DOI Heft:
April 24, 1869
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16883#0170
April 24, I860.]
165
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
Those who produce this Periodical desire that it should contain a record of their affectionate
regard for one, who, at a good old age, and in possession of all the rewards due to an upright
and energetic life, has just passed to his rest. Mr. Bradbury, from the early moment when
he became associated with this Journal, devoted himself to its interests in a spirit of no mere
commercial venture : he rejoiced in all its successes, and to contribute to them was at once to
become the friend of a man with whom friendship was no idle name. His genial presence at the
meetings of the Contributors was ever welcome, and his hearty co-operation in matters of business
was not more appreciated by them than his avowed pride in the fortunes of the work, or his
brotherly sympathy with all engaged upon it. They will not soon forget the good man, and good
friend, who has peacefully passed away.
April 15, 1869.
PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
Monday, April 12. What a comfort it is to have somebody on the
Treasury Bench who has read the Bible, and got into his mind its
sturdy and compact English! Mr. Bright was asked for a mass of
statistics from the Board of Trade. He replied that he did not think
that giving them would be useful, but that the publication would only
induce various branches of the service to Magnify their Office. One
of your platitude-mongers would have said that the invitation to a
multiplicity of departments to manipulate and tabulate infinitesimal
details would be disadvantageously conducive to well-intended but
undesirable amplitude, dictated by an ambition that the department
with which the reporter was connected should assume an undeserved
prominence in national estimation. Thank you, Mr. Bright, for the
Pauline phrase—teach the House as much of the language of the Bible
as you may, and, while you are about it, a little of its spirit.
A discussion about Branding deserters. The case is this. Scoundrels
have a habit of deserting from one regiment and enlisting in another,
for the sake of the bounty money. So, for their identification, they
are branded with a tiny but ineffaceable D. The question is, whether
this should be done more than once. Mr. Cardwell did not approve
the practice at all, but said that the fraud in question was so common
that some effective method of checking it was necessary—and so the
matter stands. Why did not Mr. Brand speak ?
Delicate question. Many bishops are so aged that they cannot do
their work. An intelligent mind will supply the rest of the story, and
Mr. Gladstone said that he believed that the Bench was giving con-
sideration to the subject.
Tuesday. The new Member for Wareham took his oaths and seat.
Ha, Sirs, the name of Mr. Drax makes us young again. How is Mr.
Grantley Berkeley ? Remembereth he that grand day of sport,
when he mounted his steed, and
“ Before his head was dog Odin led,
And behind his tail came Drax ? ”
The good old days ! But drink. Sirs, we shall never be younger.
Mr. Drax was victor on that day, nevertheless Grantley and Odin
did their work well, and all but won that desperate game.
The Crypt under St. Stephen’s Chapel is ready for divine service,
but Mr. Layard said that if the House wished for that, they must
make some endowment for a minister. But why can’t the House go
to prayers there, and have their own excellent chaplain; thus getting
rid of the unseemly “ devotional dogskin” and other secularities ?
Mr. Maguire, in a very good speech, brought on a very good debate
on the Irish Society. One or two persons may “ not exactly recollect
all about this Society, though of course they know generally ’’—and so
forth, which means that they know nothing at all on the subject, and
if we were to fell them (we’d scorn the action) that the Irish Society
was an association founded in Cork, in 1711, by William and Mary,
for supplying pikes and testaments to the citizens of Ulster, they
would know no better. But they shall know better. James the
First desired to plant the confiscated lands in the north of Ireland,
so he composed a puff, as Mr. Maguire said, for the purpose of
inducing the London citizens to take the district in hand. Of course,
they were too wary to believe the King, but they sent four discreet 1
men, Messrs. Broad, Frieswell, Rowley, and Munns, to see how
far His Majesty had told the truth. To the astonishment of the City,
the spies reported well of the Irish Canaan, and a Committee, which
afterwards became the Society, got a charter from the Crown. After
the settlement, of course the King began to play his usual tricks, and
at last their property was taken away, and they did not get a new
charter till 1670. Since that time they have managed much as might
be expected from London citizens, that is, on the whole honestly, but
with at least an eye and a half on London, and only half an eye on the
Irish. They have, naturally, had a vast deal of fun and feasting out ;
of the revenues, but Mr. Russell Gurney says that they have fairly
discharged their duty. The Irish Secretary thought that there was a
case for consideration, but not one which demanded any particular
hurry.
We had a slightly personal debate. A representative of the Great
House of Lowther has once more been made Lord-Lieutenant of the
Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland. The dynasty has endured,
we believe, some 130 years. Mr. Disraeli made this last appointment
a few days before resigning. It was challenged to-night by
Mr. Charles Howard. So Mr. Disraeli had to explain, in his
lofty comedy style, that he had not been actuated by dynastic conside-
rations. That Mr. Disraeli should give such a thing away from the
heir of Lord Lonsdale, was really not to be expected; and
Mr. Gladstone spoke up in his defence. The argument that, a
moribund Cabinet ought not to give away patronage, Mr. Disraeli
met by observing, that if a Minister ceased to be a Minister before his
successor were appointed, there might be Dreadful Moments for which
nobody would be responsible, which was shocking and unconstitu-
tional. He said that he should have been happy to give the appoint-
ment to any other qualified person; but there was none. Colonel
Lowther, the L. L. in question, had the pleasure of hearing himself
thus discussed; and Mr. Howard of course apologised to him, as
became an aristocratic neighbour. We must quote what Mr. Disraeli
said about his own resignation :—
“ When the borough elections had well nigh concluded, it occurred to me
and my colleagues, who, however, were scattered over the country, that the
165
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
Those who produce this Periodical desire that it should contain a record of their affectionate
regard for one, who, at a good old age, and in possession of all the rewards due to an upright
and energetic life, has just passed to his rest. Mr. Bradbury, from the early moment when
he became associated with this Journal, devoted himself to its interests in a spirit of no mere
commercial venture : he rejoiced in all its successes, and to contribute to them was at once to
become the friend of a man with whom friendship was no idle name. His genial presence at the
meetings of the Contributors was ever welcome, and his hearty co-operation in matters of business
was not more appreciated by them than his avowed pride in the fortunes of the work, or his
brotherly sympathy with all engaged upon it. They will not soon forget the good man, and good
friend, who has peacefully passed away.
April 15, 1869.
PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
Monday, April 12. What a comfort it is to have somebody on the
Treasury Bench who has read the Bible, and got into his mind its
sturdy and compact English! Mr. Bright was asked for a mass of
statistics from the Board of Trade. He replied that he did not think
that giving them would be useful, but that the publication would only
induce various branches of the service to Magnify their Office. One
of your platitude-mongers would have said that the invitation to a
multiplicity of departments to manipulate and tabulate infinitesimal
details would be disadvantageously conducive to well-intended but
undesirable amplitude, dictated by an ambition that the department
with which the reporter was connected should assume an undeserved
prominence in national estimation. Thank you, Mr. Bright, for the
Pauline phrase—teach the House as much of the language of the Bible
as you may, and, while you are about it, a little of its spirit.
A discussion about Branding deserters. The case is this. Scoundrels
have a habit of deserting from one regiment and enlisting in another,
for the sake of the bounty money. So, for their identification, they
are branded with a tiny but ineffaceable D. The question is, whether
this should be done more than once. Mr. Cardwell did not approve
the practice at all, but said that the fraud in question was so common
that some effective method of checking it was necessary—and so the
matter stands. Why did not Mr. Brand speak ?
Delicate question. Many bishops are so aged that they cannot do
their work. An intelligent mind will supply the rest of the story, and
Mr. Gladstone said that he believed that the Bench was giving con-
sideration to the subject.
Tuesday. The new Member for Wareham took his oaths and seat.
Ha, Sirs, the name of Mr. Drax makes us young again. How is Mr.
Grantley Berkeley ? Remembereth he that grand day of sport,
when he mounted his steed, and
“ Before his head was dog Odin led,
And behind his tail came Drax ? ”
The good old days ! But drink. Sirs, we shall never be younger.
Mr. Drax was victor on that day, nevertheless Grantley and Odin
did their work well, and all but won that desperate game.
The Crypt under St. Stephen’s Chapel is ready for divine service,
but Mr. Layard said that if the House wished for that, they must
make some endowment for a minister. But why can’t the House go
to prayers there, and have their own excellent chaplain; thus getting
rid of the unseemly “ devotional dogskin” and other secularities ?
Mr. Maguire, in a very good speech, brought on a very good debate
on the Irish Society. One or two persons may “ not exactly recollect
all about this Society, though of course they know generally ’’—and so
forth, which means that they know nothing at all on the subject, and
if we were to fell them (we’d scorn the action) that the Irish Society
was an association founded in Cork, in 1711, by William and Mary,
for supplying pikes and testaments to the citizens of Ulster, they
would know no better. But they shall know better. James the
First desired to plant the confiscated lands in the north of Ireland,
so he composed a puff, as Mr. Maguire said, for the purpose of
inducing the London citizens to take the district in hand. Of course,
they were too wary to believe the King, but they sent four discreet 1
men, Messrs. Broad, Frieswell, Rowley, and Munns, to see how
far His Majesty had told the truth. To the astonishment of the City,
the spies reported well of the Irish Canaan, and a Committee, which
afterwards became the Society, got a charter from the Crown. After
the settlement, of course the King began to play his usual tricks, and
at last their property was taken away, and they did not get a new
charter till 1670. Since that time they have managed much as might
be expected from London citizens, that is, on the whole honestly, but
with at least an eye and a half on London, and only half an eye on the
Irish. They have, naturally, had a vast deal of fun and feasting out ;
of the revenues, but Mr. Russell Gurney says that they have fairly
discharged their duty. The Irish Secretary thought that there was a
case for consideration, but not one which demanded any particular
hurry.
We had a slightly personal debate. A representative of the Great
House of Lowther has once more been made Lord-Lieutenant of the
Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland. The dynasty has endured,
we believe, some 130 years. Mr. Disraeli made this last appointment
a few days before resigning. It was challenged to-night by
Mr. Charles Howard. So Mr. Disraeli had to explain, in his
lofty comedy style, that he had not been actuated by dynastic conside-
rations. That Mr. Disraeli should give such a thing away from the
heir of Lord Lonsdale, was really not to be expected; and
Mr. Gladstone spoke up in his defence. The argument that, a
moribund Cabinet ought not to give away patronage, Mr. Disraeli
met by observing, that if a Minister ceased to be a Minister before his
successor were appointed, there might be Dreadful Moments for which
nobody would be responsible, which was shocking and unconstitu-
tional. He said that he should have been happy to give the appoint-
ment to any other qualified person; but there was none. Colonel
Lowther, the L. L. in question, had the pleasure of hearing himself
thus discussed; and Mr. Howard of course apologised to him, as
became an aristocratic neighbour. We must quote what Mr. Disraeli
said about his own resignation :—
“ When the borough elections had well nigh concluded, it occurred to me
and my colleagues, who, however, were scattered over the country, that the