Punch (73.1877)

16 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [JuLY 21> 1877-

A HINT FOR HOT WEATHER.

Imitation is the Sincerest form of Flattery. "Why not do
away with the sleeves of your outer garment, like the
Ladies ?

evasion, the Turkish Officials ? Home is clearly the place for
Holmes, and let Freeman come to the front.

The Home-Rulers were, for once, almost unanimous in defence of
one of the most egregious johs ever attempted even in Ireland, or
defended even by Irish Members—the appointment by a Master
in an Irish Court within three weeks of his last act of official life,
of his son to a junior-clerkship with no duties, the abolition of which
had been recommended by the Chief Justice and Chief Baron, and
the salary of which, thus filled up, the Treasury have refused to
pay. Chief Justice Whiteside is quoted as characterising this as
"incredible meanness." We should have called it " plain duty,"
or, " inevitable necessity," which you will.

Colonel Wellesley seems destined to breed battle. Now they are
quarrelling over his retention in the Military Attacheship more than
live years, because it puts him over the heads of his military seniors,
and violates the rotation rule.

~A propos of that rule which shifts holders of Staff appointments
after five years' tenure, if any Military Reformer—not Mr.
Holms, but another—would move for a Select Committee to inquire
into the working of it, in such appointments as the Superintendence
of Woolwich Arsenal or the Governorship of the Military College,
he would do good service, and expose little-suspected practical ill-
consequences of the hard and fast application of a rule that, to
work well, must be worked " with a difference."

In certain classes of appointments the application of the five years'
rule means simply throwing away all the benefit of an expensive
experience, and constant replacing, at John Bull's heavy cost, of
men who have learnt a difficult business by those who have it all to
learn.

Tuesday (Lords).—Ex nihilo nihil.

Commons (Morning Sitting).—"A. propos of a'question by Mr.
Whalley, the Chancellor of the Exchequer protested against
canards being let fiy in the House of Commons, and the Government
being expected to bring them down. On the motion for going into
Supply for Education, Lord Sandon, essaying a general statement,
was pulled up sharp by Mr. Forster, and told to keep his talk till
the House was in Committee. After some time wasted in a smart

wrangle, Lord Sandon shut up, whereupon Mr. Samuelson moved
a relaxation of the rule that requires those who are learning to teach
to live in Training Colleges. The Scotch Universities are able and
willing to teach teachers, and " my Lords " will facilitate attend-
ance of Oueen's Scholars on their classes. But further they decline
to go, and the House, by Lord Sandon's direction, in spite of Mr.
Fobster's plea for Day-Training Colleges, supported the Depart-
ment by 121 to 78—an official majority.

Sir John Lubbock: asked, on behalf of School Boards and Com-
mittees, for more elbow-room in choice of subjects, and order and
mode of teaching them. He gave abundant illustrations of present
absurdities and palpable improvements in national schooling, as to
which the only question is, if they be possible under present condi-
tions and with existing appliances. Common-sense seems to point
out, that there would be infinitely more use in teaching boys common
gardening, and girls the simplest household work and plainest
cookery, instead of much in the bookwork way that both are now
kept at without learning. It is well that somebody in the House
should call attention to what may or might be done, and clearly
is not done, in this matter. Teachers' pensions ; what we have got,
and what we want, in the way of inspectors ; the difference between
the number of children who ought to be, and who are at school,
were all brought up, and attention to all promised.

Lord Sandon reported good work doing in the way of that most
urgent of all educational wants—the teaching of Cookery. _ If the
British workman's broth and the British shopkeeper's joint and
potatoes are spoiled for them, it is certainly not thanks to too many
cooks. All the training-schools can, as it is, appoint teachers of
Cookery. Why don't they ?

Lord Sandon asks for close on Two Millions. No two millions of
national outlay will be more readily given, nor will John Bull
grieve to hear that since he first put his hand in his pocket for
School purposes, nineteen millions of his money have been spent in
providing school-sittings for some three millions and a half of
children—for the three millions by many years of voluntary effort,
and for the half million by a few years of the School Boards, which
are doing their work well and quietly, and over a population of nearly
thirteen millions out of twenty-three, while Voluntary Schools deal
with the rest. Gradually the sectarian strife between the two classes
of Schools is changing to wholesome rivalry in work done.

English cottons in India pay an Import Duty of five per cent.,
Manchester kicks against this, of course on the most disinterested of
Free Trade principles.

When the Indian Budget can afford to dispense with the millions
these Duties bring in, Government will remit them, and meantime
all parties are agreed such Duties cannot be maintained on prin-
ciple, but the Government would have them kept up, as Manchester
would have them repealed, for reasons of interest.

Wednesday.—The House threw out the Scotch Church Rates
Abolition Bill, after an exhaustive debate ; and talked out the Irish
Peerage Bill, after an exhausting one.

Thursday (Lords).—Royal Assent given to a batch of some forty
or fifty Private or hybrid Bills, and a big batch of Confirmation
Bills rattled through Second and Third Reading and Committee—
all by a quarter-past five. All business and no babble.

(Commons.)—All babble and no business. Among the multifarious
topics touched on, Mr. Bourke reported that the Porte had not ful-
filled its promises long since given to Mr. Layard to release the
Bulgarian prisoners. Mr. Cross promised a thorough investigation
of the management of the Blue Coat School, over which a cloud has
been cast by the late sad suicide. Mr. Vivian promised next
session to take up The Priest in Absolution, as the Government
did not feel themselves equal to grapple with that very objection-
able party. Sir M. H. Beach announced that the Beetle seen
climbing on Dublin Ouay was not the true Colorado Bug, being
twice as big, and not a bit like it in any respect—pleasant news for
Pat and his potatoes. Or is it that the dirty Saxon begrudges poor
Ireland even her Colorado Beetle? Bedad, Punch wouldn't won-
der—and the Major evidently thinks so. (See our Cartoon.) " Who
Killed the Irish Sunday Closing Bill ? " Not an easy question
d propos of any Bill that has died of an Irish Obstruction in its
Parliamentary passage.

Enough, it is dead—though, as the Major declared, all had been
done that could be done for those dismal Sabbatarian Men."

The Scotch and Irish Education grants (£488,782, £645,236) voted,
with a running accompaniment of remark, practical in the Scotch
case, contradictory and. cantankerous in the Irish. The salaries of
Irish National School Teachers ought to be increased. But then so
ought the Irish local contributions to the cost of National Educa-
tion. An increase of the latter would be unassailable ground for
insisting on an increase of the former.

Friday (Lords).—In Committee on Universities' Bill, a last blow
at Clerical Fellowships dealt by Lord Granville. The House
parried it, by 103 to 69. Not the less, my good Clerical Fellows, you
are doomed.