Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-11-17

bate in the House Of Commons on the civil
list. Lord Stanley, then a member had
Just closed an impetuous speech, when a
broad.shoudered, rather rough-lookinQ man
rose, and deliberately taking off bis hat.
which seemed 10 be filled with papers, com.
menced maTshalling lazy sentences, under
the command Of bad rhetoric, TO the music
Of harsh voice. A pile OF parliamentary
documents lay on the seat by his side. and
he held bi, Of paper in his hand covered
with figures. My friend informed me il
was Mr. Hume. He realized the portrait
my minds eye had drawn Of the man who,
by dint Of tireless ciphering, had convinced
the masses Of England that they were work
ing animals Of the privileged orders. His
brief, plain speech was aimed at some
proposition brought forward by Stanley, by
which the people were to be cheated out of
few thousand pounds, TO pamper some IL
tied feeder at the public crib. Stanley was
racy and Aowery. Hume's speech resem-
bled his lordships as little as Euclid's prob
lens do Millions Paradise Lost. He ex-
planned the figures on his paper, and drove
the digits into Stanley by full well.direct-
ed blow Of Treasury leecbes," and sat
down. Mr. Hume is walking bundle of
political statistics. No other man will 30
patiently pursue falsehood or false esti-
mate or account, through s'wide waste Of
parliamentary documents, till he drives it
into the sunlight Of open exposure, as he.
But as TO eloquence, he knows no more
about il than a table Of logarithms. He
rarely makes a speech that does not contain
good deal Of bad rhetoric and an equal
amount OF ariihmetical calculations. En-
tering Parliament thirty years ago, he i'm
mediaiey placed himself at the door Of the
national treasury. which he has ever since
watched with the logged vigilance Of
Cerberus. He has been the Evil Genius
OF Chancellors OF the Exchequer, worry.
ing them more than the national debt or
the public creditors; whilst sinecurists. PEN
sioners, and fat bishops, have received an
annual Parliamentary roasting at his hands.
Delving among the corruptions OF Church
aud State, he has laid bare the Shiny crea-
ures that faiien on the roots OF those insti-
tutions and suck out their hea!lhful nour-
ishment. Bringing every proposed expen-
dilure OF money to The test Of utility and
the multiplication table, he has opened ibis
budget Of statistics, night after night, and
measured off columns of damning figures
by the yard and the hour, contesting the
sum totals and the details Of the appropri-
alton bills, backed sometimes by the whole
force Of the liberal party, often sustained
by only few radical follows, and not unfre-
quently left wholly alone. or course, he
is occasionally felt 10 be bore. But no.
thing deters him from pursuing the line he
has marked out. Sarcasm is lost upon him
Wit he despises. Threats have no terrors
for him. Abuse only rebounds in the face
of his assailant. The House may try tc
RusselPs reproaches may salute his ears
Sibthorpe's clumsy abnse may fall on hi
head-Stanley's fiery shafts may culver il
his fiesh-Peel may shower contempt upor
him-but there stands clear-headed, honest
hearted, unawed Joseph Hume, entrenche,
behind pile Of Parliamentary papers, gath
ering up the fragments OF his last night
speech, and displaying fresh columns o
figures for a renewed attack on some ciyi
or ecclesiastical abuse, which has beel
, hidden from everybodys sight but his, b
the accumulated dust Of century.
, Let it not be supposed that mir Hum
has devoted himself exclusively TO excht
t quer budgets and appropriation bills H
:, has taken leading share in all liberal me,
I, sures, advocating Catholic emancipation
1 Parliamentary reform, West India abol
e ton. and has long been an able champion {
: free trade. Nor do mean ii TO beainferre
i, from the "Gree and easy" style in which
have spoken OF him, that he is not highl
: respectable both as to talents and characte
He is one Of the best working members
= Of Parliament, and by constant practiC
i. and perseverance he has obtained pos
u ton amongst lis able debaters. He hi
}, been chosen Chairman OF the Reforl
G League, which was organized by Cobde
;. and others, in the presen, House Of Con
= mons. 10 obtain equal representation ar
IS an enlarged suffrage, and he is the nom
II nal if not the real leader OF the new NOV
h ment for Parliamentary refoFm