the effect of inducing others to come forward and subscribe
to this fund."

Whenever Mr. Bunch obliges the universe with a solo on the trum-
pet, he always borrows an instrument for that purpose. He never, on !
any occasion, makes use of his own, except in the seclusion of perfect
solitude, when he occasionally gives breath to the music of an approv- j
ing conscience. He cannot, however, refrain from pointing out the
speedy sequence of the donation above recorded upon the remarks that
lately appeared in a certain periodical on the high deserts of policemen
who incur bodily barm in their country’s service. He will not say that j
there are any who owe him a thousand pounds, because there are many
who owe him a million: his love is worth a million, and he hopes it
will go for what it is worth to increase the fund which affluent and
generous persons will subscribe to constitute for the reward of brave
policemen hurt in the execution of their glorious duty, that of protect-
ing his valuable readers.

Political On Dit.

It is rumoured that Mr. Gathorne Hardv, conscious that those
Gladstophobists, the Tory Dons and Country Clergy, would as soon
have thought of returning Mr. Bright as their Representative as
himself, if they had supposed he would have supported a Radical
Reform Bill, has consistently determined to resign his seat as Member
for the University of Oxford.