"Heavy Marching Order" (in August).—"Shirt-sleeves and Sherbet."
ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED FROM
THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday, August 21.—Some excellent speaking to-night. Squire Of Malwood in fine form. Opportunity made to his hand. With Joseph, friend and ally of Conservative Ministry that had invented and applied Guillotine Closure, indignantly protesting against the "gag," there was room for obvious remark. Then there was J. C.'s article in monthly magazine of so recent date as 1890, in which, in his forcible manner, he had, with circumstance, demanded application of gag not only to successive stages in important measures, but to Supply.
"Oh that mine enemy would write an article in the Nineteenth Century!" exclaimed George Curzon. "Anyone could make a speech with such opportunity as the Squire has."
"Exactly," said the Member for Sark; "but perhaps they mightn't do it so well."
Another good speech from unexpected quarter was Whitbread's. Whitbread is the Serious Person of the Liberal Party. Whenever Mr. G. gets into difficulties on constitutional questions or points of Parliamentary practice, Whitbread solemnly marches to front, and says nothing particular with imposing air that carries conviction. To-day came out quite in new style; almost epigrammatic, certainly pointed. Quite a model of Parliamentary speech of the old stately, yet flexible style now little known.