Punch (74.1878)

Mat 25, 1878.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

231

PATRONAGE.

Stone-hreafor (to Artist). "Times is bad, Mastee ; but if you'll deawr ik me an' my Mate, we'd not mind standin' a
Pint o' Four ! "

(Methinks our Members "do protest too much," if nothing hut
protest is to come of it.)

And then the Bill was passed by 111 to 19 ; and another effort of
Opposition force was frittered away.

Then to Supply.

Mr. O'Donnell, complaining of the injustice done to Irish Mem-
bers in the Reports, moved to cut down the vote for Mr. Hansard
by £3000, and Mr. Gray "backing him," was grievously mewed
down, to Mr. Sullivan's great wrath. Mr. O'Connor Power was
even within an ace of dragging, as he said, the mewing Member " to
justice." Mr. Gray deprecated this. He looked on the incident
merely as evidence in favour of Darwtn's doctrine of development.
He was told the Honourable Member who mewed could also crow.

Ultimately Hansard saved his £3,000 by 278 to 26, and then
Mr. O'Donnell fell foul of the salary of the Editor of the
Gazette. Why don't they give the post to Mr. O'Donnell ?

The Member for Dungarvan then turned his powerful mind to
the_ vote_ for Stationery for the Queen's Colleges in Ireland, to
which Irish Roman Catholic Members have pledged themselves to
stop the supplies. But surely between Obstructives and Stationery
there should be not hostility, but harmony. Altogether, however,
the Irish Members managed to give the House what no doubt they
would call a good time.

And then, about two in the morning, when the reporters had put
up their books, and quiet Members were looking forward to bed,
came on, of all Bills, the Irish Sunday Closing Bill; and the Irish
Members, for and against, set in for serious Obstruction, and
showed their mastery of the Art by dividing on Motions to report
progress, and that the Chairman do leave the chair, till twenty-five
minutes to ten on Tuesday morning.

Punch takes leave to congratulate the House and the Irish Mem-
bers on their night's work! Time was made for slaves.

Tuesday (Lords).—Bishoprics Bill read a Third Time, though Lord
Rosebery thinks "suffragans" would be more economical, more
elastic, and more efficient.

" An elastic episcopacy," is a new idea. But their Lordships pre-
ferred the less elastic arrangements of the Bill, and passed it by 107
to 33.

(Commons.)— Mr. O'Morgan moved, and got, a Seleet Committee,
to inquire what steps ought to be taken to simplify land-title and
facilitate land-transfer. Why Bhould not Honourable Members
inquire if it amuses them ? The lawyers can give you the best reasons
why the inquiry should come to nothing. At the same time, is there
any parliamentary reason why the House should add one more to
its many egregious failures to give the lawyers the go-by.

Sir H. James gave excellent reasons for moving a Resolution
that City Aldermen and Common Councilmen should not elect
judges.

Mr. C. Lewis moved a counter Resolution, to the effect that they
did it beautifully.

The debate resolved itself into a discussion of recent appoint-
ments ; and ended in 102 to 57 for Recorder Chambers and Common
Serjeant Charley. Summary of the debate, " Alarums, excursions,
and Chambers let off," and " Charley is my Darling.'1'1

The Attorney-General brought in Sir J. Stephen's Bill for
amending the law relating to indictable offences. Can it be possible
that so excellent a measure has any chance of becoming law ? It
would be enough to neutralise the bad work of even this Session.

Wednesday — Mr. Meldon moved his Bill for assimilating Irish
Borough Franchise to English and Scotch. Except Mr. Wa^d, the
Irish supporters of the Bill held their tongues—for once. The
opponents of the measure had all the talk to themselves. There had
been a good whip for the Bill. A considerable body of advanced
English Members supported it; so it was only rejected by 228 to
197. Is it possible that anything could make the Irish constituencies
worse ? If so, probably this change would do it.

Thursday (Lords).—The Third Reading of the Factories and
Workshops Bill brought up Lord Shaftesbury on the riots
which are now disgracing Lancashire, and renewing the excesses of
a past generation. His Lordship, speaking for the great bulk of the
operatives, declared his conviction that these riots were the work of
" the idle, the vagabond, and the worthless." But they ought to be
disclaimed by the best of their fellows.

The first fruits of the calling out of the Reserves, the starvation of
wives and children, were discussed. The men had come forward at
the call of the Government. Were their wives and children to be