Punch (72.1877)

February 24, 1877.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 75

A POSER.

Sporting Gent. " I say, there's a lot o' your 'Ounds running the other Side of the Water !"

Huntsman. "Then perhaps you'll just pop over, and give 'em a Holloo !" [Sporting Gent subsides.

by the Board of Works of the reasons against all that are proposed.
And, indeed, it is no light matter for my Lords and their Ladies,
and for the Board of Works, that may not fitly go to work but on full
consideration.

{Co?ntnons.)—To question of Mr. Ashley, Mr. Bouree, a brisk
young man, and Under Secretary to my Lord Derby, had a hard busi-
ness in explaining of the steps taken by the Turk in compliance with
my Lord Derby's sharp letter touching the punishment of those con-
cerned in the Bulgarian atrocities, wherein many sentences have
been passed, as I did gather, but could hear of neither sentences nor
offenders executed as yet, but a Commission still examining and
seeking for what the Trench call Midi d quatorze henres. Pleasant
to hear how Shefket Pasha, the leader of all the atrocities, is not
under arrest, but under surveillance, which do seem to me mighty
different. So the upshot of all do seem to be, much said but nothing
done, as is usual with the Turk.

Then other replies to other questions touching these Turkish
matters, as of the Loan, and the departure of Sir Henry Elliot,
and a certain despatch of my Lord Derby's ; and I do see plainly
there is like to be no lack of questions for my Lord Derby and Sir
Stafford Northcote, and I do wish them both well delivered of
their answers. Then much other confused business, which I could
not note.

At last the House to debate sharply of Mr. Smyth's Bill for Closing
of Irish Public-houses on Sunday, which the Government be of a
mind to grant, as it were experimentum in cor pore vili, though they
will none of it here. But, Lord, to see how Irish Members do con-
tradict each other flatly herein, as in other things ; one O'Sullivan
crying the Bill down as a wicked thing " to affect the interests of
many thousand Irishmen, and to restrict the liberty and ancient
rivileges of Ireland," whereof, doubtless, the privilege of getting
runk on Sunday, as on other days, is one of the most ancient. And
then to hear one Sullivan, without the " 0," calling lustily for the
Bill ; and a gross, fat man, one Major O'Gorman, mighty loud
against it, and methinks did bear him as like the fat knight in
Shakspeare's play as ever I saw; and much laughter of the House,
whether at his brogue or his belly I could not learn, but do believe
the one did help the other. Among other things of this O'Gorman's

that moved the House to mirth, was this, that for an Irishman to
get drunk on a Sunday anywhere save in a licensed public-house,
though it were sub Jove frigido—the fat Major being one that can
talk Latin, as indeed, most of your Irish be scholars, after some
sort—was an insult to the Queen's Majesty, which puzzled me.
But whether the Irish people be in truth for or against this Bill, I
know not. For the biggest towns—Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Waterford,
Limerick—the Secretary for Ireland did hold it wise to have in-
quiry made of the matter by Select Committee. And methinks if
the public-houses cannot be shut on Sundays in these great towns,
it is little that they should be shut in smaller places. But Irish
reasons are, and have ever been since first I heard of them, hard to
fathom. So I wish the Bill a good deliverance, and no more heads
or windows broken than is needful.

Then a Bill moved for Valuation of Property for Bating, being a
remanet from last year—like so many of the Bills this Session. But
whether this Bill be better or worse than last year's, I know not.
And methinks the House was no wiser than I, which comforts me.
Only I am thankful there were no such Bills, and few such rates, in
my time.

Also a Bill touching Patents brought in ; the same that they have
been trying to pass these two years. But whether this one will be
got passed I could not learn. Yet methinks it is sore needed, for
inventions do multiply strangely, beyond aught that was dreamed
of in my time ; and where they will stop, I see not. Lord grant it
may aU be for good. But am glad of one thing, that Mr. Attorney-
General do own that poor men have a right to profit by the work
of their brains, whereto this Bill is meant to help; so I wish well to it.

Tuesday {Lords).—My Lord Granville to question of my Lord
Derby touching the treaty for mutual delivering up of law-breakers
passing between this country and the United States of America,
whither in my time they did deport rogues, but they now, it seems,
being their own masters, do send their rogues to us, and we ours to
them, as it were in the way of barter.

And my Lord Derby to explain how herein matters are again as
they were, before he did get into a quarrel with one Fish, the
States' Secretary, last year ; so I do find my Lord hath had to
eat his words, but put it as if he had not, yet doth it with as good