Punch (73.1877)

74

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[August 25, 1877.

PUNCH'S ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

SATURDAY, Aug. 11.
—"Losing those
well that they
must leave ere
long"—their little
Bills to wit—my
Lords were at
work betimes, ad-
vancing Turnpikes, Fisheries, Irish Courts, Police Expenses, and
Colonial Stocks a stage, and making a beginning on the Appropriation
Bill, and other Bills of course which mark the close of a Session, as
the appearance of the cheese the end of a dinner. Their Lordships
kept up to the last their character for all work and no talk, while the
Commons, on this the last day of their labouring life, were keeping
up theirs for all talk and no work. Even while the Chancellor
was rattling Bills through their stages like crack four-horse coaches,
Sir William Harcourt was chaffing the Attorney-General, and
discharging his latest load of international cram (see Wheaton, Art.
"Piracy"), in the case of the Shah's attack on the Huascar. Sir Wil-
liam thinks Admiral De Horsey has gone too fast and too far in con-

prospect of a true bill from the Grand Jury. Sir William denies
that there was, on the part of the Huascar, that degree of force and
violence which is required to constitute piracy. On the other hand,
seeing that the coal-requisitioning boat's-crew was commanded by an
officer armed with sword and revolver, there is point in the
Attorney-General's rejoinder, that if "taking" under these
circumstances be not taking with force or violence, neither would
abstraction of Sir William's purse by a foot-pad pistol in hand, sup-
posing Sir William wise enough to render up his money without
resistance. At all events our Admiral on the South American Station
has quite ground enough in the acts of the Huascar for the land-
lawyers as well as the sea-lawyers to found a good case on; and
John Bull, no more than Jack-Tar, will feel disposed to call him
over the coals for it, but rather to treat him Billy-Taylor fashion,
and " werry much applaud him for what he's done."

If Admiral De Horsey
On Huascar used force, he
Has a Holker to tight for him,
And prove legal right for him :
So, to wise William's law,
He may safely say " Pshaw! "

On Third Reading of the Consolidated Fund Appropriation Bill,
Mr. Fawcett called attention to the distinction that might be taken

eluding the Huascar a. pirate, and pitching into her as such. Sir between the "strict neutrality" promised by the Government through

William contends, with,his usual power of making and putting a
case, that requisitioning (from British bottoms) two-dozen pints of
pale-ale, a hundred cigars, and four launch-loads of coal, paying
for the one in Peruvian currency, and for the other not even
vouchsafing that airy substitute for coin, with other escapades
less excusable on the strong plea of dry throttles and empty
bunkers, do not amount to acts for which the gallant Admiral, if
he had captured the brothers Carrasco and their crew, could have

its organs in the House of Commons, and the "conditional neu-
trality " promised in another place. He suggested that while the Par-
liamentary Cats were away the Ministerial Mice might take it into
their Upper House heads to play—the mischief; and wanted to know,
if anything of that kind were in contemplation, whether they would
promise to call the Commons together to see the fun. There was no
harm in asking, though no doubt the Professor expected the answer
Sir Stafford Northcote gave him, " That Government are fully

brought them up to the Old Bailey on a charge of piracy with much aware of their Constitutional obligations, and mean to give effect to