Punch: Punch (76.1879)

264 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [June 7, 1879.

protested against the notion of curing the cruelties_ of
Cetewayo, or any other savage monarch, by inflicting
upon his subjects the horrors of war ; and spoke, as Mr.
Gl.adstone might be trusted to speak, in favour of the
policy of moderation.

Whereupon Sir R. Peel, feeling a natural disinclination
to see the wind taken out of^his sails, rose, in the character
of Portia, and rivalled Mr. Brandram in his recitation of
the Mercy Speech. Sir Robert seems to feel much for
Cetewayo, and Punch quite agrees with him that if the
House wishes to see the honour of the country maintained
it also wishes to see mercy exercised.

Sir Chaeles Dilke said that the House did not yet see
the reasons of the Government change of front, and Sir
M. H. Beach declared that it was quite a mistake to
say that Sir Baetle Feeke had been thrown over—he
had only been superseded, wherever we were at war and
in a difficulty. He is still High-Commissioner at Cape
Town.

We have only sent Sir Garnet to take his place, after
he has put himself out of the latitude of " Good Hope."

And then the House rose, happy for once in the pros-
pect of its Derby to-morrow, and its Whitsun holidays
the day after.

Ha ! — Happy Thought ! — Shooting at Bubbles — a
Holiday Sport for P. and B. !

Go to the Crystal Palace, Lord B.,
And in Dr. Carver see what you will see :
A wonderful shooter who smashes glass balls-
That only a stray one unbroken falls —
And shivers oranges, and drills coppers,
All marks alike to him, little 'uns or whoppers,
See him, and then come home to your 1'.,
And, after a sit and a smoke, let us see
Of this year's Parliament bubbles how many
You will back yourself to bring down—if any.
Bubbles enough in your time you have blown,
Some of the biggest and brightest known,
Among them ' Peace with Honour."—Yes, that
Was a bubble, though now collapsed and flat!
Then the " Scientific Frontier ! "—My eyes !
That, too, was a bubble of something like size.
Though it looks no longer big or bright;
'Tis a way bubbles have, to melt in our sight
To a drop of soapsuds, a whiff of wet air,
Ere you well know when you have them, or where.
But of bubbles yet blown, or bubbles to follow,
What bubble so big and so bright and so hollow,
So fit for the first place in bubble-story,
As that of your Lordship's honour and glory ?
Take care, my Lord, lest you shoot so pat
As to blow the bubble-shine out of that !

The Lords sat on Thursday and Friday for a few more
last words about their 'Bus Bill, and their Bill to watch
over the lives of poor little wretches turned over to
Mountebanks to learn how to break their necks and un-
bone their bodies, and their Military Commission, in
debate whereon the Lord Chancellor rapped Lord
Truro smartly over the knuckles. And then their Lord-
ships followed the wise example of the Commons, and
adjourned for their Whitsun holidays.

EMEND BUNG'S EEMONSTEANCE.

Being the Genuine Sentiments of a Representative Bung,
addressed to Mr. Punch.

Sir,-—I've been waiting for three weeks just to say a
word for my professional friends, who felt themselves
considerably aggrieved by your Cartoon about Bung and
the Archbishop, where the former is thanking the latter
for his valuable aid in keeping the Museums and other
places of scientific entertainment closed on a Sunday.

Now, Mr. Punch, you're just and generous. You
will admit, I am sure, that there are two sides to every
case—an outside and an inside. Permit me to say, Sir,
that you've hitherto been taking rather the outsider's
view of our position, and, let me respectfully add, I'm
afraid you haven't troubled yourself much about the
inside—i.e., our view of the matter.

Your Cartoon—admirable it was, though we disagree
with it, and think it unfair to us as a body—meant that
the Bungs—we don't even shirk the nickname, we own
to being Bungs, honest Bungs, John Bull Bungs, but not
obstructionist Bungs—I say your Cartoon implied that
the Bungs are delighted at the closing of the Museums
and so forth, because the folks who, were they open,

DEPRESSION.

First City Man (Optimist). "How's Business with you? I can't help
thinking Things ake looking bet-"

Second City Man (Pessimist). "Drifting fast to the Workhouse! And
what makes me doubly anxious is, I can't think who'll be left to tat
the Poor-Rate ! !"

would spend their Sunday in useful and interesting recreation, will now come
and pass their Day of Best in our public-houses, during such hours, that is, as
we have permission to admit customers.

This means that we Bungs vote for keeping the Museums shut, in order to
encourage Sots.

Now, Sir, 1 beg to submit that you have no just ground for this inference.
When has the voice of the Collective Wisdom of the Bungs—the honest,
respectable Bungs—been heard ?

At Bethnal Green, to a man, they are in favour of opening the Museum.

We don't want the Sot: he is our curse.

Open the Museums, by all means, and I venture to say our Sunday trade will
be trebled without any increase of inebriety, and to the disadvantage of the Sot,
who will be elbowed out by honest folk who would come to us for necessary
refreshment—just as the Gentlemen would look in at their Clubs for a B. and S.
■—and would go on their way rejoicing.

We don't want the prohibition on hours removed. Let the Public's hours be
for the convenience of the Public.

Poll the Bungs of Bloomsbury, and see if they wouldn't all be for the opening
of the British Museum on Sunday.

We don't join hands on this subject with the Archbishop of Canterbury,
albeit he takes his title from the Hop-Garden of England, nor, on the other hand,
do we wish to see a Continental Sunday, such as ive understand it to be; for
it is a trait in Bung's character that he is a thorough John Bull, and as far as ive
are acquainted with a Continental Sunday, we don't consider it " tres-Bung"—
if you '11 allow me the expression—though I am given to understand that, in
Paris, they set open their Picture Academy, which is like our Royal Academy,
on the seventh day of the week, free gratis to the people whose work prevents
'em seeing it on any of the other six.

Bungs are glad of rest, and like their Sunday mornings for their wives and
families, who are as regular at their place of worship as the Archbishop himself,
making allowance, of course, for His Grace going professionally, as it were.

I've been asked to send you this protest, Mr. Punch, and hope that you'11
do us the justice to insert it, pro bono publico, for the Publican's benefit; and so,
wishing you health and prosperity, I remain, for self and friends,

Yours sincerely, John B. Bung.

To CosBEsroNDEfTTK.—The Editor does not hold himself bound to acknowledge, return, or pap for Contribution*. In no east can these be returned unless accompanied by a

(tamped and directed envelope. Copies ihould be kept.