Punch (58.1870)

198

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[May 14, 1870.

" THE SERVANTS."

Cook. "Yes, Susan, I'm a Writin' to Mary Hann Miggs. She've applied to me for the Charicter of my last

Missus, which she's Thinkin' of takin' the Sitiwation-"

Susan. " Will you Give her One ?"

Cook. " Well, I've Said this. (Reads.) ' Mrs. Perksits presents her Compliminks to Miss Miggs, and begs to Inform
her that I consider Mrs. Brown a respek'able young Person, and one as Knows her Dooties ; but sfie cant co.nshentsly
Recommend her Temper, which I had to Part with her on that Account.' It's allus best to be Candied, you know,
Susan !"

t rvDTNC! atvtt* n^ym^iyyatq i struction of Lords of Manors, in the way of trampling rights under

LUllJJk AJNJJ UUMMUiX 5. j foot. and to feel t^at tue plundering of the one cannot be pleaded in

m„ n,r i c a d H i i "j j • j. 4.1 • l 4. s f\ > i justification of the pilfering of the other.

l*t ft&^JSft A? ^JS^^^n^^ Mr. Punch, as a/advocate of common rights,.is bound to set his face

College, Oxford, as Lord of the Manor, to enclose Plumstead Common.

It was natural enough that the Commoners of that lively marsh
should exult in their triumph, and no way unnatural that they should
take a rather irrational style of commemorating the event—

" By the old English method of roasting an ox, and by gigantic bonfires
and fireworks."

Nor can we blame those who, like their commons, have been
so audaciously taken in, for letting out a little,—by deciding on the
demolition of—

" All the existing fences and other encroachments."

But when we learn that—

"The work of demolition commenced in earnest on Friday, during which
day miles of fences were broken down, and carried home for firewood ;"

That—

" On Saturday morning the rioters demolished 2.000 feet of fencing on the
land of Mr, William Tongue, builder, Montem Villa, Burrage Road, Plum-
stead, purchased from the Lords of the Manor, and enclosed some five years
ago, and in respect of which the Master of the Rolls made no order ; "

and that these bold wreckers subsequently announced their intention
of pulling down—

" Five houses erected on Mb. Tongue's land, together with all other houses,
walls, &c, recently erected on the common, including the garden of the
Plumstead vestry clerk, the premises of the Prince of Wales Tavern, &c,
&c, &c.,"

we begin to see that Lords of Misrule are apt +o better the in-

against common wrongs. He is glad to learn that out of the-

" Crowd of 500 or 600 persons, nine-tenths of whom had no pretension to
being commoners, whom the police found busy with axes, hammers, and carts,
demolishing and carrying off the wood of the wrecked fences,"

three were fined by the magistrates, and summonses granted against a
dozen more.

Plumstead Commoners claim " right of turbary," but that is no
reason why those who are not Commoners should exercise the right of
" disturbary " in this lawless fashion.

If Lords of the Manors trample the law under foot, the more reason
those who invoke the law against them should respect the power they
appeal to.

Not Half Enough.

" A new daily paper will, it is said, be shortly started in London, combining
the peculiar characteristics of the Saturday Review, the Alhenceum, and
Punch."

Why stop short ? Why not also combine the " peculiar characte-
ristics " of Bell's Life, the Record, the Economist, the Illustrated London
Neics, Notes and Queries, and Follet?

a man's reason.

We can never feel the " Electoral Disabilities " of Women a hard-
ship while we have so much doubt about their Electoral Abilities.