Punch (64.1873)

138

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [aphil 5 1873.

PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

the Catholic Apostolic Christian Church. "Which course
Lord Redesdale called rather strong. "We think it
rather weak. But there is some difficulty about their
marriages, and as it is not fair that their children, who
have nothing to do with their parents' nonsense, and will
probably repudiate it by-and-by. should be inconveni-
enced, a Bill is passing the Lords for putting matters
straight.

Mk. Plimsoll's book was referred to in the Upper
House, and Lord Malmesbury said that Mk. Plimsoll
had revealed acts which could only be called " diabolical."
A celebrated judgment of the House of Lords has rather
put the word, out of date, but we understand Lord
Malmesbuby, and cordially agree with him.

In the Commons, Ma. Goschen gave some information
as to the stations selected for observing the Transit of
Venus. Also about the " method " to be employed. All
highly instructive, and particularly dull. What says
Keats ?—

" Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow—once—in Heaven.
We know her woof, her texture. She is given
In the dull catalogue of common things—
Philosophy could clip an Angel's wings."

There was only one Transit of Venus which commends
itself to the lover of poetry—when she passed before
yEneas.

" Veraque incessu patuit De&."'

" And hy her radiant walk the Queen of Love is known."

Bryden.

However, we quic nay it may oe very proper to measure
stars, and suns, and cook up Nautical Almanacks, and to
make ourselves generally and astronomically useful.

Mr. Anderson then proposed to carry the House from
Venus to the Currency. But the Times says that he was
fo awfully wrong that his speech afforded a painful
illustration of the state of the representation, or there-
abouts, and we shall not go into his heresies. The
Currency question is simple enough. A Bank of England
note is a Mint Certificate. The ebb and flow of our
Currency in harmony with the Specie movements of the
world is as regular as that of any river. Bat any man
who suffers from wrong calculations wishes to throw
blame elsewhere. Sir John Lubbock, who knows all
about it, defended the Bank Act.

After the subject had dropped, Mr. Chadwick moved
for an inquiry into the Income-tax; but such a subject—
or such a speaker—was not acceptable, and there was a
Count.

Wednesday, for a wonder, gave us rather an interesting
debate, and a good party rally. The subject was not
promising. It was the Bill affecting the Burial of

fact that such a man as Mr. Disraeli could lead opposi-
tion to the Bill, and exert himself, in an elaborate
speech, to array all kinds of arguments against allowing

oo r Infants suffer by the existing laws in regard
to " custody." To-night, Monday, March 24,
Lord Chelmsford urged a Bill empowering
Chancery, in its discretion, to give a mother the
custody of children under sixteen; and supporting
deeds of separation, whereby bad husbands give up children to wives. All in
the right direction. We cannot pay too much respect to the interest of the
young. Maxima debetur puero Revalenta -here pueris, though wrong, would
be more appropriate.

In the Commons Mr. Chichester Fortkscue thanked Mr. Plimsoll for
giving him such information as had induced him to cause a vessel called the
Parga to be surveyed. She had been declared unseaworthy, and orders had
been given to prevent her going to sea. This is well. Touching her name, the
word recalls to Mr. Punch a most valiant and furious poem which he read in
the early days of George the Fourth. In this the treatment of Parga by the .

British was made the subject of awful invective. He well remembers that it Dissenters. They are desirous to be permitted to be buried

began thus:_ Iln Church l ards, but without the service of the Church.

" 0 Parga! Parga ! land of many wrongs, £ ^ js not a topic for mirth^unless we fimi any in the

Land bowed beneath th' oppressor's iron rod,
Methinks even now I hear thv dirge-like songs.
I hear and shudder. Can it be, 0 God ? "
Unless Mr. Punch mistakes, Parga, which is in Albania, held out against Englishmen, who had stayed away from"the Church in
All Pasha, and we had a good deal to do with its surrender to that tyrant. ¥?" *f! be, brought near.it in death. One single real
Anybody who likes can look up the history—we-shan't. We never read anything
that tells against our beloved country.

Mr. Gladstone said that we were not going to pay the Alabama money until
it should be due- months hence.

The gallant Sir Samuel Baker's expedition fur me purpose of putting down
Slavery in Africa, was represented as having met with misfortunes, and there
is some satisfaction in learning that the Khedive has sent some soldiers to the
aid of Baker Pasha.

Mr. Goschen gave us the Navy Estimates. They are nearly Ten Millions,
and exceed last year's by about £340,000. But who cares about the money ?
Look here. We have got twelve ships, so strong that all the rest of the nations
of the world, together, cannot produce a force that can fight us. In addition,
we have another splendid fleet.

So, after a short debate, the Commons voted 60,000 men and bovs. and
£2,629,000 for wages.

Some day the time may come when, in the beautiful words of the Laureate,
we shall be

" Breaking our mailed ships, and armed towers,
Controlling, by obeying, Nature's powers,
And gathering all the fruits of earth, and crowned with all her flowers."

But it is particularly certain that the time has not yet come, and anachronisms
are bad taste. So, hooray for the Devastation and her terrible sisters !

Tuesday—k. handful of slightly cheeky fanatics in Ireland call themselves

objection had been provided against. There are vain
fools, and vulgar sceptics, who might take the opportu-
nity of a funeral to air their oratory, or to announce
their atheism, over a grave. But this Bill expressly
enacts that no person shall officiate but a minister of a
registered congregation, and that the service shall be
strictly religious. The Ministers supported the Bill, and
the Second Reading was carried by 280 to 217—majority
63. Yet a second note of resolute opposition has been
sounded.

This evening, in respectful imitation of Mr. Punch,
the Ministers went to dine at the Mansion House. They
met all the Mayors of the kingdom, whom Sir Sydney
Waterlow had hospitably gathered, and the show of
robes and chains was delightful to behold. Ministers did
not distinguish themselves much. Mr. Gladstone re-
minded us of Surya in the Rejected Addresses, when
asked to mount the new theatre. In the imitation of
Southey it is writ,—

" But ah, coy Surya still felt a twinge,
Still started from his former singe,
And to Veeshnoo replied,
In a tone rather gruff,

' No, thank you, one tumble's enough.' "