Punch (30.1856)

Afril 19, 1856. J

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

151

PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.


pril 7, Monday. The
Duke or Argyll,
Post-Master - Gene-
ral, offered a series
of excuses to show

in the selection of one of this Committee. Some dis-
cussion on the alleged inefficiency of our system of auditing
tbe public accounts finished the evening. The fate of our
money is neatly described by a classic party—Visus abii,
fugit Auditus.
Wednesday. To-day's 'morning sitting was devoted to
the Jews, and the proceedings naturally claimed a large
amount of interest for what was advanced. Mr. Milner

why Government bad Gibson moved the second reading of a Bill for abolishing

hitherto neglected,
and intended for
some time longer to
neglect, the making
any satisfactory ar-
langement for the
transmission of let-

the Oath of Abjuration, which a Member of Parliament
must take, and which a Jew cannot take. Sir F. Thesiger
opposed tbe Bill, being afraid that if the oath is abolished
we shall seat some Papist descendant of Charles the
Second on the Throne; though why we should do that,
while we have that excellent King's Protestant descend-
ants amoDg us, in the persons of Sir Brederic's friends,

Australia. The rea-
sons were all red-
taps ones, and we
leave them and the

1 He faggoted his notions as they fell
And if they rhymed and rattled, all was well."

ters^ to and^ from, tbe Duke of Richmond, the Duke of Saint Albans,
and others, one does not see. Also he thought the Jews
were aliens. This is a word that seems to mystify some
peoDle. Lord Lyndhurst has a clear head, yet he said
the Irish were aliens. Perhaps it is used as a mere term of
Duke to our pro-1 contempt, as one calls a man a goose, or a Malmesbury.
mi sing Colonial ■ Unless impertinence, it is sheer nonsense—an alien is one
child, the Melbourne who owes allegiance to another Sovereign than our own—■
Punch, for dissec- to whom does Sir Moses Montefiore owe allegiauce
tion and scarifica- except to the Royal Lady who made him a Baronet of
tion, operations | the United Kingdom, and Thesiger only a Knight?
which we are happy; There was the ordinary exchange of arguments by the
to see he^ performs usual combatants on the question, but Mr. Disraeli's
_ .-, with hereditary skill.1 Speecn was noticeable—he was for admitting the Jews,
Lord Eglintoun, ; not for the logical reasons which satisfy a thinker, but for
of all people, then a sentimental reason—gratitude for their having been the
began to talk about the Currency, and really let off a great many figures with much means whereby we became Christians, and he means to
fluency. It is difficult to say what, put the whim of learning them into his head,1 propose a new oath, of his own invention. He voted right,
but the Lords listened with good-nature, and as he did not detain tbem after j however, as did Lord Stanley. Mr. Newdegate said
dinner-hour, there could be no possible objection to the display. _ be could not understand his chief, Mr. .Disraelt, which.
In the Commons, Mr. Wil'son announced that any Birmingham or other patriots : the latter must have taken as a compliment. The second
who wish to refurnish the Russian arsenals may begin to do so in a few days. : reading was carried in a House of 425 by a majority of 35.
Sir B. Hall promised Chelsea her new Bridge this year, and Battersea Park next j TJmrsda Tne Lords discussed the subject 0f the pro-
summer, and then came a debate on a motion condemnatory of the billeting sys em , d R ^ h h th p k d f them
in Scotland. It appears that soldiers are billeted m private houses, and that three . ^. d reasong J ft column tfa t ^ tfae DuKE op
bawbees per night, is the remuneration Palmerston prom.sed to consider : Yqj^ reach of his creditors should not be removed,
whether he could not alter the system but the Scotchmen were not going to The tributes to the Duke's memory may be pardoned in
accept any such amiability, and were backed up by Mr. Disraeli, who has ut poor Lord Aberdeen's plea for the pillar,
hated the words "billet" and 'faggot" since Lord John scornfully told him name]y) th'at y.* just as b,g as Trajan's Column, reminds
one of the dramatist who bespoke managerial favour for his
play, because it contained exactly as many lines as Othello.
Sir Benjamin has been personally measuring the localities,
Eventually the House divided, and Government was severely beaten, 139 to 116, j and thinks that the column may stand. Lord Malmes-
aud the motion was carried, whereat Benjamin danced a victorious little war-; bury, who affects to be shocked at all the personalities of
dance, and taunted the Ministers. Then the House went into Supply, and on the the Press, made a very vulgar allusion to the personal
vote for the National Gallery, Sir Charles Eastlake caught it for his last j appearance of a gentleman who writes in the Times, and
picture purchase, the Paul Veronese, which is the Adoration of the Magi and of' sneered at the children of " small tradesmen and persons
nobody else. j 0f that class swarming, like ants, on the Horse Guards'
Tuesday. Lord Hardwicke humanely suggested that at the approaching grand Parade." One does not remonstrate with a Malmesbury,
naval review, when the British fleet will do something more like fighting than it' and we do not believe that there was another Lord in the
has achieved since the War broke out, some dangerous experiments should be tried, Chamber who did not think it matter of satisfaction that
with the new vessels, to see whether they will sink, and whether balls will go I children with squalid homes can be sent to breathe the
through them. Lord Hardwicke considers that they will roll awfully, and as he \ fresh air of the parks. All we hope is, that the Park
is custos Rotulorum of Cambridgeshire, his opinion is valuable. The Farmers' j will be kept, as a Park, and that all conveyances, except
Secrets BiU was passed, the Duke oe Richmond graciously promising to advise j those containing passengers, will be rigidly excluded from
the rustics to obey it. Lord Clanricarde, envious of Lord Eglintoun, got; the People's Garden. The only excuse for tolerating the
up a speech on Indian finances, and we share Lord Ellenborough's satisfaction I dangerous Railway Van and its ruffianly Jehu in our
that he did so, as any exposure of the Company's rotten system is desirable. | streets, is that goods have to be deposited at certain shops.
In the Commons, Government stated that a French war-medal is to be conferred ] There are no shops in the Parks, and Punch trusts that
on the British Crimean army. Mr. Punch hopes that the design will be less ludi- this nuisance, and all similar ones, will be kept out—
crous than that of our own medal, which the men in camp irreverently suppose to there was some foolish wavering in the Committee od
represent something which it certainly wa3 not intended to represent. Mr. Muntz this subject.
moved that there should be an equitable adjustment of the Income and Property The House of Commons was occupied during this night
Tax, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not think that this was a good and the next with discussing Lord John Russell's Edu-
time to take up the question. Chancellors of the Exchequer have a very bigoted cation resolutions. They were opposed, of course, by
theory of chronology, and never allow that anybody knows what's o'clock, representatives of the Church, of Dissent, and of the
The "previous question" was carried—the Parliamentary slang for shirking a | Manchester school. The first_think that their religion only
decision. Two Government Bills for promoting Education in Scotland were
brought in. Last year the Scotch clergy successfully resisted all attempts to
increase education in their country, and though some concessions have been made
to them, the Lord Advocate did not seem to speak very hopefully. On nomi-
nating the Local Dues Committee, the eternal Vincent Numskully complained
that Irishmen were habitually excluded from Committees. There is no doubt that
such is the case, for the simple reason, that with several admirable exceptions, the
men returned by Ireland are not, as a class, up to the mark of the English and
Scotch members, and there is a hesitation in confiding very important interests to
their discretion. But as Mr. John Macgregor said, "Irish members, when placed
in positions in which they could be of use, performed their duties remarkably well,"
and we do not know why the House roared. Ministers again got into a minority,

should be taught by the State; the second that their
religion only should be taught, but not by the State; and
the third, that no religion should be taught at all. It is
needless to say, that Government has no practical views on
the subject; but like all half-hearted people, contrived to
get the worst in the fray. The debility of most of the
arguments defies analysis ; but Lord John fought spiritedly
for his plan, and Sir John Pakington spoke out like a
statesman who comprehended the subject. Sir ?James
Graham, ratting for the sixth time, recanted his old views
on education ; and is manifestly touting for alliance with
the Manchester people, in case they should attain office.