Punch: Punch (69.1875)

November 20, 1875,]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

213

AN IRISH MELODY TRANSPLANTED.

German Tenor warbles:—"I'll not leaf zee, sow lone von,
to bine on z b sohtem !
Zins ze iofly are Szchleeebingk,

C6h ! szchleeeb sow fiz dem !

zos ghyntly i schgadder

Zy Leafs on the Bet,
Vair zy Maids of ze Karrten

Lie schentless and tet ! "

OTJB MAYORS.

The ninth of November has come and gone to join so many of its prede-
cessors. The loving cup has been passed round, toasts given, quotations
borrowed, hands grasped, and bells rung. We have welcomed the coming and
sped the parting Mayors. Throughout England and Wales, from Bootle to
Beaumaris, from York to Yeovil, the annual transfer of furred gowns, gold
chains, historical maces, and antique wands, has once more taken place, and
our Boroughs have again chosen new Mayors, or been faithful to old Mayors,
or, as in one or two cases, found it a very difficult enterprise to secure any
Mayors at all.

Turning away then our eyes and thoughts for a time from Bombay to Bodmin,
from Turkey to Tewkesbury, from the Herzegovina to East Retford, let us
keep up an established practice, and go through the new tale of Mayors, that
we may form some idea of the way in which the Municipalities are likely to be
governed between now and next November. No interference with the politics
of their Worships will be attempted, beyond the expression of a hearty wish
that they may all be Liberal in their hospitalities, and Conservative of every
good custom and laudable usage.

This year there can be no doubt which Borough ought to take precedence
of all its fellows—Hull, for it has put itself under the sway of a King, in
marked contrast to Maidstone, which is satisfied with the services of a Page.
Wolverhampton happily combines both the civil and military power in its

Major; and the renewed fidelity of Birmingham to its
Chamberlain deserves again to be recorded. It remains
to be seen to what height the Mayor of Truro will
attain: at present all we can say for certainty is that he
is a Clyma.

What great names there are in the list! Sampson at
Leominster, Nelson at Warwick, Livingstone at Swansea,
Manning at Nottingham, Walton (would that his Chris-
tian name had been Izaak!) at Newark, Cotton in the
City of London, and Pinnock at Newport!

While Brighton, ecclesiastical in its views (the Church
Congress met there not long ago), secures an Abbey,
Dover, which so often receives passing visits from
Royalty, not unnaturally shows its partiality for a
Court. Rotherham has Chambers, Wigan, Burrows;
Leeds a Croft, Great Yarmouth a Barnby, and Rochdale
a Littlewood ; Dartmouth, as a true Devonshire town,
possesses a Puddicombe; Wakefield a Grill, and Graves-
end, we are particularly pleased to announce, will not
part with its Lake.

Many of the Municipalities are modest in their aims,
moderate in their aspirations. Bath is loyal to a Paynter,
Hanley is contented with a Baker, Canterbury with
a' Cooper, Ipswich with a Mason, Tynemouth with a
Potter, Derby with a Turner, Oldham with a Wain-
wright, and Barrow-in-Furness with a Schneider. The
Fowler is at Louth, but the Trappes a long way off, at
Clitheroe; and the Hunt appears to be fixed at Scar-
borough.

Man (we do not forget Wildman at Tamworth) does
not seem to have sole possession of the field. There is a
Wolfe at Bolton, and a Galloway at Gateshead; a
Papillon at Colchester, and a Goldfinch at Faversham:
a Dawe at Penryn, and a Rooke at York.

If Leicester shows a Barfoot, Deal can supply a Nether-
sole. There may be Cutts again at Retford, but there is
Healing at Tewkesbury. Portsmouth has its Pink—it
would be disrespectful to an old and tried joke not to
add—of perfection, and Devonport its May; Coventry
gets1 a Berry, and Banbury a Stone. There is Brown at
Windsor, and White at Launceston; and, as a fitting
ending, at Chipping Norton, there is, for the sixth time,
Far well—can there be a stronger proof that he is a far
better man for the office than any one else in the whole
place ? _

THE CIRCULAR IRON-CLAD.

Who invented the Circular Iron-clad ? Reed,
Says Admiral Popoff—most frankly indeed—
First started the thought in his nautical brain:
And, this being so, Punch can only complain
That Russia has got, for its sea-warfare's need,
The very first use of the notion of Reed.

Build your Circular Ship, Lords of tar and red tape,
But will it from nautical dangers escape ?
Alack, the First Lord would be flurried and angered
If, misplaced in a fog, it went down like the Vanguard :
While a terrible rage all the realm will be rapt in,
If it coolly capsizes, and outdoes the Captain.

My Lords may be asked (without answer, I ween)
Why the Czar could obtain what they lost for the

Queen ?

Why, if we must fight upon Neptune's rough tide,
The genius of England should go the wrong side ?
Why our sharpest ship-planner from office was hunted,
While improvements in build, thanks to old screws,
were shunted ?

Another shrewd question. It touches us all,
And extends from the Neva as far as Whitehall,—
Why should Circular Iron-clads, viciously whirled,
Against the fair fleet of a neighbour be hurled ?
Why fight for more provinces, quarrel for trifles,
And tax us to pay for your cannons and rifles ?

War's fire is the flare-up of Statesmanship's fuel:
Why cannot Prime Ministers make it a duel ?
If England and Germany fail to agree,
Disraeli and Bismarck might meet, don't you see ?
And, should this occur, Punch is ready to swear,
They'd fire, as they frequently talk, in the air.

Change of Name {suggested for the new Directors) -
The Emma Mine—The Dil-Emma Mine.