Punch: Punch (75.1878)

August 17, 1878.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

71

PRO BONO PUBLICO.

Brown (Passenger by the Glasgow Steamer, 8-30 a.m.). " I beg pardon, Sir, but I think

you |vti made a mistake. Til at is my TOOTH-brush ! "

McG-rubbie (ditto). " Ah beag years, must, ah'm sure. Ah tHoght 't belanged to the
Sheip ! ! "

formed and most highly-placed natives of Bengal, on the subject of recent increase of taxation
and expenditure on military charges and public works—but the beginning of the saddest note
ever uttered by Nightingale, an article by Florence of blessed memory on the People of India,
in the Nineteenth Century for August. What weightier comment on her complaint could
there well be than this, that the Indian Budget is postponed to the very faggest of the fag-
end of the Session, and fixed for the day of the Naval Review, when it will be listened to by
a handful of weary Members, whom Punch could count on the fingers of two hands—if
not of one.

We commend those who read Lord Northbrook's Monday speech, and Lord Cranbrook's
reply—brook calling to brook, but with little refreshment for the poor parched Indian ryot
between them—to^tum to Florence Nightingale's sad song in the Nineteenth Century,
if they wish to see what is the normal state of the ryot of Madras and the Bombay Deccan
between money-lender and drought, and the pitiless grind of the Government tax-gatherer
and the Local Law Court—how he hangs habitually on the edge of famine, to fall helplessly

into its gulf, under the least downward
impetus ; unable to save, or to do more than
secure the barest subsistence in the best
years, and with no margin of strength to
hold him up against the burden of the
worst, till the end is written in the ap-
palling fact of a famine-mortality in Madras
of between five and six millions. If John
Bull has to answer for this, and there seems
too much ground for fear that he, or at least
the Government, has to answer for it in a
great degree, it ill becomes him to be taking
upon himself the reform of Turkish Go-
vernment in Asia Minor. Who shall say
that with all its sins of omission and com-
mission, it may not cause less human misery
than our finely adjusted, and inexorably
working Indian machinery, which drives
life down to starvation-point, and never re-
laxes its pressure till the poor starved ryot
drops dead out of its elaborate wheel-work.

(Commons.)—-Mr. Gorst called attention
to the case of a native of Tanna hung
aboard the Beagle, on very doubtful proof
of complicity in the killing of a white man.
He objects to the system by which naval
officers are turned into judges of Assize, and
Her Majesty's ships into perambulating
gallows. This brought down the Attor-
ney-General's bludgeon, clumsily rather
than heavily, over Mr. Gorst's knuckles.
After Sir John's usual style he did his best
to convert defence into attack, and to
maintain positions which have been aban-
doned by his official superiors. If Mr.
Smith had got up at first, instead of at last,
to say that the Admiralty had sent out a
despatch calculated to put a stop to the
practice complained of by Mr. Gorst, the
Government woidd have saved its credit,
and the Attorney-General would have
escaped another bad mark.

Lord G. Hamilton, in moving the Educa-
tion Estimates, gave a highly satisfactory
Report of Education progress since Mr.
Forster's Act was passed in 1870, as
measured by all its landmarks, money
spent, numbers of pupils, schools, and
teachers. If only one could gauge the
effects of the education as well as the
figures!

Tuesday (Lords).—All the steam powers
in Tramway Orders Confirmation Bills were
knocked on the head by Lord Hennikee,
Lord Norton chief mourner over them.
My Lords, who drive their own carriages,
don't love trams—steam-trams, least of all.

The Earl of Camperdown asked for re-
turns of the Reserve Men who had been
turned out of civil employments, through
turning-out in obedience to Royal summons.
Lord Bury hoped there were none. So does
Punch. If the return of Reservists to the
ranks is to mean starvation of wives and
children first, and loss of employment after-
wards, Lord Card well's hopes _ of the
System would seem couleur de rose indeed.

(Co?n?nons.)—After questions, the House
resolved itself into Committee of Ways and
Means.

Sir Stafford Northcote presented his
little Bill—the first instalment of the cost
of peace with honour. The Government
has spent some £400,000 over the Six
Millions. There is a deficiency of £4,306,000
to be met, of which rather more than half
will have to be raised, the other half being
already provided for. But Sir Stafford
does not mean to come upon John Bull for
the money. The little Bill can stand over.
The Two Millions will be provided by
Exchequer Bills. Something will turn up
in the course of the next two years to wipe
'em out without our feeling the operation.
Everything is for the best in the arrange-