J&> PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [March 28, 1857.

AN-ATOMY OF A MAJORITY.

Those nice men for a small tea-party, Messieurs
Cobden, Disraeli, Gladstone, Newdegate, and Co., can
hardly find words strong enough to express the strength of
their disgust that the fortuitous concourse of atoms " to
which they owed their Chinese triumph should be called a
Coalition. In their election addresses they have most of
them been closely plagiarising those Addresses which (abs.it
omen ! may their friends say) are known as the Rejected
ones. Of course we cannot well expect a man to give his
mind calmly to poetic composition when agitated by the
thoughts of an electioneering contest, or we might have
seen before now some such a paraphrase of a well-known
passage as the following:—

Their votes in elemental chaos mixed,
Atoms by chance the fate of Gov'ment fixed.
No factious cause inspired the happy plot
(Although 'twas whispered Pam might go to pot,
And then both loaves and fishes might be got).
Atoms, attracted by some law occult.
Combined, and Chinese cheers told the result.
Pure child of Chance, which in St. Stephen's Hall
Bids Whig or Tory atoms rise or fall,
By Cobden launched the bubble motion floats,
Upheld by radicals' and placemen's votes :
So nicely poised, that one score atoms less
Had given Pam a triumph, Dis distress !

A MORAL LESSON FROM THE NURSERY.

Arthur. li Do you know, Freddy, that we are only made of Dust ! "
Freddy. " Are we 1 Then I'm sure we ought to be very careful how we

pitch into each other so, for fear we might crumble each other all to
pieces ! "

The Rights of Woman.

The following may be adduced as just a few of the privi-
leged Rights of Woman—to wit :—A gentleman's Right
arm, the Righthand side of a carriage, and always the
Right side of an argument. To the above may be thrown
in as peculiar Rights that Woman perhaps understands, and
decidedly adorns, a thousand times better than Man, viz.,
the Rites of Hospitality and the Rites of Hymen.
Though, to speak impartially, the Wrongs of Hymen (as
witness our police reports) fall to poor Woman's share
almost as frequently as the Rites.

singular optical delusion.

There is not a Frenchman, let him be ever so small,
and let the work he is engaged upon be as small as himself,
but sets about it with the most thorough conviction that
the eyes of Europe are upon him!

LOED PALMERSTON AT MADAME TUSSAUD'S. oJS^P ^ M^ ^ ^ ^ ^_A™

Lord John Russell thought the costume very correct and very

We were favoured with an early view of Lord Palmerston as he
now appears in freshest wax at Madame Tussaud's. After the Order
of the Garter, nothing was wanting to the fullness of the noble Vis-
count's fame but an elevation to Baker Street; and this enamoured
fortune has vouchsafed to him. Of course, opinions will differ as to
the merits of the work as a portraiture of the noble lord; for, as
regards even the oldest and grandest works of art, the most sus-
ceptible and most acute of critics will occasionally disagree. The
Apollo Belvidere has had his back-biters, and even Venus de Medicis
has been declared not a bit better than she should be. Thus, it is to
be expected—especially in these hustings days of party contention—
that even the waxen image of the incomparable Premier will not pass
without partial detraction; however universal opinion may honour and
applaud it.

Thus, Mr. Disraeli thinks the statue altogether wants a look of
life-like reality. As " a turbulent and aggressive " minister, his arms
ought to have been a-kimbo, or at least one arm ought to have been
raised, and one fist doubled.

Mr. Cobden, though generally agreeing with Mr. Disraeli upon
Lord Palmerston's objectionable attitude, thought it would not be
sufficient to the likeness as a striking portrait, if the fist were merely
doubled. He would have the hand "incarnadined" like Macbeth's,
that the British tea^drirJdng public might, over their cups, think of the
dreadful rise in the teapot and the horrible massacre at Canton.

Mr. Roebuck considered the thing altogether contemptible. He
had once or twice agreed with Lord Palmerston ; and had no unalter-
able objection to do so once or twice again. But—he must ask it—why
should Lord Palmerston stand there flaunting in a tawdry court
dress smeared all over with gold ? Why couldn't he wear a plain blue
coat? Must the noble lord—even h. was—always be going to the

befitting. In that costume, he must say, his noble friend looked not like
the minister for France—not like the minister for Austria—but like
the minister for England. Lord John, however, could not acquit the
artist of the grossest flattery. His noble friend was in his seventy-
third year; every day of it and all the Parliamentary nights. Well,
as his noble friend stood there, he didn't look an hour over fifty. And
all Lord John would simply ask was this—Was this constitutional ?

Mr. Layard found no fault with the likeness generally; but thought
the position detestable. Why was not his lordship posed with his best
leg foremost, and that leg taking an eastern direction ?

The Earl of Derby, having taken a single glance of his lordship,
benevolently hoped that the premises were heavily insured. _ With
such a combustible addition to the show, he would not, for his part,
sleep in the neighbourhood, unless all night the hose was laid on. His
lordship then, in a laughing manner, and very much enjoying the dis-
covery, called the attention of a friend to the state of the figures of
the Emperor Nicholas and the Emperor of Austria; both in a
melting state from their proximity to the firebrand Palmerston.
Even his Holiness the Pope had begun to perspire.

Mr. Gladstone thought the whole thing a gross imposture on
public belief. He had counted the hairs of the wig of the effigy, and
knowing something of the wig of the living Premier, he would pledge
his reputation as a statesman and his expectations as a minister, if the
number of hairs in each wig would be found to tally. Now, he
repeated that this was a gross delusion, a gross misrepresentation
altogether unworthy of any man pretending to be minister of this
once powerful and once highly-principled country.

Pro Bono Pimlico."—The new cab-drive through St. James's I'nrk.