THE CHARTER.
A COMMONS SCENE IN THE YEAR 1843.
Several Members took the oaths, and the Speaker took his seat, when six-and-twenty members all at once were on their feet. The standing order then to move some dozen did begin; and, in compliance with it, the Speaker ordered in, for all the honourable members, each "a go" of gin.
The worthy representative of Monmouth Street began to bring before the house his well-digested plan, for making up the deficit, by taxing every man who should be found to own a baked potato-can.
He went into the history of taturs, from the day when first the sun of science shone with resplendent ray, and pointed out for baking them the most delicious way: he traced the rise of cans from the very first of all, when they used to manufacture them particularly small, until the later era, when they made them very tall, with half-a-dozen lanterns, from which the light would fall, the notice of the populace unto the can to call, and, like a very basilisk, the little boys enthral.
The member then for Battersea, in an impressive speech, brought on his promised motion for giving Chelsea Reach, and also Twickenham Meadows, another member each. He said, and while he said it, he acknowledged it was true, that those who lived at Battersea and Twickenham were few, but unto them the suffrage undoubtedly was due, because it had been given to Hammersmith and Kew.
The great election compromise was then at length discussed, and it was soon decided that the sitting member must, upon a charge of bribery, from out his seat be thrust; because he had corrupted, with a pot of beer, a crust, and bit of cheese, a voter who took away the dust.
The watercress and radish trade presented a petition, complaining very bitterly of their distressed condition, and praying that the Parliament would put a prohibition on foreign cress and radishes, which caused a competition that threatened to annihilate at once the home vendition. The House, in tongues as numerous as e'er were heard at Babel, expressed at once a wish to do whatever it was able, and ordered the petition, then, to lie upon the table.
But now the long discussion was eagerly resumed, upon the knotty question, whether those who wern't illumed with a knowledge of the reading art, could ever be presumed fit persons unto whom the nation's guidance should be doomed? 'Twas argued very cleverly, and was by all confessed, that, as the members had not been by property oppressed, enabling them to sympathize much more with the distressed, and, as they were with very slight qualifications blessed, perhaps, if they had none at all, it would be for the best.
The House was now impatient, and many rose to say, that they had listened long enough, and wished to get away; for they had sat sufficient time to constitute a day, and therefore hoped the Speaker no longer would delay, in ordering to each of them their ordinary pay.
With this the feeling of the House appeared to coincide; the Speaker to the treasurer for funds at once applied, and at the sight of money there arose, from every side, one universal clamour of—"Divide! divide! divide!"