Punch (72.1877)

194

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[May 5, 1877.

PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

m • w-i ™cV ^ \ (Lords, Monday, April 3), Loed Deeby (as Call-Hot/): " War Overture on,

■iKcs;s f^sifiP 41 *^ffl!hL. myXords!" Me. Layabi) reports the flitting of the Russ cor^s ^foma^we from

WfJS® 1 ■ 5, ^^^brai*^ Stamboul; Colonel Mansfield, the arrival of the first Russian detachments at

V)„ Bucharest. Exeunt words. Enter swords.

' *0v, The Eael oe Carnabvon, most laborious, well-meaning, and clear-headed of

Colonial Ministers, introduced his skeleton South African Confederation Bill. It
is the mere framework of a permissive measure, under whose dead ribs the Colonial Legislatures may, if they will, breathe a soul, by
turning the Bill's " mays " into " shalls." The problem before the Colonial Office is not an easy one—how to combine into a harmonious,
well-guarded, and well-governed whole, the motley mixture of Dutch Settlements, English Colonies, and Native States now dividing
South Africa, in more senses than one. At present Dutch Boer, English Settler, Malay Coolie, Tottie, Bechuana, Oriq.ua, and Zulu, only
agree to differ. The Bill provides how, if they can but agree to try to agree, they are to go about it, all the ticklish points being left open for
local discussion and settlement. No doubt this is the best way of managing a most difficult job. If Loed Cabnabvon had sent out a
ready-made constitutional suit it would never have fitted. As it is, he empowers the Colonial tailors to take their own measures, and cut
their own coat of many colours according to their own cloth and the wearer's figure.

(Commons.)—A nice go in at the House's favourite game of question and answer. More outbreaks of Cattle Plague, worse luck, in
big suburban herds, too, at Willesden, Kensal Green, and Notting Hill. Nothing for it but stamping out. " That's the sort of plague
I am ! Budget talk; Childees and Mundella croaking, W. H. Smith sanguine, Chancellob of the Exchequeb cheerful.

Sclatee-Booth asked for a credit of Four Millions for Local Loans. Chamberlain congratulated the country on the increasing
indebtedness of local authorities. It meant expenditure on remunerative and much-needed works of drainage, gas, water, and street
improvement. Bar jobs and blunders, Mr. Chamberlain—a biggish bar too. But it is the Local Government Board's business to knock
that bar down and keep it down. If only the Board could contrive to use a little less red-tape in the process !

Tuesday [Lords).—Loed Derby announced the crossing of the Roumanian frontier by 17,000 Russians at Bolgrad and Jassy.

Lord Grey wanted to know whether what is called the D. T. Draft Protocol (in which Turkey undertakes to do all that the
Conference asked, and to allow the Ambassadors to overlook their doing it, if Russia will only take the armed hand off her throat),
was ever considered while the Asses' Bridge was building. Lord Deeby said no doubt the D. T. Draft might represent the Sultan's
idea, but it was never before the Asses'-Bridge-builders; and if it had been, he really did not believe it would have altered matters.