Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, Jubilee Issue, July 18, 1891Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, Jubilee Issue, July 18, 1891
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
Of course there was a SMITH, VERNON by Christian name, Member for
Northampton; a HOULDSWOTH representing Nottinghamshire, a MACLEAN
for Oxford, a HARCOURT for Oxfordshire--nay, in this happy Parliament
there were two HARCOURTS, GRANVILLE HARCOURT VERNON sitting for East
Retford. A VIVIAN sat for Penrhyn--HUSSEY VIVIAN's father, JOHN
HENEY, sat in the same Parliament for Swansea. Lord EBRINGTON sat for
Plymouth, and CHARLES RUSSELL for Reading. ORMSBY GORE represented
North Shropshire, long a possession of his family. The Markiss
o' GRANBY sat for Stamford, with a CLARK for colleague. FREDERICK
VILLIERS (not our present Father) kept the name green at Sudbury, and
there was a WYNDHAM for Sussex. The HENRY LABOUCHERE of those less
lively days sat for Taunton, and Sir ROBERT PEEL, our SPEAKER's
father, for Tamworth. There was a HAYTER, GOOD-ENOUGH: for Wells, one
LOWTHER represented Westmoreland, and another York. A WALTER LONG sat
for North Wilts, STUART WORTLEY sat for the West Riding, and JAMES
DUFF for Banffshire. We had a BALFOUR for Haddington, and Lord DALMENY
of that day, happier than the present head of the family, sat in the
Commons for Inverkeithing, a place long since swept off the electoral
board. These surnames, with one or two others I can't recall--yes,
there was a DALRYMPLE for Wigtonshire--are familiar on the Roll of
Parliament to-day.
Amongst the prominent Members of this Parliament I remember ROEBUCK
sitting; for Bath; and PAKINGTON--then plain JOHN all unconscious
of the coming marvel of a Ten Minutes' Reform Bill--for Droitwich.
STRATFORD CANNING had a seat for King's Lynn, and MONCKTON' MILNES
was Member for Pomfret. JOHN BRIGHT was not in the House, but RICHARD
COBDEN sat for Stockport, and there was an acidulous person, then
known as RALPH BERNAL, who sat for Wycombe. We knew BERNAL OSBORNE
in many later Parliaments.
Curious to think how Ireland at this epoch belonged to the classes!
DANIEL O'CONNELL was just in his prime, and, in addition to himself
returned three of his name. SMITH O'BRIEN was yet far off the cabbage
garden, and HENRY GRATTAN sat for Meath. There is a living image of
him now among the busts in the corridor leading out of the Octagon
Hall; a fiery dramatic speaker in the House, who, as someone said of
him at the time, used in his passion to throw up his arms, bend over
till he touched the floor with his finger-nails, and thank Heaven
he had no gestures. The O'CONNOR DON whom Members younger than I
remember as he sat above the Gangway in the Parliament of 1874, then
represented Roscommon. But for the most part the Irish Members of
those days were Earls, Viscounts, Knights, Baronets, Honourables and
Right Honourables.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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