Punch: Punch (6.1844)

PUNCH, Oil THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

have trespassed into rooms which they might have thought themselves
entitled to enter, because they had paid for them.

fa

Mr Rurkingham.
Private.

" THE CUCKOO'S NEST ;"

02, THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN INSTITUTE.

Mr. Silk Buckingham, (surnamed the Cuckoo), must certainly
be a descendant of that Duke of Buckingham who was always
bothering Richard III. on the subject of certain " moveables,"
which he, Buckingham, had set his heart upon.

The British and Foreign Institute was originated to unite the
advantages of a private house and a club ; the private house being
for the benefit of Buckingham, and the club arrangements, such as
they are, being for the accommodation of all the members.

The ordinary clubs comprehend—

1. A coffee-room.

2. A dining-room.
A drawing-room.

4. A billiard-room.

5. A smoking-room.
(I. A library or reading-room.

7. A strangers' room.

8. Dressing-rooms.

Now the British and Foreign Institute, or rather the British and
Foreign Destitute, comprises two out of these eight apartments :

one of which, the library or reading-room, is devoted to members, , T'\e Plans °f ^ seC°nd ^d U"rd fi°°rS ?^ simP"fied>

while the other, the drawing-room, is thrown open once a week for f?r the words " P™ate~MR. Buckingham will be a sufficient

Silk to bore the members to death about the Holv Land. description ot the uses they are devoted to.

t. t i . re ' t- i j t n The absence ot dressing-rooms lias been l'emarked upon : but any

It may be urged that a coffee-room is not wanted, because, as there , . . . ° , . ,, , 1 ' ., J

rr ir ii i i ,. ,, , member, liaving a previous understanding with the housemaid, may

is no coffee, a mere coffee-room would partake ot the lucus a mm L , i • ^ • i A i

, ■ • i r.^, , ,, ,, ,. take Ins turn at the lack-towel.

incendo principle. 1 he rose by any other name would smell as sweet, , , , . J , ., . ^ ., r tl . , .

iii i ,, , ., • , , ■ , ,,, It has been obiected that tne absence or anvthmg to eat detracts

and the coffee at any other house in the neighbourhood would be as - , ri, t-. ... . , . . j ■, ■ . ,. ti

, , , c . . ... ., „. „ r)„jf„, a: » • l- ii from the advantages ot the Destitute : but to obviate this, the next

acceptable. Certain it is that ' Lotiee me no Coffees is practically , , , , b i • . , • • i • T <•

1 ,. c -r, r door has been turned into a restaurant, combining the simple tare

the motto ot Buckingham. . if , . , .,' • n,. ,, .

„7 . .1 j. „___,i ,, . of the humblest eating-house with tlie prices ot the Athenamm.

We now come to the dining-room, or rather we cant come to it, ™ • i, i i j , ji -i r

, • « j- • •.i u i I iiis cook s shop is reached by a dilapidation ot the party-wall,

because there is none. A dining-room without a dinner would be Li ■ , , / , • , „ J, 1 , . . , ,, , 1 J '

c MmfMi/v i n in nthioh Ttir* mom have o ot i »» of n lw-.ni'"

Drawing R -om*.

almost as miserable as a mountebank without a victim ; and that
would never suit Buckingham.

The drawing-rooms, as we have already said, are open to the
Subscribers—once a week—when members are afforded an oppor-
tunity of comparing the living Buckingham with his portrait (in oil
and a turban,) which is exhibited on the walls, surrounded by the
young B.'s, who if they resemble the elder "busy busy B.," will, of
course, know how "to improve the shining hour." PUNCH'S MIRROR OF PARLIAMENT.

As to a biiliard-room, or a smoking-room, who can require sucl

through a hole in which the members are let in at all hour:

By way of rendering the British and Foreign Destitute particularly
select, it is arranged tiiat the annual subscription for the first year
shall be payable twice in the twelvemonth, a luxury which, however
costly, is one that no other club can claim the advantage of.

ii

apartments in such a place ? Buckingham himself being « an im- ■—- , „E Duke of Wellington, on entering the

mense cigar if smoking were allowed, he would inevitably be OmgmH^m^ House, begged to call the attention of the

smoked,and there would be an end of the Cuckoo's Nest mmmmm few members present to a copy of Punch,

It is, perhaps, rather an inconvenience to members to feel them- 'I »Mfi which he nov/]ield in his The noble

narrow—but, as no one who has been thereonce wishes to go again, it
may be pronounced to be " as broad as it is long," and Buckingham
is sure to allow himself, if not his subscribers, plenty of latitude.
The following plans of the ground and first floors will indicate the

selves in the position of tresoassers on the premises in George-street : / li ili/ji^fe , 1 n i a * j * r * m -n ♦

, . . i. j t ^ ■ 5, , ,r Jr h ^^'^->=l , , VA Duke was understood to refer to the lllustra-
but, yet, how delicate are the precautions taken by Mr. Buckingham ■-<■•■■ fjmp\;t\\\>

. ,J ' ,. . . ,f , , , ■> . , , , '■''■'■'f\A',J" honor " lue Giant and the Dwarf, and

to prevent them from intruding where they have no right, and thns •....... expressed his deep sense of the compliment

feeling themselves detrop m the British and Foreign Destitute. On .........YAh ^ had bee„ id\Q him

nearly every door there is a brass plate,—for James Silk can i I MnVwL . 1 c ,, n

J. . .'. , r, . •, , • , , „ ' / — fitLlki^ ' A messenger from the Commons now ap-

ippreciate the value ot brass—inscribed with the words, " Private— / MBsB&n 1 i t i? -.i • r--n f

T, „ , . .... , ' ,, /____.-,SSb^___ peared at the Bar with various Bills from

Mr. Buckingham : words that are sufficient to act as repellants at u l|gf {h j v H

mice, and thus the subscriber involuntarily turns aside from the ' ^JS^S ' re' n ■ * *i n

, i ti i- ^LMf-VSlSk- Loud Strangford, in allusion to the

room helms no business m. I he reading-room, it is true, is very ^f'fe , . ,, , ., , , , ,,• , .

, . ___„ ii. i .i ', ' . • ^1 l« document that the noble Duke (Vv ellington)

niirrnw—hut. as no one who has hppn ipronn^o wish no +/-. nr. n ;» ^HBr:S0S» ....... S . ° '

i

M:ina};iiiir llirector,
Mr. Buckin(;ha[n.

-J " I_

s

Library and Reading Room, for tl.e use of the Club.

r

caution with which the words " Private—Mn. Buckingham," have
been inscribed for the information of those who might otherwise

now held in his hand, remarked that it was
really admirable.
Bonn Colchester inquired if it was not an excellent idea ?
Lord Strangford replied, Certainly.

The Earl of Winchelsea took the opportunity to observe that
he thought it very good, and he (the Earl of Winchelsea) might
add, very like also. (A laugh.)

Lord Colchester would ask the noble Duke to place in his
(Lord Colchester's) hands a portion of the paper which the noble
Duke now held in his possession. He (Lord Colchester) was
always glad to take a leaf out of the Duke of Wellington's book.

The Duke of Wellington was unwilling to consent to a
discussion. Besides there was other business now before their
Lordships.

All the Bills having been forwarded a stage, the House adjourned.

CABINET NEWS.

General Tom Tiiumu has been so often sent for to the Palace, that a
speedy change in the Cabinet is looked upon as inevitable. It is rumoured
that the General has already written to Lord Brougham.