DOI Heft:
March 22, 1884
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17756#0149
SSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED PROM
THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday Night, March 10.—More of “want
to know, you know,” about Government policy in Egypt. “ Politics in
the House of Commons moulded on fashion of one of those stupid
music-hall songs which always end with catchpenny refrain,” says
John Morley. “ An infinite succession of verses more or less heavy
and always the line, ‘ What’s your policy in Egypt ? ’ ”
i Gkorgie Hamilton took a turn to-night. Tried to be vivacious.
; Couldn’t be done. Essayed to be venomous. Too late ; been done
score of times before. Great success of evening Grand Cross, that
ponderously wise, profoundly intelligent, supremely lucid personage.
“ Don’t know anybody,” says Randolph, “ who looks so wise as
Cross, and is so foolish.”
Sir Richard more than ever himself to-night, spectacled, spas-
modic, severe, superfluous, his modicum of meaning feebly struggling
through wilderness of words.
“ You will not,” he said, angrily tapping the table, and surveying
through his spectacles the shrinking form of Hartington on other
side, You will not allow one single Minister to say a word, or to
have any power in the Cabinet, unless you allow him to do so, and
then you say that that is what you will not do.”
Seriously, this is not a joke. _ Took down the words as they were
uttered and simply make transcript. Only sample of scores of sen-
tences which, addressing House towards midnight, Grand Cross drops
on astonished iioor. Delivered wdth angry earnestness, enforced by
forefinger shaken at Treasury Bench, they sound singularly impres-
sive. Warton loudly cheers. “Yah, Yah, Yah ! ’’'cries the Lord
Mayor, and looks round at Liberals as who should say, “ There now.
what do you think of that! There’s force, clearness, and judgment!
Let s see_ some of your fellows beat that.” Still when we get the
words written out on paper meaning seems a little hazy.
I orster to the front again, more candid than usual, honester than
ever.
“We ’re wrong I know-,” says Harcogrt, humblv. “ Curious thing
is that we have never been right since Forster left us. Used to
agree. Up to difficulty with Ireland, Forster one of us; shared our
counsels, defended our acts when attacked. Then comes the day he
leaves us, and never since have we in one single instance been right.
Odd, but too true.”
Business done— Debate on Policy in Egypt collapsed. Votes for
military expenditure agreed to.
-Tuesday. Tennyson, having been called early this morning, got
i own to House at four o clock. Never saw a man more dejected.
“ Are they going to hang your Lordship ? ” I asked, as he placed a
hot and nerveless hand on my paw.
“No,” he said, wearily, “they’re only going to swear me in.
Done my best to get out of it. Tell you a secret, if you won’t
mention it. You know story about theft of my robes ? All nonsense.
Fact is, reading the Ingoldshy Legends the night after clothes came
home from tailor’s. Happy thought occurred to me. Got up, went
into the garden, dug hole, and buried clothes. You ’ll find them,
Toby, when I am gone, under the oak-tree on the right-hand side,
after taking the left turning from my Castle-gate. "Was told couldn’t
take seat unless I put on dressing-gown of dirty red, slashed with
ermine. Argal, if I hadn’t got ’em, couldn’t take my seat. No use.
Put up my back against buying new suit. Said state of Copyright
Law in America wouldn’t justify the expense. Then came half-a-
dozen offers of loans. Coleridge importunate. Put it off as long as
I could. No use, and here I am-”
Tried to cheer him up. Offered him cigar. Pressed glass of
sherry wine upon him. Proposed to read Maud. Nothing would do.
“ They ’re coining for me,” he said, with a slight shudder. “I
hear their footsteps in the hall.”
In the House, scene affected me to tears. Contrast the greater
between Poet-Laureate’s pale pained face, drooping figure, and slow
gait, with Duke of Argyll’s cock-a-whoop stride. Good deal of
hobnobbing goes on on these occasions. Poor Tennyson taken first
to one Bench, then to another, finally to Lord Chancellor, who
shakes his hand, and whispers to him to cheer up.
“ May I go now?” was all Tennyson answered, with difficulty
restraining the flood of tears the like of which had not shamed his
manhood for half a century.
“ Yes, take him away,” said Selborne, himself not unaffected.
So he slipped out into the robing-room, and Argyll helped him to
strip himself of his borrowed plumes.
“ Cheer up, old Chappie,” said The McCullum More. “ Nobody
ate you, or wants to.”
Tennyson turned on him glance of withering scorn.
“ ‘ Vex not thou the Poet’s mind
With thy shallow wit;
Vex not thou the Poet’s mind.
For thou canst not fathom it.’ ”
"With these words he strode forth, and, calling a fourwheeler, made
off to the railway-station.
Business done.—In Commons, threw out Metropolitan Water Bill,
passed Parks Bill, appointed Select Committee to inquire into ques-
tion of Preservation of Thames, and went home at eight o’clock,
having done more business than on any single night in preceding
portion of Session.
Wednesday.—Live and learn. Mr. Elton, just elected for West
EXTRACTED PROM
THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday Night, March 10.—More of “want
to know, you know,” about Government policy in Egypt. “ Politics in
the House of Commons moulded on fashion of one of those stupid
music-hall songs which always end with catchpenny refrain,” says
John Morley. “ An infinite succession of verses more or less heavy
and always the line, ‘ What’s your policy in Egypt ? ’ ”
i Gkorgie Hamilton took a turn to-night. Tried to be vivacious.
; Couldn’t be done. Essayed to be venomous. Too late ; been done
score of times before. Great success of evening Grand Cross, that
ponderously wise, profoundly intelligent, supremely lucid personage.
“ Don’t know anybody,” says Randolph, “ who looks so wise as
Cross, and is so foolish.”
Sir Richard more than ever himself to-night, spectacled, spas-
modic, severe, superfluous, his modicum of meaning feebly struggling
through wilderness of words.
“ You will not,” he said, angrily tapping the table, and surveying
through his spectacles the shrinking form of Hartington on other
side, You will not allow one single Minister to say a word, or to
have any power in the Cabinet, unless you allow him to do so, and
then you say that that is what you will not do.”
Seriously, this is not a joke. _ Took down the words as they were
uttered and simply make transcript. Only sample of scores of sen-
tences which, addressing House towards midnight, Grand Cross drops
on astonished iioor. Delivered wdth angry earnestness, enforced by
forefinger shaken at Treasury Bench, they sound singularly impres-
sive. Warton loudly cheers. “Yah, Yah, Yah ! ’’'cries the Lord
Mayor, and looks round at Liberals as who should say, “ There now.
what do you think of that! There’s force, clearness, and judgment!
Let s see_ some of your fellows beat that.” Still when we get the
words written out on paper meaning seems a little hazy.
I orster to the front again, more candid than usual, honester than
ever.
“We ’re wrong I know-,” says Harcogrt, humblv. “ Curious thing
is that we have never been right since Forster left us. Used to
agree. Up to difficulty with Ireland, Forster one of us; shared our
counsels, defended our acts when attacked. Then comes the day he
leaves us, and never since have we in one single instance been right.
Odd, but too true.”
Business done— Debate on Policy in Egypt collapsed. Votes for
military expenditure agreed to.
-Tuesday. Tennyson, having been called early this morning, got
i own to House at four o clock. Never saw a man more dejected.
“ Are they going to hang your Lordship ? ” I asked, as he placed a
hot and nerveless hand on my paw.
“No,” he said, wearily, “they’re only going to swear me in.
Done my best to get out of it. Tell you a secret, if you won’t
mention it. You know story about theft of my robes ? All nonsense.
Fact is, reading the Ingoldshy Legends the night after clothes came
home from tailor’s. Happy thought occurred to me. Got up, went
into the garden, dug hole, and buried clothes. You ’ll find them,
Toby, when I am gone, under the oak-tree on the right-hand side,
after taking the left turning from my Castle-gate. "Was told couldn’t
take seat unless I put on dressing-gown of dirty red, slashed with
ermine. Argal, if I hadn’t got ’em, couldn’t take my seat. No use.
Put up my back against buying new suit. Said state of Copyright
Law in America wouldn’t justify the expense. Then came half-a-
dozen offers of loans. Coleridge importunate. Put it off as long as
I could. No use, and here I am-”
Tried to cheer him up. Offered him cigar. Pressed glass of
sherry wine upon him. Proposed to read Maud. Nothing would do.
“ They ’re coining for me,” he said, with a slight shudder. “I
hear their footsteps in the hall.”
In the House, scene affected me to tears. Contrast the greater
between Poet-Laureate’s pale pained face, drooping figure, and slow
gait, with Duke of Argyll’s cock-a-whoop stride. Good deal of
hobnobbing goes on on these occasions. Poor Tennyson taken first
to one Bench, then to another, finally to Lord Chancellor, who
shakes his hand, and whispers to him to cheer up.
“ May I go now?” was all Tennyson answered, with difficulty
restraining the flood of tears the like of which had not shamed his
manhood for half a century.
“ Yes, take him away,” said Selborne, himself not unaffected.
So he slipped out into the robing-room, and Argyll helped him to
strip himself of his borrowed plumes.
“ Cheer up, old Chappie,” said The McCullum More. “ Nobody
ate you, or wants to.”
Tennyson turned on him glance of withering scorn.
“ ‘ Vex not thou the Poet’s mind
With thy shallow wit;
Vex not thou the Poet’s mind.
For thou canst not fathom it.’ ”
"With these words he strode forth, and, calling a fourwheeler, made
off to the railway-station.
Business done.—In Commons, threw out Metropolitan Water Bill,
passed Parks Bill, appointed Select Committee to inquire into ques-
tion of Preservation of Thames, and went home at eight o’clock,
having done more business than on any single night in preceding
portion of Session.
Wednesday.—Live and learn. Mr. Elton, just elected for West