The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS. THE IMAGINARY HANSARD. A PORTION OF TffX ANTICIPATED SPEECH ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW REFroix BILL, IN MARCH, 1N54. " The inhabitants of Gravesend are taking active stepii to bring under Ministerial notice the claims of that prosperous and increasing place to return a Member to Parlia ment. They are said to have received unofficial 'but satisfactory intimation that their demand will obtain all attention."—Liberal Sunday Paper. Lord Jolla RUSSELL (in continuation) : And now, sir,' proceeding with my list of the towns which her Majesty's Government have thought that we should enfranchise, I come from Fto G. Sir, I have, I trust, sufficiently explained the reasons upon which we base our proposed system. Those reasons will, I hope, be found to apply with full force to the case of the locality lam about to name. We consider, sir, that the claims of the town of Gravesend—(Hear rear)—to return a Member are too strong to be resisted. An important station for our steam navy. ( Laughter.) Honourable Gentlemen may laugh, but let me tell them that it' this country be embroiled with every part of the world, as she nearly is at present, and assuredly will be, if her Majesty's Ministers continue to hold office, we shall, at no bite date, have to fall back upon such vessels as the Father Thames, the Jupiter, and the Diamond for our national defences. Is it wise, theret4e, to insult a port where these vessels find their natural home, iby refusing it political rights? (I/ear, hear.) But again, sir, I have stated that her Mikjesty's Ministers are desirous to confer the franchise on scien tific men. At Gravesend, sir, is one of the most remarkable buildings which have ever been devoted to science,—l mean the Observatory,— and although I admit that this edifice is at present chiefly frequented for the purpose of discussing tea and shrimps, and though its one telescope is now let out at a penny per head, Ido not despair—l will not—l have no right to despair, of seeing it restored to its nobler object, and that those whose habit is less the taking of observations than of sights may rise to better things. (1/ear.) Again, sir, we have considered that the population of Gravesend is a fluctuating one. The resident inhabitants are chiefly shellfish sellers; chemists who deal in hair oil, toothbrushes, and cigars; ginger beer-venders ; keepers of cheap and unclean eating houses. usually called, I believe (my honourable friend the Secretary to the Admi ralty will correct me if I am wrong), slapbangs ; females whose frank hospitality is unfettered by conventional shackles ; river pilots ; marine store-keepers ; Jews ; artists in black paper ; lodging-house owners ; bankrupt small-coal men; and crimps. (Hear, hear.) Now, theme occupations may not sound very euphoniously ; but when 1 remind the House that the m►jority of measures known under the name of our free-trade policy, and especially the remission of taxation concocted by my honourable friend the C H A NCELLOR of the ExcimeuEn, have been calculated to benefit these and similar classes, I am unable to be lieve that the House would wish us to be so inconsistent and illogical ►►s to refuse to complete the boon by giving these individuals a voice in the Leg►slature. But I have said that the population of Gravesend fluctuates. This, sir, is a strong reason for giving it the franchise. During SOMO months of the year the humbler commercial classes of London make Gravesend their 1 1111 l and the Government has a peculiar feeling fin• those who trade upon the humblest capital, political or otherwise. It is, moreover, the favourite resort of attor neys' clerks ; and I conceive►, sir, that an infusion of legal principles and habits of attaichn►ent to the law is ealeulated to do the utmost good to a population, to endear the Constitution to it, and to imbue it with those great doctrines which placed the house of Bedford—l mean of Brunswick—at the head of these realms. (1/ear, hear.) Another reason which occurs to me is, that I do not consider that the aris tocracy (I mean such portion of the aristocracy as is not Whig) should have too potent a voice in any English town. Where this is the case we have, as in the old Reform Bill, sought to counteract it. Now, I am informed, for I do not myself know the place, whether any person whomsoever shall even land at Gravesend entirely depends upon two Peers. Now, I ask the House whether Eli ? (Mr. B. OSBORN E, appa rently convulsed with laughter, whispered an explanation. His lordship smiled and resumed.) Oh, two Piers-1 see. Well, I won't press the point. 1 find I have been misled by my honourable friend's Admiralty spelling, which is on a par with his Admiralty grammar. But, sir, I would add that in addition to the reasons I have already stated, and which to my mind are perfectly valid, I have a personal reason for desiring to confer any benefit in my power upon Gravesend If any value be attached to the constituency which elected the Leader of this House to his seat, let it be remembered that he obtained his majority from those who are familiarly called the 'Long-shore men. To their disinterested suffrages he owes his place here, and he would ungrateful, anti the House which owns his leadership - inconsistent, if representation were refused to a .y, and one which, like Gravesend, is. with the mentioned, composed of nothing but 'Long-shore entertain the same views and principles. (Hear, propose that Gravesend be included in Schedule I) Member. And now, sir, for another place to which will apply—l mean the Isle of Dogs. 'I be worse than ungral P l - N i rould be worse than i. A...f . ? . ~..w . 3 4 , Ap r constituency • -,.. 3 , . I have in e -- " . - ma, anti those who t C.lsrl.,'' . h•ar,.) I therefore pi 1 4 . as returning one Met the same arguments 44. ....k . . 1 .6' • V''' ' Ni ‘ ' 4l ' 1 ,Z SATURDAY, THE AGE OF DROSS. We saw Old England in the van Of nations, strong with arm and plan To mould the world in beauty ; With pomp she laid her Old Duke low, With anguish let her warm tears flow Upon the grave of Duty! Was that a dream? No more the brunt Is borne by England in the front Of high and holy missions: We sweep the shop, we tend the till, Our bellies pack, and pockets fill— Our chief aim, " cheap provisions." Rouse, England! from thy guilty sleep, Deplore thy error—wail and weep Thy lost faith and dishonour. Turn on the guardians of the State, Turn mourning eyes, not looks of hate, — These cowards not alone are. War-burdened fogs creep o'er the West, Now hardly heaves the jobber's chest, And low his light is burning. Rouse, England ! rouse ;—thou surely see'st A STAR IR SETTING IN THE EAST, Tho wain's the wrung way turning. Let, over counters, PEACE be squeaked, Or through the halls of Maininon shrieked, By him whose soul but dross is ; Net yet are Truth and Honour dead; There yet aro higher things than trade, And lower things than losses. MR. OLIVEIRA ON THE WINE DUTIES. GENERAL Scorr, when canvassing for the Presidentship of the United States, began a letter on his candidature, " After a hasty dish of soup I take up my pen," &c. Mr. OLIVEIRA, who is a candidate for fame of various kinds—pugilistic, litigious, geographical, senatorial, and bacchanalian, has—tipropos of the wino duties—commenced a letter from Meurice's Hotel, Paris, to one of our evening paper►, " After a delicious bottle of ehablis, that cost one shilling and threepence." As every man in these days conceives that he ought to have a special mission, Mr. OLIVEIRA fancies it is his part to head an agitation against the wine duties, and put them in schedule A of his contemplated Customs Reform Bill. He has already enlistei eighty M.P.'s in his troop. "The six-hooped pot shall have ten hoops," says he, And, rising to the festive eall, !low answers each bold Bacchanal!. True to his mission, he has spent the summer in a drinking tour through France, and, as he has visited the principal cities in the wine districts, he has probably gone the whole hogshead. He intends, he says (but we must remember that this was written immediately after the chablis), to attack monopoly in its stronghold—the city of London ; and instead of raising, like the Wizard Coanr.s, a tempest in atea-kettle, he intends appearing in the character of a bottle-imp. We are curious to see in what shape he will dress up his advocacy of cheap wine. Will his facts take a tabular form, as— PLACIL DRANK. PHYSICAL STATIC. MORAL EFFECTS. Wit lively, courage high. Bordeaux. I —bottles of Claret. I Pulse, s 5. Or will he throw them into a narrative form, as— " I will mention a fact to the House which occurred to myself. At a town in the Valais I looked at the list of wines, and seeing mal voisie, the drink of barons and knights, like Front-de-Bomf and De Bracy in the olden time, I ordered a bottle. The wine was sweet, rich, and oily. I drank more than one bottle, and will read from my journal a statement of the effects produced Felt benevolent : gave the waiter three sous. Spoke to several persons in the coffee-room, but they did not seem to understand me.'" Should he eschew the un adorned style of eloquence, and, inspired by his subject, soar on poetical wing, the theme is well adapted for ornament, thus :—" Where Dijotes massy towers look o'er the purple slopes of gold, I've sipp'd her ruby wine of flowers, and felt, like Charles le Temerairo, bold. In Burgundy, though oft elated, I never was intoxicated." We wish Mr. OLIVEIRA success. If the House dispute his facts, let him move for a commission to roam about France to investigate the subject. He would find plenty of members ready to serve on it; and on his return he might publish his " Case Against the Wine Duties; or, Notes of a Drinking Tour through France." If he never sits down to pen his notes until he has drunk one bottle at least, we doubt not his tour will be to the full as lively and amusing as was his letter to the Globe. ~u U