DOI Heft:
August 2, 1856
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16618#0049
August^, 1356.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 41
PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
Tuesday. Lucan gave himself more airs, and Lord
Panmure rebuked him severely, significantly advising him
to avoid such language as provoked a replv. Mr. Punch
may as well mention here that the Chelsea Report has been
produced, a book nearly as thick as the luads of the parties
accused by the Crimean Report. His fie?y glance, how-
ever, scorched up the hay in a second, and found the needle,
the point of which is that the aristocratic officers appointed
to whitewash Lucan and the rest of the awkward"sauad,
have of course, done it; and he need hard! v add that" the
precious result (though it will justify any amount of
triumphant cackle at the ould ocksifcrs' Club?) will not in
the slightest degree disturb the opinion of the country as
to the helplessness and blundering of the Crimean "Bot-
toms with the Asses' Heads."
T the meeting of th^- Lo; ds
on Mot day atternoon
{July 21), Lord Lynd-
htjrst took an oppor-
tunity of expressing his
exceeding regret (that
was the polite word he
used) that so many bills
had been lost or aban-
doned. The Lord Chan-
cellor said that he
shared in the regret, but
urged that "very many
useful measures" had
been passed. Mr. Punch
never breaks his pro-
mises, and having en-
gaged, at the opening of
the Session, to compare
its results with the pro-
mises which Ministers
then induced Her Ma-
jesty to make, will take
his oan opportunity of il
lustrating Cranworth's
ideas of number and of
utilir.y. As usual, another
instance of the East India
Company's unscrupulous treatment of the natives was afforded, the Rajah of Coorg
beingthevictimthistime. The ill-treatment of the Irish Militia, whom Government,
now tha5. the War is over, can afford to wrong—and does, was next adverted to, but
of course Lord Panmure "had received no information" as to the special grievance
brought forwaid. Then the question of our relations with the B?azils was raised by
Lord Malmesbury. In this matter Mr. Punch has the satisfaction of informing
the Ministers that their conduct obtains his approbation. The Brazilians, no doubr,
want slaves for field labour, for those articles of commeice have been largely killed
off, lately, by cholera and the yellow fever. But, in defiance of all rules of political
economy, England has set hen elf against a certain branch of trade, namely, the
tlave-frade, and if the Brazilian Government cannot or will not suppress the
traffic, John Bull is unenlightened or Quixotic enough to be ready and willing to War-Office stated itself to be waiting for information, but
pay for ships ai d guns to do it. We have found it necessary to hint this fact to hy a curious coincidence, within twenty-four hours, a
Brbzil, in consequence of the increase of the trade, and the" Brazilian legislature] Government letter was written, exonerating the bold
bawls out that we a^e bullying a weak nation. But weakness is not to be an
excuse for wrong. If a man sees a lubberly boy sneaking from his duty, and,
remonstrances failing, gives that lubber a retiesher with a horsewhip, the man is
not, therefore, a bully. We ruined our finest colonies, and threw away twenty
millions of money to be able to raise clean hands against "the domestic institution,"
as the Americans call it, and shall certainly laise bands with something in them,
In the Commons, the Bill for improving the County
Courts, charging the cost of justice upon the country, and
not uprm the suitors (a light principle) passed, and the
appointment of a Minister of Education was carried by 77
to 35,112 Members only caring to be present on such a
discussion. Mr. Hey wood brought in a motion for a
Commission to re-edit the English Bible, but withdrew it
after a brief speech, in opposition, from Sir Georgr Grey.
It is a fair question for consideration, whether it is or is tot
desirable to disturb the time-honoured and nobly English
text of our authorised version, (whose manly and touching
stjde the Romau Catholics declare to be one of our towers
of strength, and which has been so invaluable in preserving
a standard of language among us) for the sake of cor-
recting many errors, some of admitted gravity, which mar
its excellence. Mr. Wilkinson then vainly attempted to
c<rry a resolution for shortening the speeches in Par-
liament. Mb. Fox's suggestion that the leaders should
speak first and, by exhausting the subject, pi event donkeys
from exhausting the House, was not bad. Sir J.
Fitzgerald took a good time, when the streets of Madrid
are red with the slaughter on the barricades, to press the
claims of the creditors of Spain, and then came the case of
General Beatson, who organised Irregular troops in the
late War, troops whose irregularities we e so grave as to
caijse his beir g superseded. He felt aggrieved, and per-
haps was rather indiscreet in showing his wrath. The
Beatson from all char ges.
Wednesday. Lord Palherston brought in the Bishops'
Bill on the preceding night, but the Hom-e would not let
him press it. and the dtbat-e was taken this day. Parties
were split. Sir W. Heathcote, Mr. Henley, and Mb.
Napier, Conservatives, opposed it, Mr. Walpole, Con-
other than money, if n< cessary. j servative, supported it. Sir J. Gbaham and Mr. Gl
Next, we had confirmation of the fact, that Pvussia ha3 already begun to cheat
the otherparties to the treaty of Paris. Lord Clarendon slated that the fortresses
which she had to surrender, and which were to have been given up uninjured, had
been disrxantled; aid he thought, good creature, that this was a most " unusual"
proceeding, but he hoppd that "nothing further" would occur to distmb the
goodwill between the countries. As consolation, we are to have a Russian
Ambassador here, Count Krepowitcu.
The Commissioners for consolidating our Statute Law report that it may be
reduced from 15,000 acts to 300, and from 10 volumes to 4. Mr. Punch trusts
tnat for consistency's sake, when this hydraulic packing is performed, the number
of lawyers will be similarly reduced.
The B'shops' Betirement (and Pensions) Bill was read a third time by 26 to 15,
and passed, the Duke of Somerset declaring that the bargain deserved a still
stronger name than Simony. Assuredly, no unhappy Parson, tempted or driven
to a corrupt negociation about a presentation, can ever be punished again.
" A sin in crape is twice a sin in lawn."
In the Commons, Mr, Villiers lashed Lord Lucan for his cavalry officer
impertinence about the Chelsea investigation, and said that Lucan, if reported
accurately, had been guilty of an "unmitigated untruth." Mr. Murrough
ii>cbarged his mission in the House by making a ridiculous exhibition of himself
in reference to the German Legion, and mouthed out some Victoria Theatre trash
about Britons bleeding under the dirks of German hirelings, who corrupted the
morals of our virtuous soldiery. Anything for a laugh this hot weather. Mr.
Vernon Suits', with unusual discretion, selected an evening of Indian temperature
for his Indian Budget. Only about 30 Members stayed to perspire under his speech,
which occupies nearly six columns of the papers. The principal fact disclosed
is, that in Mb. Smith's opinion, the Company has not mismanaged India so
much as could have been anticipated, for the deficit in the coming year's revenue
will only be £1,152,109, so exact is the mis-Government in calculating the result of
.ts future blunders. Had Mr. Mantalmi bien in the House he would have said
the nine pound be demd."
1d-
stone, Peelites, opposed it, while Mr. Cardwell, Peelite,
supported it. Some of the Badicab opposed and others
advocated if, and the cor flict of parties ended in Ministers
getting a very respectable majority in its favour, the second
reading being carried by 151 to 72.
Thursday. The Lords d;d nothing particular, beyond
insisting on adhering to their objectionable and priest-
prompted alterations in the Scotch Schools Bill, which,
being ruined, was withdrawn next day in the Common?,
where the alterations had been rejected.
In the Commons there was another fight on going into
Committee on the Bishops' Bill, and the Solicitor-
General and Mr. Gladstone pelted one another with
excessively bad Latin, to the great instruction of the
country gentlemen, and the Manchester and railway
members. Mr. Hadfield abused the bishops generally,
and declared that they were not fit to hold a candle to
certain dissenting preachers whom he named; but the
House apparently had not taken the odd advice given m
the love-letter of a faithless sea-captain, which was read,
alas, in a breach of promise case the same day, "I very
much wish you will take to liking Dissenters." The Bill
went through committee alter several divisions, and
passed on Friday. Mr. Roebuck movt d for the expulsion
of James Sadleir from the House; but the process was
wisely deferred until after the rece.-s. Sadleir is doubt
less a knave, but the fewer precedents for expelling
Members without legal proof of guilt, the better.
Friday. Lord Wensleydale, whose ciiginal coronet
has been so cruelly kicked about both Houses during the
session, took his seat with a bran new one, of the kind
called Hereditary. Lord St. Vincent, father of the lady
Vol. 31.
2—2
PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
Tuesday. Lucan gave himself more airs, and Lord
Panmure rebuked him severely, significantly advising him
to avoid such language as provoked a replv. Mr. Punch
may as well mention here that the Chelsea Report has been
produced, a book nearly as thick as the luads of the parties
accused by the Crimean Report. His fie?y glance, how-
ever, scorched up the hay in a second, and found the needle,
the point of which is that the aristocratic officers appointed
to whitewash Lucan and the rest of the awkward"sauad,
have of course, done it; and he need hard! v add that" the
precious result (though it will justify any amount of
triumphant cackle at the ould ocksifcrs' Club?) will not in
the slightest degree disturb the opinion of the country as
to the helplessness and blundering of the Crimean "Bot-
toms with the Asses' Heads."
T the meeting of th^- Lo; ds
on Mot day atternoon
{July 21), Lord Lynd-
htjrst took an oppor-
tunity of expressing his
exceeding regret (that
was the polite word he
used) that so many bills
had been lost or aban-
doned. The Lord Chan-
cellor said that he
shared in the regret, but
urged that "very many
useful measures" had
been passed. Mr. Punch
never breaks his pro-
mises, and having en-
gaged, at the opening of
the Session, to compare
its results with the pro-
mises which Ministers
then induced Her Ma-
jesty to make, will take
his oan opportunity of il
lustrating Cranworth's
ideas of number and of
utilir.y. As usual, another
instance of the East India
Company's unscrupulous treatment of the natives was afforded, the Rajah of Coorg
beingthevictimthistime. The ill-treatment of the Irish Militia, whom Government,
now tha5. the War is over, can afford to wrong—and does, was next adverted to, but
of course Lord Panmure "had received no information" as to the special grievance
brought forwaid. Then the question of our relations with the B?azils was raised by
Lord Malmesbury. In this matter Mr. Punch has the satisfaction of informing
the Ministers that their conduct obtains his approbation. The Brazilians, no doubr,
want slaves for field labour, for those articles of commeice have been largely killed
off, lately, by cholera and the yellow fever. But, in defiance of all rules of political
economy, England has set hen elf against a certain branch of trade, namely, the
tlave-frade, and if the Brazilian Government cannot or will not suppress the
traffic, John Bull is unenlightened or Quixotic enough to be ready and willing to War-Office stated itself to be waiting for information, but
pay for ships ai d guns to do it. We have found it necessary to hint this fact to hy a curious coincidence, within twenty-four hours, a
Brbzil, in consequence of the increase of the trade, and the" Brazilian legislature] Government letter was written, exonerating the bold
bawls out that we a^e bullying a weak nation. But weakness is not to be an
excuse for wrong. If a man sees a lubberly boy sneaking from his duty, and,
remonstrances failing, gives that lubber a retiesher with a horsewhip, the man is
not, therefore, a bully. We ruined our finest colonies, and threw away twenty
millions of money to be able to raise clean hands against "the domestic institution,"
as the Americans call it, and shall certainly laise bands with something in them,
In the Commons, the Bill for improving the County
Courts, charging the cost of justice upon the country, and
not uprm the suitors (a light principle) passed, and the
appointment of a Minister of Education was carried by 77
to 35,112 Members only caring to be present on such a
discussion. Mr. Hey wood brought in a motion for a
Commission to re-edit the English Bible, but withdrew it
after a brief speech, in opposition, from Sir Georgr Grey.
It is a fair question for consideration, whether it is or is tot
desirable to disturb the time-honoured and nobly English
text of our authorised version, (whose manly and touching
stjde the Romau Catholics declare to be one of our towers
of strength, and which has been so invaluable in preserving
a standard of language among us) for the sake of cor-
recting many errors, some of admitted gravity, which mar
its excellence. Mr. Wilkinson then vainly attempted to
c<rry a resolution for shortening the speeches in Par-
liament. Mb. Fox's suggestion that the leaders should
speak first and, by exhausting the subject, pi event donkeys
from exhausting the House, was not bad. Sir J.
Fitzgerald took a good time, when the streets of Madrid
are red with the slaughter on the barricades, to press the
claims of the creditors of Spain, and then came the case of
General Beatson, who organised Irregular troops in the
late War, troops whose irregularities we e so grave as to
caijse his beir g superseded. He felt aggrieved, and per-
haps was rather indiscreet in showing his wrath. The
Beatson from all char ges.
Wednesday. Lord Palherston brought in the Bishops'
Bill on the preceding night, but the Hom-e would not let
him press it. and the dtbat-e was taken this day. Parties
were split. Sir W. Heathcote, Mr. Henley, and Mb.
Napier, Conservatives, opposed it, Mr. Walpole, Con-
other than money, if n< cessary. j servative, supported it. Sir J. Gbaham and Mr. Gl
Next, we had confirmation of the fact, that Pvussia ha3 already begun to cheat
the otherparties to the treaty of Paris. Lord Clarendon slated that the fortresses
which she had to surrender, and which were to have been given up uninjured, had
been disrxantled; aid he thought, good creature, that this was a most " unusual"
proceeding, but he hoppd that "nothing further" would occur to distmb the
goodwill between the countries. As consolation, we are to have a Russian
Ambassador here, Count Krepowitcu.
The Commissioners for consolidating our Statute Law report that it may be
reduced from 15,000 acts to 300, and from 10 volumes to 4. Mr. Punch trusts
tnat for consistency's sake, when this hydraulic packing is performed, the number
of lawyers will be similarly reduced.
The B'shops' Betirement (and Pensions) Bill was read a third time by 26 to 15,
and passed, the Duke of Somerset declaring that the bargain deserved a still
stronger name than Simony. Assuredly, no unhappy Parson, tempted or driven
to a corrupt negociation about a presentation, can ever be punished again.
" A sin in crape is twice a sin in lawn."
In the Commons, Mr, Villiers lashed Lord Lucan for his cavalry officer
impertinence about the Chelsea investigation, and said that Lucan, if reported
accurately, had been guilty of an "unmitigated untruth." Mr. Murrough
ii>cbarged his mission in the House by making a ridiculous exhibition of himself
in reference to the German Legion, and mouthed out some Victoria Theatre trash
about Britons bleeding under the dirks of German hirelings, who corrupted the
morals of our virtuous soldiery. Anything for a laugh this hot weather. Mr.
Vernon Suits', with unusual discretion, selected an evening of Indian temperature
for his Indian Budget. Only about 30 Members stayed to perspire under his speech,
which occupies nearly six columns of the papers. The principal fact disclosed
is, that in Mb. Smith's opinion, the Company has not mismanaged India so
much as could have been anticipated, for the deficit in the coming year's revenue
will only be £1,152,109, so exact is the mis-Government in calculating the result of
.ts future blunders. Had Mr. Mantalmi bien in the House he would have said
the nine pound be demd."
1d-
stone, Peelites, opposed it, while Mr. Cardwell, Peelite,
supported it. Some of the Badicab opposed and others
advocated if, and the cor flict of parties ended in Ministers
getting a very respectable majority in its favour, the second
reading being carried by 151 to 72.
Thursday. The Lords d;d nothing particular, beyond
insisting on adhering to their objectionable and priest-
prompted alterations in the Scotch Schools Bill, which,
being ruined, was withdrawn next day in the Common?,
where the alterations had been rejected.
In the Commons there was another fight on going into
Committee on the Bishops' Bill, and the Solicitor-
General and Mr. Gladstone pelted one another with
excessively bad Latin, to the great instruction of the
country gentlemen, and the Manchester and railway
members. Mr. Hadfield abused the bishops generally,
and declared that they were not fit to hold a candle to
certain dissenting preachers whom he named; but the
House apparently had not taken the odd advice given m
the love-letter of a faithless sea-captain, which was read,
alas, in a breach of promise case the same day, "I very
much wish you will take to liking Dissenters." The Bill
went through committee alter several divisions, and
passed on Friday. Mr. Roebuck movt d for the expulsion
of James Sadleir from the House; but the process was
wisely deferred until after the rece.-s. Sadleir is doubt
less a knave, but the fewer precedents for expelling
Members without legal proof of guilt, the better.
Friday. Lord Wensleydale, whose ciiginal coronet
has been so cruelly kicked about both Houses during the
session, took his seat with a bran new one, of the kind
called Hereditary. Lord St. Vincent, father of the lady
Vol. 31.
2—2