Punch (12.1847)

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

215

PUNCH'S FINANCIAL PROPOSITION

ekhaps it is not generally known that Punch has

THEORY AND PRACTICE.

Every one must approve of the resolution come to by Her Majestt,
to practise the most rigid economy in the royal household. There is
had an interview with the Chancellor or the something novel in the notion of putting the palace on short commons ;
Exchequer, for the purpose of laying before but an example of saviDg in such a high quarter is of infinite value,
the Government a proposition to release the and will have the best effect upon all classes of society. Even the royal
country from its present pecuniary embarrass- dinner-table is, we believe, set out with a limited number of '" breads,"
ment. Punch was received—of course—very and the attendants have instructions to prevent even the most ilius-
graciously by the Minister ; and, having been | trious of visitors from exceeding the pound, to which each individual is
asked to take a seat in the Cabinet of that ; limited. If Lord John Russell and his Lady should be on a visit to
clever official, he proceeded with the statement, | the Qdeen, a half-quartern loaf would be placed outside the Premier's
of which the following is an outline :—'■ There door with his shaving-water, and an intimation that the loaf must last

all day would be respt cifully given. It was delightful to hear his Lord-
ship, at the recent City dinner to the Ministers, holding forth on the
subject of economy in every article of food ; but unfortunately lor the
effect of his eloquence, this particular part of his sptech tell side by
side in the report with the bill of fare of the banquet, which was set
forth in the adjoining column. We cannot resist, the temptation of

is," said Mr. Punch, " I understand, a great
pressure for money, or, as it is technically
termed, a tightness, though I confess I do not feel it , I can do very
well without moiiey, if other people would only be satisfied and not
ask me for it. It is true that my tradesmen talk to me of the difficulty
they have in getting in their accounts ; but I say to them, very

Look on this picture :, And on this:

: 1 mean that, while on the#one hand -we

naturally. What right have you to embark in business at all, if you placing the paragraphs to w hich we allude in juxtaposition, for there
have not the requisite capital to bear the brunt of it ? Don't talk to is something very striking in the contrast betwten what Lukd John
me about settling my little bill ; go, sir, and pay your own debts, but Rdssell was saying and what he was eating. There is a wondrous
pray don't bother me about matters of this kind, for 1 have more difference between what fell irom his mouth and what we may presume
important affairs to occupy my attention." i was passing into it.

Mr. Punch here explained to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
that this part of his observations related only to the general state of
existing circumstances between debtor and creditor, but had no direct

bearing on his great financial proposition. The Minister expressed his Z^^^^^l^tuZ
anxiety to come at this as speedily as possible, and the following into the country, so likewise it is the duty
dialogue ensued :— of every master of a household to economise

as much as possible the lood we have.

Mr. Punch. Now tell me, in a word, what is the evil for which > Cheers.) While the labouring classes and

von rpmiirp u. remedv ? the poorer orders of society have the

you require a. remeayr greatest difficulty in providing lor the daily

Chancellor of the Exchequer, lne fact 18, that the circulating
medium is all locked up or out of the country, and we must either
release it or find a substitute.

Mr. Punch. That is exactly my point. Would an unlimited issue
of paper restore the circulation ?

Chancellor of the Exchequer. Most assuredly it would.

subsistence of themselves and their families,
it is the duty, 1 say, of every master of a
household to do what in him lies that that
calamity shall not be aggravated by his own
waste. (Cheers.) And while I state that to
be a general duty, 1 am happy to say that
the highest head of a household in this
kingdom—Hkk Majksty thk Quken—has

Mr. Punch. Then here you have it. This paper (producing a < directed that in her own household the
number of Punch) has already an unlimited issue, and it is recognised
as a circulating medium all over the world Now, you have been
talking of putting an interest on Exchequer Bills: do what you will
with them, they will never carry half the interest that attaches to
the paper I now hold*in my

utmost economy should be used in the con-
sumption of every article of food. (Loud
Cheers.) "

" The dinner, which did gTeat credit to
the caterers, was provided by Messrs.
Ring and Brvmeb, of Cornhill.

'' The following was the bill of fare :—
" Turtle and iced punch
" Salmon, turbot. fried fish, &c.
" Side-board.—Petits Pates.
" Chickens, capons, turkey poults, larded;
hams and tongues, ornamented ; ribs lamb,
raised ornamented pies, lobster salads,
prawns, Chantilly biscuits, ornamented
trifles, noyeau and maraschino jellies, pine,
strawberry, and Italian creams; Genvoise
pastry. Swiss and Venice merangs, Chan-
tilly tartlets, creamed tarts, Nesselrode
puddings, plovers' eggs, &c.

"Removes.—Haunch mutton, chine mut-
ton, sirloin beef, currant jelly, &c.; duck-
lings, goslings, leverets, turkey poults, pea
fowl.

"Dessert. — Hothouse grapes, apples,
strawberries, oranges, pears, dried fruits,
Savoy and almond cakes, mixed cakes,
brandy cherries, preserved ginger.

"Ices.— Pine, raspberry, strawberry,
orange, millefruit, &c."

hand ; and I propose that =^__^>pb^

a number of Punch, which |^ _ IJP^

is nominally valued at three- C '~"™5^^\ We do not call attention spitefully or ill-naturedly to this little

pence, should be declared a : —— 4 ^ „„.__■,. ,. , T T „ -n ,. ,/ ,.

Wal tender for one nound ir* contradiction, and we give Lord John Russell lull credit for the

—about its real worth—and sincerity of all he said, notwithstanding all he may have eaten; but

„ „___ ,____ • r it_=-—---- the coincidence is rather unfortunate. When a Minister is talking of

<nus you have an issue of I +v,„ e 6

.m* rinunrf nntPs «.t nnPP the necesslty for lije utmost economy in the consumption of every

o.ie pouna notes at once, artide of food> k is awkward that he ghould Rive aDV one the oppor.

witnout tne expense or | tunity of throwing in his face a lot of " Turkey poults," "Genvoise

ifV incertenng witu tne | pastry," " Swiss and Venice merangs," or enable any ill-disposed person

ments g arrange- 1| to stop his economy-preaching mouth with " Plovers'eggs." " Chantilly

n. " , , „ , |1 iMpjpkSlla tartlets," and " Nesselrode puddiDgs." It must have struck every one

uianceuor oj tne exchequer. am ^Bgg&^P at table, who heard Lord John Russell's sptech, that they had all

th- i jl M <repfi ~ — oeen doing very wrong in partaking of so many superfluous luxuries ,

C08.10 >'our suggestion ; fj I (Pkr" T -: but happily the speech came " after dinner " instead of before, and an

makl vour °U PrTS!it0 II KKM Mr alarmed consc.ence was not permitted to destroy the appetite. We

tion payable f&^6T cir " ^ ||i '^^^^y^^M^^f wonder if Lord John Russell would have been quite as eloquent on

Mr Punclu 0 d d f ill .ivv^XMp V l>^k, lHiv~ t^e su^jec* °^ abstemiousness before the cloth was removed as he

F pniiT-sA mat rt eDv,ant il/W^vW I// I ^\v\ , became afterwards. We suspect his speech would not have been half

rtf onn-rao mat l'V V, b- IBIt/V^'AVWE // 1 !K \\\v .' uc^aiuc a,i lci w u.l us. lie suspeuo nis speee.11 wuuiu iiul nave ueeu iiau

01 course, just luce a Dans irW^Xl^/,/ \ so acceptable while the good things enumerated in the bill of fare were

««L r,7 p™pose 10 mal£e |»r\v^' under discussion, as it became when the whole of the dainties had

every number payable at L K^MpJfWj 1 been disposed of.

fnetiUfflvCeolnt ^leet StFeet; ' B^t\^fll3Br^Aw^ we sincerely hope that heads of families will carrv out the principle

discount of ° th n0mm. Uffi wBf A\VW 80 ProPerly laid down iu the household. Let them all look

wh;„v, win oL'n eepence, , | II NM\x-flK Jp ll \N\a '- sharply after the waste and robbery committed by their servants, who

Ini- to w^ h healph" ' ! JlMWfe m. by dishonesty and extravagance give an impetus to the trade in

rather a renewal of hUpapS ' I 1W1S BbMW''- orPut+?om^ pet P^ceman upon an extra diet. With

snnnlv _ onri ti t! ' H ' 'Mw ifffli) such a precedent as the Queen most wisely affords, no mistress of a

will hP Wnt I 1 V Wt Mmlmh lluuse need suffer herself to be bullied by "her menials out of a rigid

succession "of fresh to 0 ' I »i| HlH^'' : f.f.r™ of her household affairs or fn.m a fear of being called mean,

without any drain upon the ' I 1 l^SJPWV'■ ; fail in the moral courage to act with prudence.

coffers of anybody.

The Chancellor of the

Exchequer expressed him- ,. :^^^Ml^jB39sPS^^ EXCHANGE NO ROBBERY.

self greatly pleased with the n i <s__^_^,^^^SI!^ A daily paper says " Things on the Exchange are very tight."

suggestion, and promised to ' •--^Zk- /-' We confess, when we look at the Royal Exchange, that it seems very

«ive it his very earliest Tite—Tite aU over. We only wish that the National C

attention Naw p"-^» or thk stock kxcha.no 2. i_t_-,j- ., . , - ,„ „

aitcuiiou. iother buildings about town were equally "right and Tite.