DOI issue:
July to December, 1849
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16604#0031
PUNCH. OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
LOOK AHEAD' WHAT AH! YOUR HAT!
An enormous amount of humiliation seems to have come down upon
the devoted heads of various individuals now about town, for such an
assemblage of " shocking bad hats " has never been seen since the day
when the cry of " What a shocking bad hat! " was ringing in the ears
of nearly every one of us. The present race of hats is so utterly
uncouth, that we really wish for even that enormous instrument of
Eastern despotism—a Hatti Scheriff—to_ be enforced against those
hats for the purpose of putting them down in a summary manner.
We are inclined to believe that almost every one of these hats could
tell a tale about its wearer, and that castor-ology would be a science no
iess interesting than phrenology, if we were to take the trouble to
study it. The odious affair known vulgarly as the Wide-awake speaks
loudly of slang and snobbishness, while there are others in the variety
of hats which must be felt to be understood, and which really are felt
when you look into them. The Gibus hat speaks
of the elasticity of youth, and is a type of the jf^jlBSggSfc
buoyancy with which the crushed heart resumes its W3SSsB!^&
former shape, and springs as it were to life vvhen l!B8§i8HjF
roused by a pressure from within; but there are IBfilllSSfi
other hats which, utterly without nap, seem to HllllBHa
speak of the total absence of rest for the head within v^mwbS&i
them. A few years ago England thrust its head
into gossamer, a proof of bght-headedness wliichwas scarcely creditable
to our natural good sense, but perhaps our recent rush into velvet
betrays a softness in the upper story, which is scarcely more to our
credit. We would not be considered captious, but we certainly think
the heads of the people were never more open to criticism on the score
of hats than at the present moment.
PROTECTION FOR EVERYBODY.
Everybody, seemingly, is crying out for Protection. The Protec-
tionists demand it, and Sib Charles Napier is calling for Protection
for the British Navy. Then there is Protection for the Colonies, which
England, if she is a good parent, ought certainly to grant, for every
good mother is bound to do the best for her children.
To listen to all these cries for Protection, one would imagine that
everyone was in the most unprotected state. You would fancy
everybody was attacking his neighbour, and that nothing was safe,
excepting Punch and the Bank. Our simple advice is, " Let every one
protect himself." Why, look at us. Our columns are pilfered in
every direction. Our jokes are stolen by the dozen, and yet do we cry
out for "Protection?" No! Rogers's bank was not broken by the
loss of a paltry £10,000. We only laugh at the robbery, and go on
circulating more jokes. Depend upon it, the best Protection in the
world is for everybody to do his best. Perfection is its own Protection.
a change from bad to worse.
The Protectionist party, since it has taken Mr. Disraeli for its
head, is known by the title of " The Un-stable Mind."
" where's tour manners ?"
The Tories started a young Lord for the City, as they said
they did not see why London should be represented by the Old
Tewry.
GRAND ELECTION EOE THE PREMIEESHIP OF
ENGLAND.
This Election, which had excited a deal of interest amongst all
parties, came off by appointment in the House of Commons, on Monday
evening, the 2nd of July.
The proceedings were opened by Mr. Disraeli. He said, "He had
great pleasure in rising to propose a dear friend of his to fill the
situation of Premier of England. He had known him from his earliest
childhood, and the acquaintance, which had been kept up now for a long
series of years, without a moment's interruption, had ripened, he would
say, into love. He would not weary the Assembly with a catalogue
raisonne of all his talents and virtues. They were known to all the
world, and had endeared him to everybody—but this he would boldly
state, that he knew no man better qualified to fill the present vacancy
than his honourable friend. {Cries of ''Name! Name!') Without
further preface, then, he begged to propose for the Premiership of
England his dear friend, Mr. Benjamin Disraeli, a gentleman for
whom he had always entertained the very highest respect."
A great confusion here ensued, amidst loud cries of " Don't you wish
you may get it?" and other elegant interrogatories generally put to
candidates at elections, when
The Speaker, upon obtaining silence, took the liberty to observe that
no one had seconded the Nomination.
Mr. Disraeli rose again, and said, "that it gave him the greatest
pleasure to second the Nomination of the honourable gentleman above
named—a gentleman, the longer he had known him the more he had
loved him—a gentleman—"
Here the noise was so great, that; it was impossible to understand a
single word of the honourable gentleman's speech. He spoke for several
hours, but not a person seemed to be sensible of what he was saying.
At last a
Mr, Roebuck, who had been very prominent in the opposition, came
forward to be informed if there was not some slight mistake ?
Mr. Disraeli said, " No mistake whatever."
Mr. Koebuck. "Then, if I understand you rightly, you seriously
propose Mr. Benjamin Disraeli as the fittest and most qualified •
person 10 sit in the House as Premier."
Mr. Disraeli. " Precisely."
This announcement was received with the loudest laughter, and the
House broke up.
Second Evening's Election.
The proceedings commenced amidst the greatest hilarity, by Lord
John Russell demanding a poll. '
Mr. Disraeli had to express his astonishment at the noble Lord
taking him in this way by surprise.
Lord John was no less astonished when the honourable gentleman
had had a whole wreek to canvass the House. He certainly should not
give way.
A scrutiny was demanded, and the Speaker declared the state of the
poll to be as follows :—
Votes for Lord John Russell . . 296
Votes for Benjamin Disraeli . . . 156
Majority for Lord John . . 140
Lord John Russell was accordingly declared to be elected. _
Thus terminated this extraordinary Election, the result of which had
been long anticipated by everybody, and against which there has been
one universal outcry, viz., that it could not possibly have been productive
of any good, and has only been the cause of the greatest interruption to
business.
Mr. Disraeli has not been heard of since.
The Law of Precedence at Court.
There is but one person who has the privilege of preceding the
Queen, not only at the Coronation, but on all state occasions, and he,
from his elevated position, is entitled, not merely to sit above Her
Majesty, but also to turn his back upon her; and, moreover, is allowed
to keep his hat on all the while in the royal presence. Who can he be ?
As the reader will never guess, we do not mind telling him ; he is
The State Coachman.—Punch's Pocket Mirror of Etiquette for the
Waistcoat Pocket of Everybody.
we like to encourage genius.
The following is the effort of Punch's youngest contributor :—
" When is a tailor like a cricketer ? "
" When he is ' stumped out' from ' missing his tip !' "
it isn't so bad for a youngster, is it ?
LOOK AHEAD' WHAT AH! YOUR HAT!
An enormous amount of humiliation seems to have come down upon
the devoted heads of various individuals now about town, for such an
assemblage of " shocking bad hats " has never been seen since the day
when the cry of " What a shocking bad hat! " was ringing in the ears
of nearly every one of us. The present race of hats is so utterly
uncouth, that we really wish for even that enormous instrument of
Eastern despotism—a Hatti Scheriff—to_ be enforced against those
hats for the purpose of putting them down in a summary manner.
We are inclined to believe that almost every one of these hats could
tell a tale about its wearer, and that castor-ology would be a science no
iess interesting than phrenology, if we were to take the trouble to
study it. The odious affair known vulgarly as the Wide-awake speaks
loudly of slang and snobbishness, while there are others in the variety
of hats which must be felt to be understood, and which really are felt
when you look into them. The Gibus hat speaks
of the elasticity of youth, and is a type of the jf^jlBSggSfc
buoyancy with which the crushed heart resumes its W3SSsB!^&
former shape, and springs as it were to life vvhen l!B8§i8HjF
roused by a pressure from within; but there are IBfilllSSfi
other hats which, utterly without nap, seem to HllllBHa
speak of the total absence of rest for the head within v^mwbS&i
them. A few years ago England thrust its head
into gossamer, a proof of bght-headedness wliichwas scarcely creditable
to our natural good sense, but perhaps our recent rush into velvet
betrays a softness in the upper story, which is scarcely more to our
credit. We would not be considered captious, but we certainly think
the heads of the people were never more open to criticism on the score
of hats than at the present moment.
PROTECTION FOR EVERYBODY.
Everybody, seemingly, is crying out for Protection. The Protec-
tionists demand it, and Sib Charles Napier is calling for Protection
for the British Navy. Then there is Protection for the Colonies, which
England, if she is a good parent, ought certainly to grant, for every
good mother is bound to do the best for her children.
To listen to all these cries for Protection, one would imagine that
everyone was in the most unprotected state. You would fancy
everybody was attacking his neighbour, and that nothing was safe,
excepting Punch and the Bank. Our simple advice is, " Let every one
protect himself." Why, look at us. Our columns are pilfered in
every direction. Our jokes are stolen by the dozen, and yet do we cry
out for "Protection?" No! Rogers's bank was not broken by the
loss of a paltry £10,000. We only laugh at the robbery, and go on
circulating more jokes. Depend upon it, the best Protection in the
world is for everybody to do his best. Perfection is its own Protection.
a change from bad to worse.
The Protectionist party, since it has taken Mr. Disraeli for its
head, is known by the title of " The Un-stable Mind."
" where's tour manners ?"
The Tories started a young Lord for the City, as they said
they did not see why London should be represented by the Old
Tewry.
GRAND ELECTION EOE THE PREMIEESHIP OF
ENGLAND.
This Election, which had excited a deal of interest amongst all
parties, came off by appointment in the House of Commons, on Monday
evening, the 2nd of July.
The proceedings were opened by Mr. Disraeli. He said, "He had
great pleasure in rising to propose a dear friend of his to fill the
situation of Premier of England. He had known him from his earliest
childhood, and the acquaintance, which had been kept up now for a long
series of years, without a moment's interruption, had ripened, he would
say, into love. He would not weary the Assembly with a catalogue
raisonne of all his talents and virtues. They were known to all the
world, and had endeared him to everybody—but this he would boldly
state, that he knew no man better qualified to fill the present vacancy
than his honourable friend. {Cries of ''Name! Name!') Without
further preface, then, he begged to propose for the Premiership of
England his dear friend, Mr. Benjamin Disraeli, a gentleman for
whom he had always entertained the very highest respect."
A great confusion here ensued, amidst loud cries of " Don't you wish
you may get it?" and other elegant interrogatories generally put to
candidates at elections, when
The Speaker, upon obtaining silence, took the liberty to observe that
no one had seconded the Nomination.
Mr. Disraeli rose again, and said, "that it gave him the greatest
pleasure to second the Nomination of the honourable gentleman above
named—a gentleman, the longer he had known him the more he had
loved him—a gentleman—"
Here the noise was so great, that; it was impossible to understand a
single word of the honourable gentleman's speech. He spoke for several
hours, but not a person seemed to be sensible of what he was saying.
At last a
Mr, Roebuck, who had been very prominent in the opposition, came
forward to be informed if there was not some slight mistake ?
Mr. Disraeli said, " No mistake whatever."
Mr. Koebuck. "Then, if I understand you rightly, you seriously
propose Mr. Benjamin Disraeli as the fittest and most qualified •
person 10 sit in the House as Premier."
Mr. Disraeli. " Precisely."
This announcement was received with the loudest laughter, and the
House broke up.
Second Evening's Election.
The proceedings commenced amidst the greatest hilarity, by Lord
John Russell demanding a poll. '
Mr. Disraeli had to express his astonishment at the noble Lord
taking him in this way by surprise.
Lord John was no less astonished when the honourable gentleman
had had a whole wreek to canvass the House. He certainly should not
give way.
A scrutiny was demanded, and the Speaker declared the state of the
poll to be as follows :—
Votes for Lord John Russell . . 296
Votes for Benjamin Disraeli . . . 156
Majority for Lord John . . 140
Lord John Russell was accordingly declared to be elected. _
Thus terminated this extraordinary Election, the result of which had
been long anticipated by everybody, and against which there has been
one universal outcry, viz., that it could not possibly have been productive
of any good, and has only been the cause of the greatest interruption to
business.
Mr. Disraeli has not been heard of since.
The Law of Precedence at Court.
There is but one person who has the privilege of preceding the
Queen, not only at the Coronation, but on all state occasions, and he,
from his elevated position, is entitled, not merely to sit above Her
Majesty, but also to turn his back upon her; and, moreover, is allowed
to keep his hat on all the while in the royal presence. Who can he be ?
As the reader will never guess, we do not mind telling him ; he is
The State Coachman.—Punch's Pocket Mirror of Etiquette for the
Waistcoat Pocket of Everybody.
we like to encourage genius.
The following is the effort of Punch's youngest contributor :—
" When is a tailor like a cricketer ? "
" When he is ' stumped out' from ' missing his tip !' "
it isn't so bad for a youngster, is it ?