PEDESTRIANISM AT ST. STEPHEN'S.
Members of the House of Commons, being in the Library, or elsewhere about the House, have to run for it in order to be present at divisions, and are sometimes too late. Lightness of heels (as well as of principle) appears to be a quality necessary to a representative of the British people. An election contest might be an actual footrace. Why not? The candidate that is able to outrun his opponent is at least as fit and proper a man to represent a constituency, as he is who can outbribe him. However this may be, we expect soon to see some such arrangements as the following among the Parliamentary notices:—
Thomas Babington Macaulay will run Joseph Hume, or any other Member, on the India question; or what not.
Frederick Lucas, the Scarlet Runner, will match himself with Phinn, the Bath Brick, to run any length upon the Nunneries' Bill; or as much farther as the Pope chooses.
Colonel Sibthorpe will run any Member of Her Majesty's Government (in which he has no confidence) at any time, on any question.
We shall also have Sir J. T. Tyrrell, the Farmer's Boy, challenging Lord John Russell, the Bedford Pet, to a trial of speed; the Attorney-General will be invited to a similar match by Sir F. Thesiger; Mr. Bright will be proposing to hop Lord Palmerston; and perhaps Mr. Benjamin Disraeli will want to jump Mr. Gladstone in a budget.