Punch: Punch (76.1879)

May 17, 1879.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

m ■ as—I

219

"THE GINTLEMAN THAT PAYS THE RINT."

Tourist (who is staying in the Neighbourhood for the Fishing). "Is it possible that you keep the Pig in the House with you ?"
Pat. "And why not, Surr ? Sure, isn't there iverything in it that the Cr'athur would want ! ?"

" The Greek Kalends " used to be the classical synonym of "to-
morrow-come-never." "The Turkish pay-day" ought to be the
modern equivalent.

Lord Thurlow called attention to a working-men's petition for
the "opening of Public Museums and Picture-Galleries in London
on Sunday afternoons," in a Resolution that—

" Seeing the excellent results that have followed upon the opening of such
institutions on Sunday afternoons in Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester,
Middlesbrough, Hampton Court, Kew, &c, this House is of opinion that it is
highly desirable that the prayer of this petition should be granted, even if
only in part and as a tentative measure, in order to provide the working-
classes of London with an alternative to the public-house on the many in-
clement Sunday afternoons when places of out-of-doors recreation, such as the
public parks, are of no avail for the purposes of health and recreation."

ESLord Thurlow summed up with pith and point the case for public
galleries against public-houses, as places of Sunday resort and
recreation. Punch has long held a general retainer on the same
side, and is quite satisfied with the argument of his noble junior on
Monday.

Lord Powerscourt bore witness for the change, on behalf of
Dublin, where the National Gallery has been open on Sunday after-
noons for fourteen years, without a single complaint.

The Earl of Aberdeen said that publicans were in favour of the
opening of such places, which didn't look as if they looked on the
public gallery as the natural enemy of the public-house. He was
against anything that tended to secularise the Lord's Day—and
turn the London Sunday into a Parisian one. He would extend
Saturday half-holidays, and keep such places longer open on the
sixth day of the week instead of opening them on the seventh.

Lord Expon said that Sunday, in his view, was a feast, not a fast.
The real alternative for the poor man in bad weather, whatever
Lord Aberdeen might think, was Public Gallery v. Public-House.
> The Earl of Beaconsfleld said the change wanted more considera-
tion than appeared on the surface. We have fifty-two half-holidays
in the year as it is. The most divine of institutions is that which
secures a seventh day's rest for man. You can't keep up that with-
out the religious sentiment. This step has always been} resisted

in the other House. A majority of the Members for great towns have
opposed it. The working-classes regard it with suspicion. There
is no evidence that the great body of the people want it. Under
these circumstances, he must oppose it.

The Duke of Somerset could not see on what principle the doors
of the British Museum and the National Gallery could be kept shut,
when those of Kew and Hampton Court were set open.

Lord Derby followed on the same side, and threw the weight of
his cool common-sense into the scale of the Resolution. " If public-
houses were to be open on Sunday afternoons, they should not have a
monopoly."

The Archbishop of Canterbury summed up, clerically, contra.
If their Lordships gauged the opinion of the working classes, they
would find that they shared the alarm that the change would
deprive them of their day of rest.

On Division, the Resolution was lost by 67 to 59—no more—
with all that weight of Bishop and Beaconsfield the other way!
In other words, the Resolution, lost for the moment, is marked for
carrying—as a blazed, tree for cutting down—in the near future.
Punch rejoices, and, en attendant, leaves the Archbishop to exchange
congratulations with Brother Bung. {See his Cartoon.)

(Commons.)—Sir Wilfrid Lawson, in compliance with the
sensible suggestion of Lord Hartington, postponed his Motion
arraigning the foreign and colonial policy of the Government. Sir
Wilfrid, had he not done this, would have proved himself Sir
Wilful. The Government policy having been threshed last week,
does not need to be threshed over again.

Sir Stafford assured Mr. Forster that Sir Bartle Frere had
been distinctly told what he was not to do—i.e. annex—and what he
was to do—i.e.,protect our South-African Colonies. (But who can
say if Sir Bartle Frere will see his way to obey the positive in-
struction without violating the negative ?)

Mr. Cross informed Dr. Kenealy—that zealous guardian of our
laws and liberties—who naturally feels for the oppressed, and the
really deserving, that he had satisfied himself that Moran, the
Chester labourer, condemned to prison for not contributing to his
children's support in the Workhouse, was not a proper object of