Punch: Punch (40.1861)

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108

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[Mabch 1G, 1861.

PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

he Mh of March, Monday.
A deceased Member of the
House of Lords, we refer to
Baron Byron, observes—

“ We learn from Horace, Homer
.sometimes nods,

We know without him ‘ Mtjl-
grave ’ sometimes wakes,”

and when Baron Punch in-
serts “ Mulgrave ” instead
of the name rather flippantly
introduced by the author of
Don Juan, he does so because
the dactyl Normanby would
mull the line. To-night the
peer whose second title is
thus poetically used, departed
from his usual habit of being
unwise, and brought the case
of Mr. Turnbull before the
Lords. He complained of
Lord Palmerston, for not
having supported this Gov-
ernment officer, when perse-
cuted. Now everybody knows
that throwing overboard (we
beg any yachting Lord’s par-
don for using the word) a subordinate is the last fault, with which the
gallant Pam is chargeable, but he is thought to have what he called at
the Hayter dinner an Outside Conscience iu matters of theology, and
this Outside Conscience is known as Lord Shaftesbury, bishop-
manufacturer, Exeter Hall, W.C. In the Turnbull matter, the
Premier seems to have been guided by his 0. C., who is connected
with something called the Protestant Alliance. The O. C. defended
his Protestants for distrusting Mr. Turnbull (who, as a convert to
Popery is a good deal more Popish than most, born-Catholics), but it is
also due to the 0. C. t,o add, that he spoke like a gentleman touching
Mr. Turnbull’s scholarship and general character. But it seems to
be thought that, it would be impossible for him to avoid trying to give
an anti-Protestant colour to his summaries of the Becords. Lord
Derby could not, resist the pleasure of making some smart sarcasms
at Lord Palmerston’s expense, and moreover adverted to the pro-
verbially irritable character of Literary Men. It is possible that
literary men may be irritable, when their whole lives are passed in
examining either ancient or modern history, and in perpetually dis-
covering that the most important interests of millions have been
entrusted to and mismanaged by pert aristocrats or shallow demagogues.
Lord Lansdowne thought that Mr. Turnbull was wrong to resign,
and the Lords by 41 to 15 voted that they would not be further bored
with the subject.

Some persons who call themselves the Ballot Society made a com-
plaint, through Mr. Tom Duncombe, that a lot of circulars which
they alleged they had posted to the electors of Ripon had not been
delivered, and they implied that the papers had been suppressed. But
as they were unable to mention the name of a single person to whom
a paper had been sent, and who had not received it, Mr. Frederick
Peel intimated his disbelief in tire story.

Mr. Gladstone explained an invention of bis for giving Exchequer
Bills a character of steadiness, by assimilating them to Bank-notes.
Mr. Punch would like to test the value of this discovery, and Gladstone
Lad better call and leave a thousand or two of Iris Bills at 85, Fleet
Street. He then proposed to go into Committee of Supply, where-
upon

An Italian debate began, and raged to-night and on Thursday. Mr.
Pope LIennessy abused the Government for having favoured Piedmont,
and he deplored the helpless position of England, who had alienated
herself from the Austrians and Russians, and therefore would be with-
out their aid in case of an invasion by the Emperor of the French.
Mr. Layard made a spirited speech on the other side, and dashed,
like a NinevelHBull with a steam-engine inside him, upon the advo-
cates of the IJltramontanists. He drew an elaborate picture of the
wicked misgovernmeut of the Pope, and told appalling stories of the
cruelties of the Austrians in Italy. Sir George Bowyer said exactly
wEat Cardinal Wiseman would have liked him to say, and the debate
was adjourned. It was resumed ou the Thursday by Mr. Edwin
James, who walked severely into Mr. Hennessy, and paid a glowing
tribute to Garibaldi. Sir Robert Peel exulted in the freedom of
Italy ; but the speech of the night was Mr. Gladstone’s, who vehe-
mently attacked the “ execrable ” system of the Papal Government,
and thought that, it required less courage to stand under a bombard-
ment than to rise in a free assembly and advocate the tyrannies that
had been put down in Italy: the cheering at this declaration made his

concluding words inaudible. Mr. Maguire stated of his own know-
ledge that Providence was watching over the Pofe, and Mr. Roebuck
—yes, Mr. John Arthur Roebuck—took an Austrian view of the
question, and thought that we ought to cultivate the friendship of
Austria, in order to repress Erauce. Lord John Russell did not
believe that there_ had ever been a Government so “ abominable ” as
that of the Ex-King of Naples, and expressed his belief that his
own policy had been a national one, and was approved by the country.
Mr. White made bis usual noises, and added that Mr. Roebuck had
been wou over by converse with Archduchesses in the “gilded
saloons ”_of Yrienna, and also had returned thence with a lucrative
contract in his pocket. With this bit of petty personality closed the
English debate on the most magnificent events of modern History.

Tuesday. Lord Campbell moved the Second R.eading of a very tiny
Bill for extending the jurisdiction of the Court of Admiralty. Apropos
of the word Admiralty—rather an offensive word just now—there has
been a curious nautical drama, or rather farce, played during the wee<.

A Committee on the Admiralty system was appointed, and one of the
principal witnesses would have been Sir Baldwin Walker, who,
when surveyor of the Navy, is supposed to have learned an immense
quantity of things which it might be highly advantageous to the public,
and highly inconvenient to officials and others, to bring out in exami-
nation. Sir Baldwin is found to have bolted, in a very fast ship, and
the Government, urged by Members to catch him, sent the slowest
old tub in the Navy, for that purpose. Whereat people laugh, and
when Lord Clar.ence Paget lays his hand ou his heart, and like
Clown in the pantomimes declares that upon his honour it’s all correct,
people laugh again, which is exceedingly rude.

Kossuth is having Hungarian bank-notes engraven here, and the
Austrian Ambassador desires to prevent a process which betides no
good to the Empire. Sir Richard Bethell says that the act is
illegal, but that there is no hope of obtaining a conviction, so Lord-
John will not interfere, but politely intimates to the Austrians that
our Court of Chancery is heartily at their service. So they apply to
I Vice-Chancellor Stuart for an injunction against the printer of [
the notes, Mr. Day.

The Hop people made a determined effort to get rid of the duty on
hops, but Mr. Bright declined to aid in any attempt to remove a
duty until the Commons had asserted their dignity and caused the
paper tax to be remitted; Mr. Gladstone allowed that the Hop
Duty system was bad, but so were a great many other things, and
why, he wanted to know, was the Hop interest to be holpen first, and
Mr. Disraeli objected to any sacrifice of revenue, while we are in our
present state, that of a deficiency, supplied by a “temporary” impo-
sition. It is pleasant to hear the phrase applied to the abominable
Income-Tax, but though there is no doubt of its being an imposition,
its temporary character is not so clear. The Hop men were beaten by
202 to 110, and did not seem much consoled by Mr. Punch's mentioning
to them, when the numbers were announced, that he had just had a J
despatch from Warsaw, and though the Hops were down, the Poles j
were up. i

Sir John Elphinstone then beat the Government, by 102 to 97 ou
a motion for a Committee to inquire into the system of promotion and
pay in the Navy. The authorities growled, and said that such things
encouraged naval officers to come bothering with their grievances, but
the House did not seem to see it in that light. We should like to
examine Jack himself as to the whole Navy system, and ask him why,
iu his judgment, our Eleet costs so much, only we fear that he would
be disrespectful and say that it wasn’t us fightiu’ beggars but them
thinkiu’ beggars that cost the money, or some such vulgarity.

Wednesday—The House’s Sunday—was devoted to a rather mild
debate on the Church Rate Abolition Bill, which went through
Committee.

Thursday. Lord Bath wanted to know something about the Syrian
occupation, and what Government thought of the evident concert
between Russia and France in the matter. Lord Wodehouse de-
clined to say anything. Lord Derby elicited the fact that in a treaty
we are making with France for handing over prisoners who escape
from Cayenne into British Guiana, we except political prisoners, aud
as few others are sent to Cayenne, one does not see the particular use
of the treaty. Suppose, however, that a political prisoner, trying to
escape, polished off a gendarme—should we apply the rule sought to be
set up in the case of Anderson, the negro, who by the way has been
liberated in Canada, on a technical error in the writ of commitment‘i

Major Gavin, formerly in the Lancers, seems to think that Major
Yelverton, bigamist, is not the sort of person who should hold tier
Majesty’s commission. Captain Archdall, formerly an Enniskillen
Dragoon, thinks that nothing should be said ou the subject at present.
The authorities suspend Major Yelverton from military duties until
the case shall be completely disposed of.

Friday. The Church-Rate Bill is to stand over till June. Mr.
Sheridan wanted to abolish the duty on fire-insurance. This was a
far less patriotic course than that which was adopted by his illustrious
ancestor, who refused to assent to the adjournment of the House