ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Lords, Monday Night, July 25.—Peers received important accession of strength to-night. Gentleman long known in Commons as "Old Mother Hubbard" been translated, and will henceforward be known to history as Lord Addington. His early impression was that he should have been Chancellor of the Exchequer. Admiration for Dizzy, and respect for Stafford Northcote; but always thought they were out of place at the Treasury whilst he sat below the Gangway, fain to be content with criticising their schemes. Markiss didn't really know what to do with him. Couldn't appoint him Chancellor of the Exchequer in succession to Grandolph. Yet Hubbard felt he must have something. Markiss, thinking it over one day, recalled the fact that Hubbard had absolutely safe seat in City.
"Good," he said. "Let's make him a Peer."
So here he is to-night, swaggering up floor of House of Lords, with little ambulatory swing of coat-tails, familiar for generations in House of Commons. Markiss looks on, pleased with fulfilment of his happy thought.
"Nice old gentleman," he remarked, sotto voce. "Prosy when he starts, and always something of a bore. But he'll do for the House of Lords. Moreover, have now finally shut him up. Figures are his forte, Finance his foible. Finance is the only subject that may not be discussed in House of Lords. So, where Hubbard was voluble, Addington must be dumb."
Great muster on Opposition Benches in House of Commons. Conservatives not yet back from festivities in the Solent. Old Morality depressed with consciousness that it will be impossible for him to move the Closure. Arthur Balfour quite conciliatory in manner. Progress accordingly comparatively rapid and altogether peaceful. At outset, threatened encounter between Sexton and Johnston. Sexton made inquiry as to whether any chance of City Charter being granted to Belfast? Johnston jumped up with cry of "Stop thief!" On the Fourteenth of June—(didn't mention hour, but precise as to day)—he had put similar question, and had, he said, been waiting ever since for answer. Detected in Sexton's movement attempt to secure monopoly of popularity. Not going to stand that. House only laughed, and incident went no further.
