Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, December 12, 1891Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, December 12, 1891
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
When the House of Commons meets in February, it will find many vacant
places. Save, perhaps, on that sacred to the memory of OLD MORALITY,
none will draw towards it such sorrowful glances as the bench below
the Gangway, where, last Session, DICK POWER's smiling face was
found. Everyone in the House knew "DICK," and all liked him--a
modest-mannered, merry-hearted man, whom a strange destiny had not
only dragged into political life, but, as Whip of the Parnellite
Party, had made him the official representative of a body for the most
part socially unknown, and disliked with a fervour happily not often
imported into Parliamentary warfare. DICK POWER, whilst never swerving
by a hair's breadth from loyalty to his colleagues and his leader,
so bore himself that he was welcome in any Parliamentary circle, from
"GOSSET's Room" to the floor of the House, which he sometimes "took"
to deliver a witty speech in support of a Motion for adjourning
over the Derby. He was only in his fortieth year, married scarce a
fortnight, when comes the blind Fury with the abhorrëd shears and
slits the thin-spun thread. "LYCIDAS is dead!"; but he will long be
remembered as shedding through seventeen years a genial light on
Irish politics, too often obscured by aggressive vulgarity, and the
sacrifice of patriotic interests to the ends of personal vanity.
* * * * *
ONLY FANCY!
We are in a position to state that overtures were recently made to a
well-known and popular member of the aristocracy in connection with a
certain high office lately vacated. It is felt that a gentleman with
the varied experience and capacity indicated by the circumstance (to
which we may allude as not involving breach of confidence), that
his name was successively mentioned in connection with the offices,
recently vacant, of Postmaster-General, Undersecretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, and Leader of the House of Commons, is peculiarly
well qualified for the post.
* * * * *
The PRIME MINISTER has, we learn, been much gratified by the receipt
of a letter volunteered by one of his colleagues, expressing generous
satisfaction at his selection of Mr. ARTHUR BALFOUR to the Leadership
of the House of Commons. It was the more pleasing as the name of
Lord SALISBURY's correspondent had, in Conservative circles, been
prominently mentioned in connection with the office. "It is true,"
the Abounding Baron wrote, "that the public with unerring instinct has
looked in another direction. I should therefore like to be the first
to say that your Lordship has done well in recognising the services
to the Unionist cause performed by Mr. BALFOUR. Of course there may be
other openings, and in case your Lordship has occasion to communicate
with me, it may be convenient to mention that, having come to town
this morning and transacted business at my office in Bouverie Street,
I am about to return to my country residence at Stow-in-the-Wold."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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