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There is something fascinating about the title of Mr. MCCULLAGH TORRENS'
book, published in one handsome volume, by BENTLEY. There should be a
good deal in _Twenty Years in Parliament_, more so when the epoch covers
recollections of PALMERSTON in his green old age, Mr. GLADSTONE in his
prime, BRIGHT in his political prize-fighting trim, COBDEN, TOM DUNCAN,
MONCKTON MILNES, JOHN STUART MILL, ISAAC BUTT, and a host of other ghosts
that have flitted off the scene. My Baronite turned to the book with
gusto, read it through with patience, and left it with disappointment.
Mr. TORRENS knew all these men personally; in fact, he was indispensable
to them. One marvels to find, from hints dropped and assertions boldly
made, how much they were severally indebted to him for counsel and
inspiration through the twenty years the narrative vaguely covers. The
figures of the men named loom large in history; but they were all
stuffed. The wires were pulled by plain unappreciated MCCULLAGH TORRENS.
The weight of the responsibility has had the effect of somewhat muddling
the narrative, and, from time to time, the diligent reader does not know
exactly where he is. He begins with some episode in which DIZZY, with arm
affectionately linked with that of MCCULLAGH TORRENS, is walking along
Pall Mall, when a passing Bishop obsequiously takes off his hat and bows.
MCCULLAGH modestly says this obeisance was paid to DIZZY, but _we_ know
very well it was to MCCULLAGH. Then, before we know where we are, we are
in the middle of an account of the Bulgarian atrocities, the
Russo-Turkish war, what Count BEUST said to MCCULLAGH, and how, in debate
on the Vote of Six Millions, "a Right Hon. friend who sat next to me
urged me to add a few words to what had been better said by others in
this sense." Better said! Oh, MCCULLAGH! Oh, TORRENS! There is an ancient
story of an old gentleman who had a treasured anecdote connected with the
going off of a gun. When he could not drag it in otherwise, he was wont
to furtively lift his foot and kick the table. "Hallo, what's that?" he
cried. "Sounds like a gun; that reminds me"--and then the story. Thus Mr.
TORRENS drags in successive Parliamentary episodes through twenty
years--the Disestablishment of the Church, the Charity Commission, State
Aid to Emigrants, School Board for London, Extradition, Artisans'
Dwellings; gives a not very clear summary of events leading up to each,
and then treats the entranced reader to the heads of the speech he
delivered. The book would have been more accurately entitled had it been
called _Twenty Years of McCullagh Torrens_, and old Members of the House
of Commons will agree that this is a little too much.