Punch (68.1875)

98

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[Makch 6, 1875.

PUNCH’S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

airway Companies,
if Lord Redes-
dale Lad Lis way
{Monday,Feb. 21)
would be bound
Ly Act of Parlia-
ment for ever to
carry tLree classes
of passengers, be-
cause tLey Lave
done so for tLirty
years past.

Lord Carling -
ford, like Punch
and most sensiLle
people, can’t see
wLy, if Companies
cLoose to give
first-class accom-
modation for se-
cond or even third -
class fare, tLey
sLould not Le free
to do so. But
Lord Redesdale
so loves tLe rule
stare super anti-
quas vias, Le would
extend it to Rail-
ways. ProLaLly
Le Las no love for
them at Lest. We fear tLey are democratic
inventions—levellers socially as well as mecha-
nically, Lringing dukes and ditcLers under tLe
same iron rules.

Lord John Manners, wLo Las Leen proving
tLat if “Manners makytL man,” Le can un-
make men of letters, explained tLat Lis late
dismissal of five letter-sorters was not for Oliver
Twist's offence of “asking for more,” Lut for
allying tLemselves witL professional agitators
out of doors, and fomenting agitation witLin.
FireLrands can’t Le tolerated in tLe Post-Office,
tLe contents of wLicL are eminently comLustible,
particularly wLen brougLt in contact with the
non-contents. Lord John is not a likely man to Le harsh or
hasty, and we sLould think the odds are that any punishment Le
inflicts Las been well earned.

Mr. Wait asked the question England has waited to Lave
answered, whether the Admiralty had refused Lady Franklin’s
prayer to Lave her gallant husband’s last representative and
nephew, an officer of pith and promise, appointed as sub-lieu-
tenant to the Arctic expedition—the only favour she ever asked
of Government. Mr. Ward-Hunt pieads guilty. It was
decided that only two sub-lieutenants sLould be appointed.
Great care was taken to cLoose the fittest of the forty-four
who volunteered. It was impossible, for such a service, to let sen-
timent prevail over other considerations. Had there been more sub-
lieutenants, Lieutenant Franklin would Lave been chosen.

How it ought not to be necessary to remind Mr. Ward-Hunt that
there is such a thing as “natural selection.” It pointed to Lieu-
Q , tenant Franklin. From a good, by such a plea on his behalf he

K11v_ 1- . ® .’ man ■‘OT AttU’U' Sentiment should have been allowed to prevail—even to the extent of appointing a third

firm rvf + ?ecessar^' 1“ iaI ar<Ur slaP in the face to English good-feeling could the late Government, so abused for subordina-

nffiheard^&Tst of if™5®’ ^ mfllcted ? So like Lowe-or Ayrton,” people would have said. Let us hope Mr. Ward-Hunt has

waU L* shirk the disagreeables, say of Indian service, are in the habit of exchanging with those in whose eyes Indian
thp terms o-f tVw-U .° U.U ano allowances, outbalance the cons. The War Office must now approve, not only of such exchanges, but
Second “Renrlirm- r.4 Rut moUi? that passes between the exchangers is at present limited to actual expenses. Mr. Hardy moved the
terms The olUUr 1 rv° U 16 money-Part of the transaction out of War Office ken, leaving the barterers free to settle their own
James and Lord Penzance s^rong and unammous recommendation of Lord Cardwell’s Purchase Commission, including Lord Justice

the back door to Purchase, barred out at the front F

them a 'sr»>ntnnNU Uln S S<r’ and Me; Lowe, and both spoke their minds strongly. It is a natural suspicion, and Punch feels with
Promotion /\ the oft,,*'°l U a£am admitting Purse—thrust out with such difficulty, and at a cost of seven millions—into the field of
poor man who will nwuUk U on^ more Pra°f °f the melancholy truth—Nummos expellas furca, tarnen usque recurrent ? But it is the
Doctors. tEctt Ui+U ?UH?jiCkan.^e’. aRd who prays for it._ There seems no question of that. If Doctors differ, it is not the Military

They are all for the Bill.' It is the Civil Doctors who shake their heads at it
The report is very decided, and comes from
thus strenuously pressed

men with a stronger bias against Purchase

The weight of evidence seems against them,
than for it. It is difficult to resist conclusions

“ It has been repeatedly and forcibly urged upon us that the
is a serious hardship to some and a serious loss to others
from an apprehension that to

Tf a prohibition of paying and receiving money for exchanges between officers on full pay

allow any Decuniarv ; oes aPPear t0 ~8 ™a*; ™e complaint is a legitimate one. The new rule has obviously proceeded

• 1 ° “ between officers in respect of their commissions might be as a letting out of the waters,