Punch (90.1886)

204

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[April 24, 1886.

impromptus presenting themselves with great regularity upon his
notes. After this, became serious, not to say funereal. "In my
opinion," said Bolton", " and I submit the
opinion with deference—Harcottrt would
have been twice as effective if his speech
had been half as long."

Goschen himself went for the Bill ham-
mer and tongs; spoke amid continuous
cheers from the Conservatives. Be Cobain
hasn't asked any questions since he put one
down on the 1st April. But to-night made
little speech, which testified to extreme
depression of spirits. Hicks-Beach equally
heavy. On the whole, a dull night, till,
just on stroke of Twelve, Gladstone rose.
House, which had emptied under effects of
Hicks-Beach's oratory, rapidly filled up.
Gladstone spoke for an hour, full of fire
and vigour, voice apparently improved by
great feat of Thursday night. Nothing
more to be said when he sat down. So
leave to bring in Bill granted, amid vocife-
rous cheering.

Business done.—Home Rule Bill read
First Time.

Wednesday.—Amid the clang of party
combat, the creation of coalitions, and the
y/.y murmur of much speech-making, Joseph
Gillis goes his way serene. Has taken
charge of important practical reform. Let
The Eccleston Gibb-usmakes Gladstone try his hand again uponlreland,
its presence felt. iet GrKANVILLE look to the Colonies, and

Rosebeby keep his eye upon foreign parts. JosEPn has concentrated
his attention upon the kitchen arrangements of the House, and
means to see them improved.
"Some of them," he says, "may
get the better of me in the classics.
Geography, history, and the voca-
bulary, is perhaps none of them
my forty. But I know a good cut
of bacon whenl see it, and the ham-
cuts here are unconstitutional."

A dull day in the Commons,
though _ Beadlattgh contributed
interesting speech in support of Bill deal-
ing with uncultivated lands. Described
how these things were arranged in China.
Law there that everyone holding culti-
vatable lands in an uncultivated state
shall be imprisoned, and the land taken
from him. If land not cultivated up to
its full value, the proprietor flogged.

"And that," said Campbell, as he
stood in the Lobby, whither he had fled
after twenty minutes of this, 1' that is
what we '11 come to! "

Business done.—Hone. The Me™1)er for Extraordi-

nary lies—no—litlies.

Thursday. — "My sixtieth Budget,"
said Lord Coixesloe, settling himself comfortably in Peers' Gallery.

" Heard 'em all, and feel
good for another dozen.
Heard Peel put on the
Income-tax, and Lowe
suggest Tax on Matches.
Heard Gladstone's first
Budget speech, and lis-
tened to his last. Now
for Haecotjbt."

But before Haecotjbt
came on, Speakee rose
with letter in his hand.
House instantly hushed.
What's the matter? Mat-
ter enough. Sir Thomas
May is about to resign his
place at the table, where
he had sat for thirty years,
—having been fifty-four
years in the service of the
Adopting the original idea of Lord Very-Much- House.
in-Eroest Hamilton, so spiritedly carried " Fifty-four Budgets,"
out by him on the great Gladstonian Oration said Lord cottesloe, from

Day, his Lordship's services will be secured the Gallery * "That's
for Hatvcrtising in a new way. pret|_ ^ not

sixty, you know ! He fl come in with the first Reformed Parliament."

House listened with pained regret to the reading of the brief letter
and to the Speaker's Commentary thereon. Sir Thomas was leaving
because he felt that his strength is no
longer equal to the con- _
tinued strain of a labo- SQS^
rious Session. But jgjgraMr
Members called to mind ■ ^P^WF

was another , -fyf~\ / gWB

place which \ \. . ; <? M /
Sir Thomas \\

May might V Wk Mfe*.
well have v>/-^^> s^f..
filled, and ^^&BWmK^^^

where the l/pli^ llsP

labour was not great \wKk,^W

nor the strain excessive.* iKgSvS^^

"He could have been ^KSX.

Clerk of Parliaments in hMHL

the other House," said ^BljflSk

the Sage of Q,ueen Anne's OpSP^

Gate. "Ceanbeook Mtv"J

shall hear of this when fflak'^

the vote comes on for the «tPt§\

House of Lords." M H^.-i

Gladstone so moved m Wk

that he produced a bull M '
that made Major Satjn- ,.

derson green with envy. ■^^'"Jlp?" . *JZ-

"-Without saying a ^—

Heavy Campbell™ with big "f^'i'sh to'give'notice/5 °Ur ^ ^
i stake m the country. ^ £c

"'Without saying a word,'?" cried Cozens Haedy. "Why, I
took his words down."

Harcourt's Budget leaves us as we were, except that if we live in
houses of less than £8 rental, we can brew beer without a. licence,
and that's something.

Business done.—Budget brought.in.

Friday.—Once more a crowded House, and
expectation centred^ on Gladstone. Speakee
won't hear of chairs again; and Alderman
Fowlee, who last week sat on a chair in the
centre of the floor, adding grace and dignity
to the proceedings, now startled the House by
addressing the Speakee from back seat in the
side Gallery. Old Ministers, new Ministers,
and ex-Ministers, all in their places. Tbe-
velyan seated by himself in corner of fourth
Bench below the Gangway. Chamberlain" in
Bright's corner seat, with Bright for com-
panion. Haetington and James seated to-
gether immediately behind Treasury Bench;
Goschen in corner seat just behind.

Gladstone evidently conscious throughout
speech of this interesting section of his audience.
Turns round from time to time to address
them personally. More especially
turns to Chambeelain, who sits
with ears pricked up, listening to
Peemiee's description of a Bill
greatly altered since he first made
its acquaintance, and quitted the
-/ Cabinet. A dramatic scene, if we
. come to think of all it means beyond
the somewhat prosaic exposition of
a Land Bill.
Chambeblaln followed in clever
Courteous Courtney of Cornwall, speech, and with plainly conciliatory

manner. "Seems to me," said
Coubtney, " that they '11 get Chamberlain back. Don't remember,
when I left the Ministry, any special efforts to get me back,"
Business done.—Irish Land Bill read First Time.

Too Mild by Half.—At the Pimlico Mystery Trial last week.
What the Judge ought to have" said was this: "I insist on this
Court being cleared of all women before I commence my summing-
up." No excuse admitted, no women admitted. Out you go, Ladies,
Justice Wills it so ; that is, he ought to have willed it so. Cannot
the Judge insist on the Sheriffs clearing the Court of women ? And
is it to the Sheriffs their presence is due?

A " Diamond m the Rough."—Query: How to get it out of him ?
Haecotjbt's Financial Order oe the Day.—" As you were!"

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