Punch (70.1876)

June 17, 1876.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 243

IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FLATTERY.

Nurse. " I wanted to go into Town this Afternoon, if you could spare me, to get a new Bonnet. And—I admire your
Taste in Bonnets so much, Mum, I was a-thinkin' I couldn't do better than go to the same Shop ! ! "

W. V. Harcourt, declaring illegal enclosures of Commons public
nuisances, and so abateable by anybody. This, Punch cannot help
thinking, would have strengthened the back bone of the Bill.

A discussion on the congestion in the West End arteries, caused
by the plethora of traffic at Hyde Park Corner. Lord H. Lennox
contemplates an operation of his own for relief of the pressure, dif-
ferent from the ones proposed by Drs. Denison and Adam, and
by the collective wisdom of the Metropolitan Board of Works.

London will be thankful to know something is to be done.

Mr. Sclater-Booth brought in his Bill for preventing the Pollu-
tion of Livers. One set of its provisions is meant to stop solid refuse ;
another to dam out sewage ; a third to exclude manufacturing
filth. Conservancy Boards are to be created for river basins;
sanitary authorities are to make bye-laws for manufactories, and
County Courts are to enforce the penalties of the law on offenders.
A very pretty scheme. But will it work.' Punch has seen so many
pretty schemes, and still the filth goes into the rivers. If Mr.
Sclater-Booth succeeds where his predecessors have failed—

Mr. Punch his misgivings with pleasure will sooth,
And hold up his hands and bless Sclater-Booth.

Mr. Cross brought in a Bill to shut off a see of Cornwall from the
see of Exeter. A munificent individual—worthy to be called a
pious tin-founder—has promised £1,300 a year; the Bishop of
Exeter is to ladle £800 out of his see into the Cornish, and a con-
siderable sum has been collected besides in driblets, so that there is
hope that the see will not lack the see-water—aurum potalile—re-
quired to float a Bishop.

{Friday.)—The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition humbly asked
for any information the Leader .of [Her Majesty's Government
would be pleased to vouchsafe about the Eastern Question. The
Leader of Her Majesty's Government could not exactly lay any
papers on the table. But the House would be glad to know that
the Berlin Memorandum had been withdrawn—he thought he
might say sine die. The Porte had offered the insurgents an
armistice. All the Powers agreed with us in thinking no pressure
should be put on the new Sultan ; and all had concurred in clapping

a muzzle on the Dogs of War in Servia and Montenegro (for which
animals and their Russian " Bill George," see Mr. P.'s Cartoon).

A waste of time over the imaginary grievances of Mr. Henwood,
disappointed naval architect. Ditto over the well-ascertained rule
of each House not to refer to debates in the other, such debates
having no authorised organ. Everything depends, as Mr. Disraeli
pointed out, on the rule being evaded, as it must sometimes be
evaded, in a proper Parliamentary and Pickwickian manner—"in
fact, as / do," intimated the Bight Honourable Gentleman.

Sir George Campbell urged the necessity of somehow combining
under one and the same recruiting machinery a short-service system
for home, and a long-service system for India. Mr. Hardy didn't
see his way to it; and we don't wonder.

A good deal of talk, but none to much purpose, on the Army Esti-
mates, which included £17,000 for the rebuilding of Knightsbridge
Barracks, and a vote [for the Martini-Henry Riiie, which brought
up the old controversy on its merits as a service-arm ; showing the
old and irreconcileable Doctors' differences, which leave lay-people
satisfied that our rifles are very well as they are.

LOGICAL DEMONSTRATION.

The Temperance Demonstration on Whit Monday in Hyde Park
was a very numerous one. This is gratifying. Its numbers have
multiplied since, no doubt. Cardinal Manning is reported to have
said that every one who turns a Temperance-man makes three other
Temperance-men. Turning Temperance-man is your way to promote
Temperance. Such demonstrations as the Hyde Park Temperance
Demonstration demonstrate that Temperance, and not drunkenness
as fabulists assert, is on the increase. It is reasonable to hope that
Temperance will go on increasing amongst the masses, as it has
increased among the higher orders, until it prevails. Temperance
fard da se. Monster Temperance Demonstrations_ prove in the
meanwhile that, inasmuch as the people are fast taking to Temper-
ance of their own accord, there is not the slightest reason whatever
for trying to make them sober by Act of Parliament. Success to
Monster Temperance Demonstrations!