May 2, 1885.]

PUNCH, OR THE

LONDON CHARIVARI.

215

\\ /// / X

INTERIORS AND

EXTERIORS. NO. 9.

TTT^ "" i!i, lit il ll II w t ' i.


PLACE ATJX DAMES!” A TTTRN-HIM-OTJT MEETING AT ST. JAMES’S HALL.

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

EXTRACTED FROM

the diary op toby, m.p.

House of Commons, Monday Night, April 20.—David Davies is,
nnmistakeably, a Welshman. But often, in discussing public affairs,
manages to typify John Bull. David’s oratorioal attitude a little
peculiar. Stands with fingers interlaced, twiddling thumbs, whilst
he “ chucks out” at House roughly framed sentences.

“I don’t know,” says he, just now, “whether we have enough
ships—but we should have enough.”

“That’s John Bull, to a shade,” says Solicitor General, look-
ing admiringly at the rugged Member for Cardiganshire, with his
odd accent. “ J. B. hasn’t a notion as to what’s the truth about the
Navy. Hears a great deal said about it, particularly by persons in
Opposition; and, when he hears W. H. Smith eloquent on the
subject, has a slight suspicion that, bad as things may be, the Navy
couldn’t have gone to the dogs in four or five years, and perhaps
ex-First Lords of the Admiralty would be wiser to take a back seat
during discussions on this particular subject. But he feels, as
Davies says, that we should have enough, and the Government are
wise m looking to it.”

Havid scouts all notions of economy in the matter. “ I shouldn’t
says, “if we had half a dozen Iron-clads too many lying
up tui they were wanted ”—as if they were a lot of clay pipes, in
process of flouring. Also the martial soul of the Member for
Cardiganshire wouldn’t mind if there was a bit of a brush, so that
we could see what our Iron-clads were like.”

On the whole a luminous generous view of the subject David takes,
always twiddling his thumbs as if that were part of the machinery
of his vocal organs, which indeed it seemed to be, for when he acci-
dentally unloosed his hands he suddenly stopped just as he was about
to order a couple of dozen or so of torpedoes, and feeling round for
his hat, dropped into his seat.

Next to this the speech of the evening was by W. J. Harris,
elected last year for Poole. Not quite sure it wasn’t his maiden
effort. Evidently made great efforts to get it up. Meant to come
round to the Navy by-and-by. In the meantime began with wheat.
Twenty-six million quarters of wheat we consume in a year, it
appears, and only grow nine millions ! Now that, of course, won’t
do. Seventeen million quarters short is very serious. Harris
struggling out of deficit, about to show Committee where they were
when Chairman interposed. Said “ all this had nothing to do with
the question,” and before Harris quite knew where he was, Brassey
was at the table, humming and hawing in his ridiculous fashion over
an inadequate Navy. Never saw a man so honestly astonished as
the hapless Harris. Sat with voluminous notes clutched in his
right hand, mouth slightly parted, eyes distinctly starting in his
head, slowly gazing round House. Look arrested, when it fell in
that direction, by finding Brassey on his legs at the Table, plainly
wondering how it was that Secretary to the Admiralty was addressing
Committee whilst he (Harris) was sitting down silent. Why, he’d
only just opened his speech, and hadn’t yet accounted for that seven-
teen million quarters of wheat I

Business done.—Harris left sitting.

Tuesday.—House crowded in every part. Gladstone to move
Yote of Credit, perhaps to give some fateful news from far-off