Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 98, March 1, 1890Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 98, March 1, 1890
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
COBB the Curious came on with first interrogatory. All about fox-hunting
and fox-hunters. Pretty to see COBB, having submitted his question under
ten sub-heads, place hands on knees and fix Minister with steady stare.
CHAPLIN advanced to table with graceful carriage and confident bearing;
produced with imposing flourish a sheaf of notes, foolscap size, stoutly
sewn, apparently exceeding a dozen in number; began to read with
practised elocutionary art; drew the covert, "so to speak," as T. W.
RUSSELL protests he said when telling the men of Manchester that WILLIAM
O'BRIEN must be taken by the throat. No draw; went to next covert--I
mean turned over another folio. House began to murmur; CHAPLIN,
accepting involuntary applause, read on with increased impressiveness
and complacency; murmurs grew into shout. At view-halloa! fox started;
fifth folio now reached; only seven more to read. CHAPLIN began to wish
GOSCHEN or OLD MORALITY would go and fetch him glass of water. Cries
from crowd grew louder. At last CHAPLIN, looking up, beheld, through
astonished glasses, Opposition indulging in roar of contumely. Wouldn't
have taken him more than quarter of an hour or twenty minutes to finish
his few remarks, and yet a lot of miserable Members who didn't know a
fox from a hare wouldn't let him go on! Struggled gallantly for some
minutes; at last sat down; whole pages of his answer unrecited.
[Illustration: The Inquiring Cobb.]
Speeches all night in continued Debate on the Address. PARNELL has moved
Amendment arraigning BALFOUR'S administration in Ireland. WILLIAM
O'BRIEN, chancing to be out of prison, looks in and delivers fiery
harangue in support of Amendment. But yesterday, BALFOUR, his gaoler;
ordered his food; not too much of it and not full variety; fixed his
hours of going to bed and getting up. Now prison-doors opened by lapse
of time; O'BRIEN walks out through Westminster Hall into House of
Commons; stands before SPEAKER on equal terms with his whilom gaoler,
and scolds him magnificently. By-and-by BALFOUR will probably have his
turn again, and O'BRIEN will be eating and drinking the bread and water
of affliction. Meanwhile, storms at top of his voice, beats the air with
long lean arm and clenched hand, and makes dumb dogs of English Members
sad with musing on the inequalities of fortune, which has given these
Irishmen the great gift of pointedly saying what they have at heart.
_Business done._--Debate on Address.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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