Punch: Punch (57.1869)

November 20. 1869.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

197

SOMETHINK LIKE!"

First City Clerk (after his Holiday). " I got a few Days' Shooting, too !
Second Ditto. " Good Sport ?"

First C. C. " I believe you ! Jugged Five Hares before Breakfast, the

POETRY BY PLLGARLIC.

(On the Ninth of November)

Ha ! That peal, thought I awaking,
Of some day auspicious tells,

Thus mine early slumber breaking,
Blessing on ye, merry bells.

Let me see. Yes, I remember
Why that sound mine ear assails ;

This the Ninth is of November,
Birthday of the Prince of Wales.

Every day, boys, whilst we mellow
As do medlars—grievous bore !

Is the birthday of some fellow
Who has lived, and lives no more.

Ring the birthday peal, however,
For all born with Fortune's boon,

Means to live without endeavour,
In the mouth a silver spoon.

Ring it too, but ring it other.
On their birthday whose life's line

Has, from birth, been care and bother;
Ring it backwards upon mine.

A. CARD FROM THE ISLE OF AFRICA..

Father Nile presents his respectful compliments to
Mr. Punch, and (with grateful remembrance of the de-
lightful way in which that gentleman depicted saucy
Miss Britannia discovering the Father among his rushes,
a few years back) begs leave to inform Mr. Punch, and
therefore the world, that the Father, at the suggestion
of the Reverend Doctor Livingstone, has removed
hi» head-quarters to a delightful region, about eleven
degrees south of the Fquator or Equinoxious line, where
for the present he is to be found by his friends. Car-
riages to set down at Cazembe, a couple of hundred miles,
or so, south of Burton's Lake Tanganyika.

N.B. You are heartily welcome to any refreshments
which you may bring with you. Niggers about here don't
need to be shot. _

The Premier's host Coveted Possession.—A pair of

First Morning 11" i Garters.

RAILWAY COMPENSATION.

Thank you, my Lord Chief Justice. Punch thanks your Lord-
ship heartily for the words of sense you spoke the other day at West-
minster, when a wealthy railway company moved to set aside a verdict
awarding heavy damages to a badly-damaged passenger. Counsel
having hinted that Parliament mighr, alter the laws whica it had made,
and pass an Act to limit compensation in such cases, said your Lord-
ship very justly—

"If you mean an alteration of the principle of law that railway companies,
like all other persons, are liable for the natural consequences oi their negli-
gence, I sincerely hope that it will not be found. I can conceive nothing
more monstrous or more mischievous than that parties sustaining such
injuries should not be entitled to recover what juries may consider a fair and
equitable compensation."

So, according to your Lordship, an accident upon a railway is a
" natural consequence of negligence : " and in nineteen cases out of
twenty this is probably the fact. Monstrous, certainly, it would be,
and mischievous as well, to change the only law that holds such negli-
gence in check. Directors merely look at the money cost of accidents,
and little care what suffering and misery they cause. Make compensa-
tion cheap, and you encourage cheap arrangements, which are sure to
lead to accidents, and while accidents are costly are not so often
risked.

1 f Directors had their way, they would limit compensation to a sum
scarce worth the suing for, and then reduce their staff of signalmen,
and cut down all expenses incurred for safety's sake. The dread of
aying heavy damages deters them now from such a step; and the
eavier the sums awarded for an injury, the more likelihood there will
be that trains will be made safe. While compensation is unlimited,
Directors would impose a sliding-scale of fares, proportioned to the
value of the passengers conveyed. They who paid the dearest would

be taken the most care of, and perhaps be labelled in order to distin-
guish them from less precious folk. Special safety trains would be
started for such passengers, and those esteemed as the most costly
would receive the greatest care. In the eyes of a Director lite and
limb are only valuable because, when they be either lost or injured,
compensation can be claimed. The chief security for travellers lies in
the tact that life and limb are esteemed of money value, and the more
highly they are valued the safer they will be.

A Low Fellah's Prayer to Mohammed.

From Pashas like Ismael Pasha deliver us,

His hand is so heavy, his look so Khediv-irous ;

He has bottomless pockets, and stomach omnivorous ;

While his guests, feu and feted, his praise sing vociferous,

We've scarce lentils to eat, and scarce tatters to kiver us !

equal to any dutt.
At the Lord Mayor's dinner the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer proposed the toast of "The Ladies !" in a manner which showed
that the task was no tax on his politeness.

wanted a painter.
Who is going to depict the scene of the opening of the Suez Canal P
There is one man who would have done it to perfection, but unfor-
tunately he is dead—Canaletto.

Good Chemical Preparation for Over-Beaten Bullocks —
Ox-hide of Iron.

Vol. 57.

7