Punch (60.1871)

February 18, 1871.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

63

PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

__-<rrTTnT/flW^ HUESDAY, February 9, 1871.

^^trii , J^jjHjHj! W^^/Lf Session began.

J^^^/A/vS^^li^A "May we not meet

jffim^^ A\ ^^S^v/I) again till February,"

n]J ii VI/ ^^§sMJ 111 prayed Mr. Punch, in

^^hs^JiT closing his Essence on

f> ^\ the 10th of last August.

__=—^ ^> r^P^l- ^or there was then a

im^ri-_ .'ti'i^/JyIn— __ chance — and more —

J^^M^/=§JQI thatthePKEMiERmight

^^§nSsSf^flf^^j^^~ •'•').•?—- • '"' compelled to oxer-

^^^^^^<^^m\li^^h )l^lly;E:==S^==- cisethe power be had

reserved, and to sum-
mon the Legislature at

- short notice. Wos ser-
vavit Apollo. Of whom,

EEL in his character of

EEL Phoebus, we should

EEEt! like to see a good deal

=E=: more. " Shine out, fair

— Sun, till "We can buy a
= glass," and it shall be
EE filled and emptied to

thine honour. " Born
f= and educated in this
pEE country," Punch, like
==-— King Geobge III.,
= '' glories in the name
H=H of Briton," and a Bri-
," ton is nothing if he is
s~ not meteorological. It
is, however, fair to Sol
p=E; to state, that the Queen
^EEE had a hne day for the
opening ceremonial.

Her Majesty was
present. It had been
hoped that the Sove-
^ reign would be able to
—1 deliver the Speech. The
Queen might have

done so, had it been of average length. But the Ministers revenged themselves for their
extraordinary silence during the recess, by composing an address containing no fewer than
Thirty-Three Paragraphs. To nobody but a Chancery lawyer could such a reading be
entrusted, and the head Chancery lawyer of all had to toil through it. Her Majesty sat on
her throne and listened, and "once made a hasty movement of her fan." Mr. Punch
suspects that this was when the Chancellor came to a sentence of remarkably queer con-
struction. It was not exceptional, and Her Majesty's indulgent good-nature was, therefore,
made manifest.

Of Thirty-Three paragraphs, eight were devoted to very becoming reference to the
"War between Germany and France, and to a hope that the Armistice would result
in a complete Accommodation.

King William has become Emperor of Germany, and we have congratulated him.

We uphold the Sanctity of Treaties. (Well said, your Majesty.) And hence the Black
Sea Conference. We regret that France is not present.

A joint Commission is to endeavour to arrange the American questions.

We hope that King Amadeus will be a blessing to Spain.

We have failed obtaining satisfaction for the Greek murders, but shall persevere.
The anxiety caused by the Chinese murders has ceased. We hope that Parliament
will allow China to be treated in a conciliatory manner.

\_Hm, your Majesty. Should not that Depend f
We are friends with the Sovereigns and States of the civilised world.

have approved of a marriage between my daughter, Princess Louise, and the
Marquis oe Lorne."

\_Mr. Punch, clear Madam, lias shown, by a marvellously effective
Cartoon, that he also approves that match.

Revenue nourishes, as does Trade, with partial drawbacks.
Then came what Mr. Punch and the Nation chiefly desired to hear :—

This is the time to turn to account, by decisive efeort, the lessons of the
war. Parliament will not grudge the cost of a more effective and
elastic system of defensive military peepakation.

[Loud cheers by Mr. Punch and the Nation. They shall be louder
when Me. Cardwell shall have made a satisfactory statement
of the Government scheme.
Notwithstanding the interest attaching to foreign affairs, we must attend to Domestic
Legislation, and specially to these points :—

1. Abolition of Religious Tests in all the Universities.

2. Ecclesiastical Titles.

3. Disabilities of Trades' Unions.

4. Courts of Justice and Appeal.

5. Adjustment of Local Burdens.

6. Liquor Licence Laws.
Government will introduce a Ballot-
Bill.

Scotland expects a measure on Primary
Education.

Ireland, in regard to agrarian out-
rage, behaves better than she did
last winter, but there have been
painful exceptions. A period of
political calm is desirable for her,
after the great measures of last
year, so no Irish question is to be
raised. {Sensation of intense relief.)

The last paragraph was a well-conceived
expression of patriotism and of
piety.

Her Majesty descended from Her
Throne, embraced the Princess of Wales,
shook hands with Princess Maey of Tece,
and extended her hand for the kiss of
Peincess Christian. Then all departed.

When the Lords met again, the Chan-
cellor actually performed the feat of
reading the enormous Speech again.
Mr. Punch has much admiration for
gallant achievement of every kind, but
Lord Hatheeley is a very valuable public
servant, and must not risk his efficiency by
this sort of thing. We are not pleased
with the Peers, who should have stopped
it, and cried " Taken as read."

The Marquis of Westminster made his
first speech in the House of Peers, and
moved the Address. He wore the uniform
of the Cheshire Yeomanry Cavalry. Lord
Rosebeey (whose name is also Primrose),
who wore the uniform of the Scottish
Archers, seconded the Address. The Duke
of Richmond, for the Opposition, com-
plimented the former on his '' admirable
speech," and the latter on his "conspi-
cuous manner." Mr. Punch records that
both the Cheshire Yeoman and the Scottish
Archer discharged their tasks with much
ability and grace. Hugo Lupus may be
proud of the first, and Quentin Durward
if he be an ancestor of the second (which
we have not the least reason for supposing)
may applaud the younger peer.

The Duke oe Richmond had to make a
speech, and to assume a certain amount of
formal discontent with the Government.
Which he did in as civil and gentlemanly
a way as possible, and Lord Granville's
answer was about as agreeable. But, in
speaking of the War, he said that he was
connected with both Germany and France
by close ties, had sympathies with both,
and had displeased both by the " cordial
neutrality" which was his duty. He
stated that Loed de Geey, President of
the Council, was to sail for America that
week, accompanied by Mr. Montague
Bernard, to attend the Commission men-
tioned in the Speech. Replying to the
Duke, about the released Fenians, he in-
sisted that political offenders ought not to
be regarded as habitual criminals. To
which Mr. Punch retorts that there be
offenders and offenders, and that with all
tolerance for misguided enthusiasm, he*
has none for armed rebellion whose parti-
sans blow up prisons.

The Address was agreed to, and Lord
Granville proposed the re-appointment
of Lord Redesdale as Chairman of Com-
mittees. We regretted to read that his
Lordship had been severely bitten by a
savage dog, and the Lords were glad, as
was Mr. Punch, to learn that Sir Williaji