_House of Commons, Monday, April 27_.--"Well, I never!" said GEORGE
ELLIOT, beaming on House from back bench; "have known HARCOURT man
and boy for forty years; seen him in divers moods; watched him through
various occupations. These have been so many that I have had time to
forget he was once Chancellor of the Exchequer; but he was, and
upon my word, listening to him to-night, and knowing something
about figures myself, I believe he would have made a splash at the
Treasury."
[Illustration: Genial George.]
JOKIM doesn't enjoy performance quite so much as GENIAL GEORGE. Oddly
enough, Budget Night, which ought to be the apex of comfort and
glory for CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, is with him ever the season of
tribulation. House of Commons is, regarded as audience, always at its
best on Budget Night. Will laugh immoderately at feeblest joke
uttered by CHANCELLOR; cheers to the echo his moral sentiments; sits
enraptured when he soars into eloquence; and is undisguisedly grateful
when he has completed his peroration. JOKIM'S muddle of Thursday
night made the best of. Opposition silenced by promised legislation
establishing Free Education. Everything in sunshine-glow of
prosperity. Thought JOKIM might keep some of the sunbeams for himself.
Then comes HARCOURT with the abhorrëd shears of facts and figures,
and slits the thin-spun web of JOKIM'S ingenious fancy; shows that,
instead of a surplus, he has, when honest arithmetic is set to work, a
deficit; instead of increasing the rate of reduction of National Debt,
he has done less in that direction than his predecessors; and that
whilst expenditure on Army and Navy has exceeded any figures reached
by former Chancellors of the Exchequer, the floating debt is ever
growing.
JOKIM sits on Treasury Bench affecting the virtue of a smile though
he has it not. Wriggles like a snail under dispensation of salt. When
HARCOURT finished, HENRY FOWLER stepped in, and with fresh array of
figures and new marshalling of argument, completed the demolition of
JOKIM'S system of finance. Mr. G. looked smilingly on, delighting in
the energy and aptitude of his Young Men. JOKIM, anxious to change the
subject on any terms, tried to draw Mr. G. into the controversy. "I
think not," said Mr. G., with a smile of ineffable sweetness. "Right
Hon. Gentleman need not go so far afield: will have pretty tough job
in answering HARCOURT."
A pretty scene; admirable Parliamentary play. Oddly enough boxes
empty; stalls a wilderness; pit only half full. Energies of House
so sapped with dreary flood of talk on Irish Land Bill cannot be
reanimated even for a brisk battle over the Budget.
_Business done_.--JOKIM pummelled to pulp.
_Tuesday_.--OLD MORALITY walked out of House just now, his back
suffused with sense of duty done, alike to QUEEN and Country. Irish
Land Bill, which, as CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN says, makes a Moated Grange of
House of Commons, on again all day. SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE'S GATE and
his Party active as usual. The PARTY a little doubtful of the SAGE.
Sometimes, in blessed intervals of silence, is discovered gazing on
a bald space on back of SAGE'S head, striving, as it were, to pierce
through this weak spot, and discover what is in the SAGE'S mind. The
SAGE in outward manner most deferential and encouraging. Misses no
opportunity of publicly applauding him. It is true that when the SAGE
has got him on his legs, starting afresh on new Amendment, he seizes
the opportunity to slink out of the House, and take another cigarette,
quite certain that the PARTY is good for half-an-hour. This, and one
or two other little things, create a suspicion in the mind of the
PARTY, who was not brought up in India for nothing. WILFRID LAWSON,
who sits close by, and keenly watches progress of events, says he has
no doubt the time will come when the PARTY will revolt.
"KEAY," says WILFRID, "occupies a strategical position, which gives
him a great pull over LABBY. His respected Leader sits on the bench
immediately below him. Some day SEYMOUR KEAY'S wild Mahratta blood may
boil over, an unsuspected scimitar may flash forth from his trouser
pocket, and the SAGE'S head, falling gory on the floor of the House,
may gently, from mere force of habit, roll in the direction of Queen
Anne's Gate."
"For a real sanguinary-minded man," said RITCHIE, to whom I told this
story, "give me a teetotaller."
The PARTY, with some assistance from Windbag SEXTON, wasted sitting
till quarter to seven. By this time, all Amendments to Clause 3 being
wearily worn off, opportunity just left to pass Clause before Sitting
adjourned. Question put that Clause 3 pass. Then SAGE, smelling
obtrusively of cigarettes, interposed, and declared it "would be
indecent" to accept the Clause without further discussion. Nothing
House shrinks from just now more abjectly than from charge of
indecency. Accordingly debate stood over, and Thursday may, if
the SAGE and his Party please, and the Closure is not invoked, be
appropriated for further discussion of Clause 3.
OLD MORALITY might have moved Closure at twelve minutes to seven,
and carried Clause 3. Committee naturally expected he would. But OLD
MORALITY had another card up his sleeve. At very last moment, whilst
Members trooped out, and it was thought all was over, OLD MORALITY
gave notice of motion to take the whole time of House, including
Tuesday and Friday nights' evening sittings.
"I think you had them there," I said, as we walked across to Grosvenor
Place.
"Yes, TOBY," he said, a little flush mantling his modest face; "we've
given them rope enough, and now we'll hang them. They've had their
run, now we'll take ours. It's the main thing I always look to. Never
forget when I was still in the seminary writing out copy of verses
about a shipwreck. A graphic scene; the riven vessel, the raging seas,
the panic-stricken crowd on deck, and then this little self-drawn
picture of the sole survivor, the one man left to tell the story:
Some fell upon their bended knees
And others fell down fainting,
But I fell to on bread and cheese;
For that, Sir, was the main thing.
It's the bread and cheese I look to, TOBY, dear boy. For others the
glory of debate, the prize of Parliamentary oratory. Give me the bread
and cheese of seeing business advancing, and I'm content."
_Business done_.--Once more Committee on Irish Land Bill.
_Thursday_.--A pretty little game on to-night. OLD MORALITY moved his
Resolution taking power to appropriate Tuesdays and Fridays evening
sittings, and all Wednesdays for Irish Land Bill. In ordinary
circumstances there would have been stormy protest led from Front
Opposition Bench against this inroad on time of private Members. Other
fish to fry to-night. Wednesday week assigned for Second Reading of
Woman's Suffrage Bill; if Government take that day for Irish Land
Bill, obviously can't be utilised for furtherance of Woman's Rights.
This an awkward question for some Members; don't like it, but daren't
vote against it. Here's opportunity of getting rid of it by side-wind.
Not necessary in arranging proceedings to mention Suffrage Bill,
or even Wednesday, 13th of May. It was principle for which Members
struggled; "the principle of uniformity," as Mr. G. beautifully put
it. "Let us," he said, though perhaps not quite in this phrase, "go
the whole hog or none; take all the Wednesdays, or leave them."
Pretty to see OLD MORALITY protesting against this unprecedented
access of generosity. The very picture, as MCEWAN said, of a good
man struggling with the adversity of overwhelming good fortune. Was
prepared to take a Wednesday here and there: but, really, too much to
appropriate everyone. "Not at all--not at all," said Mr. G.
But it was only under compulsion of a Division that he consented to
accept the endowment. In meanwhile, the Woman's Suffrage Debate on
Wednesday week snuffed out, and final opportunity of Session lost.
"I'm inclined," said WM. WOODALL, "as a rule, to take kindly views of
my fellow men, to put the best construction upon their actions; but,
upon my word, I'm not satisfied in my own mind that we advocates of
Woman's Rights have not been made the victims of deep and dastardly
design."
"Order! Order!" said COURTNEY; "no more am I."
_Business done_.--Woman's Rights men dished.
_Friday_.--Brer FOX looked in to-night, and, finding Brer RABBIT
absent, undertook charge of Irish affairs. Desirous of introducing
novelty into situation, began by patronising Prince ARTHUR. "So
conciliatory, you know; so anxious to meet the views of Irish Members;
really, they ought to meet him half-way, and refrain from annoying him
by unnecessary Amendments."
Brer FOX'S voice faltered as he spoke, and, bringing round his tail,
he gently brushed away a falling tear. Unfortunately for him, TIM
HEALY present. TIM jumped up, and fell upon his ancient chief,
flouting his counsel, and repudiating his right to leadership. Effect
upon Brer FOX something like that which followed on the flight of the
piece of old red sandstone which struck in the abdomen a gentleman,
who chanced to be standing round. The subsequent proceedings
interested him no more. He walked out, and was not seen again.
"Exceedingly rude man," he said; "never come near TIM HEALY but I feel
an infinite yearning for a fire-escape." _Business done_.--Land Bill
again.
* * * * *
"MORE FREE THAN WELCOME."--MR. GOSCHEN'S Education Scheme, to the
Tories.
* * * * *
A REGIMENT OF "THE LINE."--The Royal Academicians.
* * * * *
[Illustration: GRANDOLPH THE PRODIGAL.
(_A Parliamentary Drama too good for words, after "L'Enfant Prodigue"
at the Prince of Wales's Theatre._)]
* * * * *