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    missioners of the Admiralty . Mr . Stafford calls this a " formal expression ; " out of Parliament we call it by a much shorter name . But they do not use that short name in Parliament . Honourable gentlemen , however , are . persons who use formal expressions whenever it . suits ' them , according to Mr . Stafford ' s idea of an honourable gentleman . They do not know what constitutes bribery when they do it themselves ; they cannot distinguish right from wrong ; and they are only governed by force or lucre . We have their own character on the certificate of Stafford , Thesiger , and Drummond .

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    "A STRANGER" IN PARLIAMENT . Every Louse has Its skeleton . The House of Commons Las two—Messrs . Drummond and Duffy : and they have somewhat affected the feast of reason at Westminster during the week . It is a week to be memorable in the history of representative institutions . The session is a session of one subject : the dead failure of the Reform Billthe startling sham of the Constitution : and this week sees the climax of the hideous series of revelations . The exposures have been' in formal and symmetrical successions The Election Committees led up to the

    trial of Stafford—is there no painter equal to the perception that Lord Derby ' s agent is as good a sub- ? ject as Charles the Martyr ' s ?—and the tnial of Stafford led up to Mr Drummond ' s speech on Tuesday—and Mr . Drummond's speech was the suggestion of Mr . Duffy ' s speech on Thursday . A habit was growing up among public men of facing the facts ; and is it surprising that Mr . Duffy , an- " inexperienced member , " as Lord Palmerston benevolently observed , should have got unconsciously in the way of telling the truth of the political scamps honoured by the constituencies of his enlightened country ? How is it , then , that

    notwithstanding the House has been a confessional since Christmas , there was this sudden revulsion on Thursday , and that , at eleven o'clock on Thursday night , the Speaker was under the necessity of trying to remember the precedents , from Wilkes downwards , of " expulsion ? " On Tuesday , the House chuckled over Mr . Drummond , who called it a bazaar of places , and emphatically pronounced every forensic M . P . a place-hunter , — who also went up to the House of Lords , and compared the Ministerial benche s there to a draper ' s counter , over which ribbons were sold and conscience given in exchange .

    Why was Mr . Drummond laughed with ? and Mr . Duffy , who hinted at only half-a-dozen cases of corruption yelled at P The reason appears to be this : that Mr . Drummond talked like a man of the world , as one of us , " and acknowledged the necessity of corruption in this leading nation of Europe : and that Mr . Duffy talked like an indignant jurist , who was earnestly scornful of Mr . Druinmond ' sincvitable scamps . The House will endure its weaknesses being hinted at by one of the club who affects no superiority ; butappearances must bo kept up—they even thought Drummond indiscreet with a nest worth preservation ,

    and they would not endure a moralist who will not amalgamate with the club—who thinks of a country behind him ; and who will go on stupidly believing in the political honesty of needy Irish barristers . Observe that the House ; does not acknowledge that becauso its origin is rotten and villanous , it is therefore itself impure : the theory to bo sustained is that constituencies are bought always , but never Hold . The country , it admits—cheering Vernon Smith and Labemehcre ,- —is an unworthy and dishonest country ; but

    the six hundrcd-nml-fifty-four , who purchase- the Government of their countrymen are , all honourable men , patriotic ; ( it is their own , their native , land , after all ) , and pure to thai , extent that even Mr . Murrougli is to be presented to tho public gazo as rather a IJayarrt than otherwise . Mr . Stafford liud sold Britannia , no doubt concluding that , a Tory could rule tho scan as straight as a Whig ; but Mr . Stafford ' s personal honour was " unimpeached . " What could we do without ; t , hene theories ? Admit all tho facts ,

    and whut would become ; of this highly civilized people ? Colonel Dickson thinks that every man goes to Parliament for an " object , " but . if every man did not insist that bin noIo luul WIS to "inko mankind lumpier and better , bow could mankind be managed ? You don't Kiippo . se British citizens would hi * so proud of selfgovernment , and tho vi « ht to put what price they liko on their franchises , if the honourable candidate , on presenting himself was t , o say , " Being a member of the aristocracy 1 must belong to the best club in London , will you oblige me ? " Or , " Huing in tho navy I want a ship or a wiuadron- -will you givo mo the means of gel ting at tho Admiralty , and screwing if ,

    out of that infernal First Lord who snubs ino now ?' Or , " Doing a barrator , liking Cockburn ' g . society .

    and consequently never reading law , and consequently riot making a thousand a year , I should like some of the pleasant places in my profession . I am of seven years' standing—pray help a rising man . " Or , " Being a British merchant , with a good fortune , and nothing to do , I'd like to be able to awe my wife and Snooks of the city—reward industry , and give me a seat . " All this is to be said to one another in the club ; but the exoteric faith of the multitude must be looked after , and Duffy must be put down . Concede that we have not progressed since Walpole's days and the constitution would break down . And look at the state of

    Continental Europe , sir , since 1848—do you want this glorious country to be brought to anarchy ? Would you xinchristianize us by admitting a Jew ? asks Mr . Wulpole in the hearing of Mr . Disraeli , with his eye on Mr . Ricardo : and we laugh outside : but that laugh must not be sanctioned inside . A Marquis of Waterfbrd and a Marquis of Salisbury vote against unchristianising the Legislature ; but who dare test the right of such men to give such votes ? Mr . Crocodile , the rising barrister , comes from the Reform Club , where he has discussed over claret with Cockburn , the chances about that 2001 . a-year at that board , or about that compact

    judgeship at Bombay , and with his fine voice and practised style , he produces a great effect , —you can hear the ladies in their cage , exclaim , " What , a beautiful speaker ! " when he points out that the borough qf Vendor ought to have a commission ( lie could tell Hayter just the men for the commissioners ) to inquire into tlie villauy of one Tomkins , whose wife having received a threat from the landlord about those arrears , found 10 ? . in her purse on the nomination day . The constituency of this country , says Vernon Smith , is utterly depraved ; and then Vernon Smith walks home wondering why the deuce he was forgotten in the

    coalition , and how he could manage to hurry Sidney Herbert into the Peerage ? The idea , said Mr . Fitzgerald , of my being under any prospective obligation to the Government ! Mr . Fitgerald gives up a good practice at the bar , simply to oblige his countrymen ; and Mr . F . Scully is there , in his place , night after niglit , ruining that narrow chest of his , and trying to take an interest in a subject of which he has not the dreariest comprehension , simply because he loves Tipperary ; and that devotion is all the more noble , that Tipperary has given him a broad hint that his resignation , would be very acceptable . The idea , again , as Lord John Russell hinted last night , of my honourable and learned friend , Mr . Keogh , thinking of the salary attached to his office . Insulting proposition !

    But perhaps , as being a Minister without office , Lord John can affect indignation at the notion of men meaning anything but patriotism — his indignation on Thursday boiling over to that extent , that one instinctively looked to see if Lord Charles Russell , with all the dignity of 25 OO £ a-year , was going to rush at Mr . Duffy . Yes ; we have improved since the days of Walpole . Lord John Russell , volunteer statesman , leads that pure assembly for nothing . Mr . Gladstone is sorry that he should be so disinterested : but it is a corrupt age , and we want men to go in front—as veneer-statesmen . Properly considered , Lord John helps appearances wonderfully—Que I'imitile est leau ! The scene of Thursday night was something worth noting and remembering . The row in 1846 , between Peel and Disraeli , when Peel said , " That is not true , "

    was very good indeed ; but , then , Disraeli was being hounded on by an enraged faction , party spirit ran fiercely high , and there was some- solemnity that made one look grave while the savagery was in progress . Hut on Thursday for the first hour it was sheer fun : we have got into careless times ; audit was later , when the House was full of dined white waistcoats and red faces ; and those insulted were not a class much cared for , while the insulter was not personally known to twenty

    men there . The House gnvo itself up to the liacas with a thorough senso of enjoyment—utterly reckless of tho agony to individuals , and utterly indifferent , in tho thoughtlessness of tho moment , to the results on its own reputation . It shammed tho virtuous indignation with groat zest , and took for granted , while yelling and gesticulating , that tho palo and " green" Mr . Duffy , after providing a proper supply of fun , would duly bo bullied into peecavi . Earnest and serious ifc £ < ifc at the ' ««* , w'h- » tlio ( logged

    victim would palpably push tlio matter to extremity ; for even tho dined were cunning enough to remember tlmt tho Houho of Commons of this glorious constitution could not very well afford tho expose just now ; but until this sort of sensation supervened , lion , gentlemen revelled in tho rumpus just liko gallery gods in an O . P . scrimmage . Tho Houho of Connnoiw in tho bent place in tho world ft " confusion—for a row . Far bettor than a public nu-eting : for tbero it , \ h only a columntho " body" of the meeting—rushing at a fort—tho platforin . Tho platform sees a long drawrt-out row

    immediately before it , and can manage it by managing the foremost assaulters . But the House of Commons has two sides : roars can be exchanged ; men can be marked out ; eye is upon eye ; and there may be a gesticulating melee of hand to hand combats . And a public meeting cannot venture on such shouts as members of the House of Commons ' . Catcalls were introduced for the first time on Thursday , since 1832 ; fists were shaken at faces for the first time in Commons history ; and at one moment J . Ball and V , Scully , who rose at the same moment to be cloud-compellers of the tempest , were wrestling for precedence—V . Scully , as the

    lighter weight , going down ignominiously in a hideous screech of universal laughter . A stenographic corps of the " Fonetic Nuz" might have taken the cries—ordinary reporting was useless . The dined , who had got in in the middle of the crowded hubbub , were obliged to skulk to back benches and into the galleries ; and they set to , one after another , improinpting a Donnybrook . Thus : there was a cry for " Russell—Russell : "—the white waistcoats took the cue and set up a sostenuto of rhyme , — Bustle , Tustle , Rustle , Wustlc , Ussel , —ssl—si—1— -I——ooo—oo , ah , ah , oh , si—ssl—Ussel—Bustle—and so on . " Scully , " then Bully—Fully , Cully , Sully , Hullywhooo—ah—ts—ts , —bah—h—h—h . " Disraeli , " with the same variations . " Ball " was kept up wonderfully

    well ; and " Bright" suggested " fight" and « right , " endlessly . And it should be understood that the dined were only the outer chorus . Grave , steady , sober men were fuming and screaming , —franctically chepring Russell , madly putting down Lucas , and actually yelling at Duffy . That " intelligent foreigner , " with whom we so often illustrate our home pictures , could only have come to one conclusion from such a scenethat the House was drunk , and that they were ordering Mr . Chairman Bouverie to lie on the table . In the end , when it got reasonable , and knew , by Serjeant Slice ' s speech , that it had blundered , it behaved justly in adjourning the whole discussion ; for it is the fairest assembly in the world , full of manliness ; but for . hour tlin collective conduct of the House was

    scandalous ; at once exceeding its sham of indignation and forgetting decency in its laughter . At one moment anything- insulting to Duffy would have been cheeredthe most frightful personalities would lmve been welcomed , —and , though it repented the blackguardism , when Duffy remonstrated , it did cheer Mr .

    who was in a white waistcoat , when he was mean enough and cowardly enough to attempt a lick at a " down" , by bis declaration of opinion that because he would not apologise , Mr . Duffy was a—a" I don't wish ( with a lurch ) to use an improper expression ( grasping the rail of his seat ) but not a—agenneinolan . " The House would have it that Duffy had no grounds for his charge ; and because he would not

    retract , they would have it that he wanted manlinessas if the greater pluck weve not in bearding all the sham Lord John Russell was undoubtedly rcponsiblo for tho scene ,, and behaved infamously . What a twaddler L ^ - ) fu J ( ilm Russell lms become- — -how assiduously he is -practising lfrmiity fur the House of Lords , where ho is soon to 1 ) 0 called , let us hope—was evidenced early in the evening , by his speech on Kossiith , condemning ICossuth because he would not twirl his thumbs in

    the Bayswnter Hospitiuin ; and how completely irrcapable he is of "leading" a great body liko tho Commons , lie su / Hcienfly showed in lii-s leaving tho row to continue and complicate itself during two hours of shouts and screams , and in himself adopting tho tone of insult to Mr . Duffy , who , as Mr . Disraeli , more cool and more vigorous , said , ' . vas only exercising bis highest right as a member by arraigning tho corruption of a ( Jovernment . Lord John , an elbow in ouch hand , his favourite attitude on great occasions , as when be is on " civil and religious liberty , "—lifted the silliest and smallest , of human voices to catch tho cheers that were waiting on him , - ardent cheers , such as Lord John is not used to , and which swelled

    him into overwhelming rauunculous prefensiousni'ssand this great statesman , who is undoubtedly just at present a delegate of tho elder of tlie weaker sexdenounced Mr . Duffy ' s want of manliness . And how tho bullying House , insisting on its purif . y , did thunder applause of that moral lecture ! Lord I ' almerston , in tlie name way , assumed Mr . Duffy to be in a ine . s » , and advised him , as Mentor would fallc to TelemaclniH , if TelemaohiiH had been a member , and had been disorderly ; and the House roared at that , too , thinking Palmerston sagacious and diplomatic , and considering Dully d d if he would not fall into tho trap . The impertinence of tho fellow ! why would ho not pleiiHo them ? They could not , even laugh at him : lie behaved faultlessly , with miraculous Hclf-poRHCfurioii ; mid it was fine to observe that after all the mass of

    memberfl would not allow him to be crushed by tho furious few whom he had Hiunmoned up for judgment . Ifc was a tellingly trying thing for inW n 6 rvos vfuen

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    MAy 7 , l 8 fo . ] T' B E L E A D E R . Ub

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 7, 1853, page 449, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1985/page/17/