DOI Heft:
June 28, 1884
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17756#0307
SSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED FROM
THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday, June 16.—Full attendance in Lords
to-night, to Lear lecture by the Macullum More. The Duke in
high feather. Smashed around at Irish Land Bill. Greatly delighted
Conservative Lords. Even Markiss smiled grim approval.
“ Macullum ought to be one of us,” he said. “ Give ’em Cairns
and Richmond in exchange.”
Duke very hard on late colleagues, but manages this thing better
than Forster. Doesn’t excite same feelings of resentment, though
not less dangerous as candid friend. General sense that the Duke is
a little late with his warning. Useful speech before Land Act
passed, trifle out of date to-day. Still, a fine fiery speech, full of
that wisdom which comes with knowledge of accomplished events.
Sat down at end of two hours and quarter.
“ Any More, Macullum ? ” I asked.
“Hot to-day, Toby,” he said, wiping his massive brow with
pockethandkerchief embroidered with family motto—“ Ne oblivis
car is." (Lord Mayor tells me this, being translated, means
“ Dinna forget.” Suppose this is what’s called elliptical sentence ;
full meaning, “ Dinna forget this is Dook of Argyll’s pockethand-
kerchief. Observe it with respectful eye. Touch it not with
desecrating hand.”) “But this only first of series. Mean to take
all Acts of Parliament as far back as Magna Charta, deliver lecture
on each, showing how much better they’d have been if I’d drafted
and carried them through. Working backwards, like one of Chris-
topher Sykes’s crabs, I’m timed to reach Bill of Rights, August,
1885.”
In Commons Mr. Toots MacIver still active in spite of discomfiture
of Tuesday night. Ilis mission is to put down Chamberlain. Feels
pretty certain of success. Asks abstruse questions about composi-
tion of Board of Trade. Conservatives wickedly cheer him on.
Liberals roar. A sudden terror seizes Mr. Toots, sits down on
Puleston’s hat.
“It’s of no consequence,” he said, seizing Puleston’s hand and
warmly shaking it. “ Of no consequence at all, I assure you.”
Education Estimates on. Capital speech from Mundella.
“ Think so ? ” asked Stanley Leighton. “ You wait a bit. See
me make mincemeat of it.”
Mundella down. The Man from Shropshire up. waving arms,
talking in excited manner, just as he used to in the Chancery Court.
Unfortunately no ushers here to put him out. Their services reserved
for Bradlaugh and Irish Members.
“ Hice, well-meaning man, Leighton,” said Dr. Farquharson,
eyeing him with professional air,—“ but don’t you think he’s—ah!
•—hem—a little-? Over-pressure at school, I fancy, is working out
results. Curious how excited he gets on questions relating to Lunacy.
Remarkable case. Shall watch it.”
Business done.—Education Yote taken.
Tuesday.—Encouraging rumours of Count Out to-night. Warton
came down to do it. Surprised to find over forty Liberals in their
places. Chiefly Gentlemen accustomed to ballot for Wednesdays.
Bring in every year Sunday Closing Bills, Burial Bills, Extraordinary
Tithe Bills, and the like. Warton, or Folkestone, or Tomlinson,
when half-past Five reached, and Division imminent, get up, ana
talk out Bills. Determined to put stop to this; so Stevenson brings
in Resolution, declaring that Bills reached before Two o’Clock on
Wednesdays shall be divided upon, Warton Horton, nolens volens,
at Five o’Clock.
Yery small House except for cluster of Radicals; and thin black line
of Parnellites who have some dirty linen to wash. Suddenly Premier
appears. Just looked in in dinner-dress, makes brief speech in sup-
port of Motion, and goes back to dessert.
“Good Heavens!” cried Beresford Hope, who shared Front
Bench with Lbbetson. “This will never do. Shall have these
fellows passing all kinds of things on Wednesday afternoons. Per-
haps disestablish the Church between lunch and five o’clock tea.”
Only six Conservatives present. Rest scattered far and wide.
Even Rowland Winn presumed to dine. Great routing out of
Ex-Treasury Messengers. Boot and spur and Hansom cabs, and off
to Clubs and dinner-parties. Conservative Gentlemen roused by cry
of “ Obstruction in danger! ” leaping across the walnuts and the
wine, rush down to House. At doorway throw off appearance of
haste, and stroll listlessly in, as if there by accident. Original six
became a dozen, twenty, forty, eighty. Still they came with charm-
ing aspect of having dined leisurely, just looked in, hoping didn’t
intrude. Horthcote in new and glossy opera-hat, Hicks-Beach,
and Smith, and Lord John, and the rest. Cavendish Bentinck
more rumpled than ever. Grand Cross, in dinner dress, boldly
walked full length of House. Evidently no quotations from Prime
Minister to-night.
Ever seen tide run up on level strand, filling wrinkle here and hole
there, silent, irresistible, till where sand was water shines ? So
Conservative benches filled up. Every man in dinner-dress, and
everyone with same determined look of accidentally turning up.
Irish Members consulted. Would they vote against Government ?
Joseph Gillis rather thought they would. So Motion for Adjourn-
ment suddenly moved, and Resolution which, an hour earlier, seemed
certain to be carried, rejected by 115 Yotes against 92. Business
dene.—At Morning Sitting progress of Franchise Bill stopped.
EXTRACTED FROM
THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday, June 16.—Full attendance in Lords
to-night, to Lear lecture by the Macullum More. The Duke in
high feather. Smashed around at Irish Land Bill. Greatly delighted
Conservative Lords. Even Markiss smiled grim approval.
“ Macullum ought to be one of us,” he said. “ Give ’em Cairns
and Richmond in exchange.”
Duke very hard on late colleagues, but manages this thing better
than Forster. Doesn’t excite same feelings of resentment, though
not less dangerous as candid friend. General sense that the Duke is
a little late with his warning. Useful speech before Land Act
passed, trifle out of date to-day. Still, a fine fiery speech, full of
that wisdom which comes with knowledge of accomplished events.
Sat down at end of two hours and quarter.
“ Any More, Macullum ? ” I asked.
“Hot to-day, Toby,” he said, wiping his massive brow with
pockethandkerchief embroidered with family motto—“ Ne oblivis
car is." (Lord Mayor tells me this, being translated, means
“ Dinna forget.” Suppose this is what’s called elliptical sentence ;
full meaning, “ Dinna forget this is Dook of Argyll’s pockethand-
kerchief. Observe it with respectful eye. Touch it not with
desecrating hand.”) “But this only first of series. Mean to take
all Acts of Parliament as far back as Magna Charta, deliver lecture
on each, showing how much better they’d have been if I’d drafted
and carried them through. Working backwards, like one of Chris-
topher Sykes’s crabs, I’m timed to reach Bill of Rights, August,
1885.”
In Commons Mr. Toots MacIver still active in spite of discomfiture
of Tuesday night. Ilis mission is to put down Chamberlain. Feels
pretty certain of success. Asks abstruse questions about composi-
tion of Board of Trade. Conservatives wickedly cheer him on.
Liberals roar. A sudden terror seizes Mr. Toots, sits down on
Puleston’s hat.
“It’s of no consequence,” he said, seizing Puleston’s hand and
warmly shaking it. “ Of no consequence at all, I assure you.”
Education Estimates on. Capital speech from Mundella.
“ Think so ? ” asked Stanley Leighton. “ You wait a bit. See
me make mincemeat of it.”
Mundella down. The Man from Shropshire up. waving arms,
talking in excited manner, just as he used to in the Chancery Court.
Unfortunately no ushers here to put him out. Their services reserved
for Bradlaugh and Irish Members.
“ Hice, well-meaning man, Leighton,” said Dr. Farquharson,
eyeing him with professional air,—“ but don’t you think he’s—ah!
•—hem—a little-? Over-pressure at school, I fancy, is working out
results. Curious how excited he gets on questions relating to Lunacy.
Remarkable case. Shall watch it.”
Business done.—Education Yote taken.
Tuesday.—Encouraging rumours of Count Out to-night. Warton
came down to do it. Surprised to find over forty Liberals in their
places. Chiefly Gentlemen accustomed to ballot for Wednesdays.
Bring in every year Sunday Closing Bills, Burial Bills, Extraordinary
Tithe Bills, and the like. Warton, or Folkestone, or Tomlinson,
when half-past Five reached, and Division imminent, get up, ana
talk out Bills. Determined to put stop to this; so Stevenson brings
in Resolution, declaring that Bills reached before Two o’Clock on
Wednesdays shall be divided upon, Warton Horton, nolens volens,
at Five o’Clock.
Yery small House except for cluster of Radicals; and thin black line
of Parnellites who have some dirty linen to wash. Suddenly Premier
appears. Just looked in in dinner-dress, makes brief speech in sup-
port of Motion, and goes back to dessert.
“Good Heavens!” cried Beresford Hope, who shared Front
Bench with Lbbetson. “This will never do. Shall have these
fellows passing all kinds of things on Wednesday afternoons. Per-
haps disestablish the Church between lunch and five o’clock tea.”
Only six Conservatives present. Rest scattered far and wide.
Even Rowland Winn presumed to dine. Great routing out of
Ex-Treasury Messengers. Boot and spur and Hansom cabs, and off
to Clubs and dinner-parties. Conservative Gentlemen roused by cry
of “ Obstruction in danger! ” leaping across the walnuts and the
wine, rush down to House. At doorway throw off appearance of
haste, and stroll listlessly in, as if there by accident. Original six
became a dozen, twenty, forty, eighty. Still they came with charm-
ing aspect of having dined leisurely, just looked in, hoping didn’t
intrude. Horthcote in new and glossy opera-hat, Hicks-Beach,
and Smith, and Lord John, and the rest. Cavendish Bentinck
more rumpled than ever. Grand Cross, in dinner dress, boldly
walked full length of House. Evidently no quotations from Prime
Minister to-night.
Ever seen tide run up on level strand, filling wrinkle here and hole
there, silent, irresistible, till where sand was water shines ? So
Conservative benches filled up. Every man in dinner-dress, and
everyone with same determined look of accidentally turning up.
Irish Members consulted. Would they vote against Government ?
Joseph Gillis rather thought they would. So Motion for Adjourn-
ment suddenly moved, and Resolution which, an hour earlier, seemed
certain to be carried, rejected by 115 Yotes against 92. Business
dene.—At Morning Sitting progress of Franchise Bill stopped.