Punch (16.1849)

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

THE HOUSE OT COMMONS IN 1859. A Dream of the Future.

The new Members for Crewe, Hay ward's Heath, Wolverton, audi Colonel Sibthorf bad to complain of a gross breach of privilege.
Normanton were brought in in the van, handcuffed as usual, and took j The hotel-keeper, who supplied his dinners, had sent him tnpe three
their seats and the oaths. We understand they had made a very deter- times running. He begged his complaint might be referred to the Dinner
mined resistance, and that it had been necessary to call out the military j Committee.

to forcejhem to the hustings. Sir Robert Peel had to complain of honourable Members speaking

with their mouths full, and not getting over their dinners within the
legal period. When the present arrangement was introduced, by which
so much time was saved to the country, it was the understanding of his
honourable friend, Sir John Bright, and himself, as the introducers
of the measure, that the dinners brought to the House by the wives of
honourable Members should be strictly and literally cold dinners, so that
honourable Members might keep their breath, not to cool their pottage,
but for their duties to their constituents. {A laugh). But he regretted
to see one honourable Member at that moment with a hot pie. {"Name,
name.") There was no use in the honourable Member's trying to conceal
the article with his napkin. (Loud cries of " Name, name? ) He regretted
to be obliged to name his friend, the Member for Crewe. (Ground.

The honourable Member rose with some warmth, but Sib. R. Peel
continued—

Why, the pie was smoking under the very nose of the House, at that
moment. He begged to move that the pie be impounded, andthe wife
of the honourable Member be placed at the bar-, as guilty of a gross
breach of the dinner declaration.

The honourable Member for Crew^e wished to explain {"No ! No ! ")
At all events, he trusted he should be allowed an extra five minutes.
It was worse than dining at the Wolverton station. (A lavgh). He had
only eaten half his regular time when so audaciously assailed by the
honourable Baronet, i" Order, Order")

A motion was then put and seconded, that the honourable Member
for Crewe be reprimanded and put on the House diet, of bread and water,
for a week, and the pie impounded.
The debate on the Gold Standard Abolition was then resumed.

Mr. Brothekton wished to ask the Honourable Secretary for the
Domestic Arrangements, when the sleeping berths in the Committee-
rooms for the day-gangs were to be altered ? At present it was utterly-
impossible for honourable Members on permanent Committee duty to
get a wink of sleep while the night Committees were at work.

Mr. Hume had to complain of the insecurity of the lobby leading to
the Committee-rooms. Several Members had nearly succeeded in
escaping through one of the third-floor windows during the late extra-
ordinary pressure of work.

The Under Secretary for the Hard Labour Department promised that
the defect should be remedied, but observed, that it was no wonder
honourable Members should risk their lives, after a week's twelve hours
per diem on Committees, coming on the back of tin: night-work for the
other twelve.

Sir R. Inglis was brought up to the bar in custody of fcha Sergeant-
at-Arms, charged with having been found sleeping in his scat. The
honourable Member, who looked very thin and pale, and exhibited great
recklessness, declared they might do what they liked with him, but
sleep he must, there or elsewhere. He had been on the permanent
fatigue duty lists for a month, and it was killing him. The Speaker
had cut off his omnibus airing that morning, and that had made him
desperate. He threw himself on the House, but didn't much care what
became of him. The honourable Member was sentenced to an additional
week of Committee on Irish Affairs.

It being four o'clock the Sergeant-at-Arms announced that honourable
Members' wives, &c, were at the door, with the dinners of honourable
Members. On this the usual rush took place, and it was in vain that
the Speaker attempted to restore order for several minutes. The
House then proceeded to business, the talking-watch going into Com-
mittee on the Gold Standard Abolition Bill while the dinner-watch
proceeded to discuss their meal in the allotted ten minutes.

Postscript.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer was left speaking
when the last electric telegraph reached our Office, at 6. 20 a.m. The
day turn had just gone on duty.

TRULY MONSTER PROTECTIONIST MEETING AT READING.

The Reading Mercury informs us that a most important Agricultural
Meeting took place the other Saturday in the town of Reading. Hand-
bills had been circulated in the market in the course of the morning,
convening an assembly at the Upper Ship Hotel at twelve o'clock, for
the purpose of considering the present distressed state of Agriculture,
and petitioning for the revival of Protection. Erom twelve till a quarter

alternately cooling his heels in expectation, and warming them at ine.
fire. After the lapse of three quarters of an hour, two farmers were
with difficulty squeezed into the room, and in another hour five more;
so that by dint of great compression it was ultimately made to accom-
modate altogether eight persons. A conversation occurred on the
subject of Protection ; but it took no definite shape; and although reso-

to one the room was absolutely filled by the projector of the meeting, lutions had been prepared, and a memorial drawn up, it was judged

" alone—in his glory." The nature of the proceedings which took inexpedient to submit them to so crowded an assembly ; and accordingly

place during that time has not transpired; but they are believed to this vast concourse, exceeding in number even the celebrated triad oi

have consisted in the gentleman's looking occasionally'at his watch, and Toolev Street, quietly separated, without coming to any other conclusion