Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 105, July 8th 1893Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 105, July 8th 1893
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
_Tuesday._--CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN and W. WOODALL, V.C., the Casabiancas
of the evening. They sit on Treasury Bench, whence all but they have
fled; listen with polite attention to talk round Army Estimates; and
when there's anything like a lull get up and say few words. Whole
proceeding a farce of drearily colossal proportions. Major-General
HANBURY prances to front, reviews British forces under present
Administration, finds many buttons loose, and numerous gaiters askew.
Opportunity useful for showing that this Eminent Legislator has not
given up entirely to Home Rule what was meant for mankind. Omniscience
HANBURY'S forte; Army Reform his foible. Honourable distinction for
him that he has never drawn the sword on any tented field. Debates on
Army Estimates invariably call to the front an amazing reserve force
of unsuspected men of war. There are Colonels, Majors, and Captains
enough to officer the army at Monaco.
There's WEBSTER of East St. Pancras for example. The few Members
present gasped for breath when, just now, he offered few observations
on War Office management. What did he do in this galley? Well known
that in interval of revising his popular Dictionary he trifles with
the law. Might, in course of time, come to be Lord Chancellor;
but never Field Marshal. That only shows how limited is current
information, how true the observation that the world knows nothing
of its greatest men. Why, for sixteen years WEBSTER served with
distinction in the Third Battalion South Lancashire Regiment! Under
his civilian waistcoat to this day he coyly hides the bronze medal for
Blameless Conduct.
That he should take part in debate on Army Estimates not only natural,
but, in national interests, imperatively desirable. HANBURY'S case
quite otherwise. He never set a squadron a field, nor the division of
a battle knows more than ALPHEUS CLEOPHAS. Yet ALPHEUS CLEOPHAS is
not more glib, authoritative, or, on the whole, more entertaining when
Army Estimates are to the fore.
_Business done._--Army Estimates in Committee.
FRIDAY, 4 A.M.--Came upon NUSSEY an hour ago putting himself to bed
on a chair in the Library. This his first experience of Parliamentary
life; introduced at four o'clock yesterday afternoon, and took his
seat for Pontefract. "Lawka mussey! and is this NUSSEY?" cried WILFRED
LAWSON, whose aptitude for dropping into poetry beats _Silas Wegg_
hollow. It certainly was NUSSEY yesterday afternoon, and this is what
is left of him in the sunshine of a summer morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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