Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1853-08-13
wilbesforee's Great Speech on Potatoes.

Wilbekforoe's Great Speech on Potatoes.
The following amusing sketch of Joke of
| Parliamentary reporter is taken from the
Great Metropolis, London work:
I'll About thirty -fyeyears ago, when only one
sentence of a speech was given on an ave-
rage, every five or six minutes, and when
! the reporters had to sit for many hours at a
time, they were often al loss what to do
| with themselves. On one occasion. when
| laboring under al aftack Of ennui, and also
under the effects, Iaek Finnarty, we'll
known reporter Of That period, yawned out
Mr.. Speaker, will you favor us with a
song p1
A roar of laughter followed from all parts
Of the house One ofthe of1icers immediate
ly repaired to the gallery and inquired who
the offender was; Jack Finnarty, without
opening his mouth, pointed to Quaker Of
very diminutive stature, who was sitting in
lahe front seat The officer imme lately
seized the unofending little man by the
breast of his collarless coat andwithout con-
descending to gise the why and wherefore,
dragged him down stairs, and transferred
him to the care Of the sergeant-at-arms.
Theslatter, after keeping hiuein safe custody
A4uring the night and compelling him to pay
nearly thirty dollars for his lodgings, set him
at liberty on the following day.
About the same time, the debate: which
Was about English laborers, being one even
ing unusually dull Jack Finnarty, who had
but short time before been imported froml
Tipperary, said to the only other reporter in
the gallery at the time. that he fell very
drowsy. and that he would be after taking
a little bit Of a nap. il he would tell him
when he awoke anything whic hni ght take
place. The other agreed, am Jack in a
| moment, was fast locked in Tie arms Of
Morpheus. An hour elapsed, and after q
| hall dozen yawns, Jack open his eyes.
| Has anything happened was thesfrst
question 10 his frierd.
ITO be sEre there has, said the other,
| whose name was Morgan O'Suflivan.
:. Has there. by the powers ~ exclaimed
Jack, pfi&M1&g up his ears in the plenitude
of his AMI ITO hear what it was.
Yes, JACK, and very important, too"
"Then why don't you be after telling il to
| me at once2 Whatwas it about?'
About Of the Irish potato,
ssWas MI potato you said, Nor
gan?D
The IRISH potato; and a. most eloquent
| speech it was.n
Thunder ana lightning, then, and why
don't You tell il to me-"
AM read it from my note book Jack, and
you can take it down as ! goon" said Nor
gan.
."Och, lis myself, sure, that's ready at
Iany time 10 write what any member says
about onE #praities; are you ready TO begin :"
"Quite ready" answered Morgan.
Up" Now, then,' said Jack with an energy
that strangely contrasted with the previous
Ianguor Of his manner Nov, Morgan,
my boy.''
Morgan, affecting to read from his note
book, commenced thus:
aThe honorable member said, that if"-
"Och, be aisy little bit," interrupted
Jack, swho was the honorable member
Morgan hesilated moment. "Was it
his name you asked? Sure it was Mr..
Wilberforce.n
aMr. Wilberforce! och, very we'll, then"
Morgan resumed.
"Mr. Wilberfore said that it always APP
peared to him beyond all question. that the
great cause why the Irish laborors were, as
body, so much stronger and capable of en-
during so much greater physical fatigue
than the English, was the surprising virtues
Of their potato. And he-n
.Moraan, my dear fellow 7" shouted Jack,
at the mention OF the Irish potato, his coun-
tenance lighted up with ecstacy, as he spoke,
" Morgan my dear fellow, this Isl 20 impor-
tant, that we must give il in the first person"
ssDoSou think so p said Morgan. "a
ATroth and do" answered Jack.
sVery well.n said Morgan, and therise-
sumed. And have no doubt, continued
Mr.. WiIberforce, that had been il ny lot to
be born and reared i'm
"Did the member say reared % inter-
rupted Jack, exut,ingly, evidently associat-
ing the word with the growth Of potatoes in
his own 'blessed country"
sHe said reared,o observed the other
who then continued "Had ii been my 10,
TO be born and reared in Ireland, where my
food would have principally consisted OF the
potato-that most nutritious and saluhrious
root-instead Of being the poor, infirm,
shrivelled and stunted creature you, sir, ami
these honorable gentlemen, now behold,
would have been tall, athletic man, and
able to carry an enormous weight"
Here Jack Finnarty observed, looking his
friend Morgan eagerly in the face.
"Faith, Morgan, and that's what call
true eloqnence. Go on"
" / hold that root to be Invaluable; and
the man who first cultivated it in Ireland,
regard as benefactor Of the first magnitude
to his species. And my decided opinion is.
that never, until we grow potatoes in Eng
land in sufficient quantities to feed all our
laborers will those laborers be as able bodied
class as the Irishp,-tHear hear! from
both sides of the hause)
"Well, by St. Patrick, but that bates every
thing" observed Jack, on finishing his note;
that's rale philosophy; and the other men,
bers cried hear, hear r did they ~
9 The other members said, Hear, hear"
answered Morgan.
In quarter of an hour afterwards, the
house arose. Morgan went away directly
to the office Of the paper for which he was
employed, while Jack, in perfect ecstacies
At the eulogium which had been pronounced
on The virtues Of the potato Of . Old Ireland"
ran in breathless haste to a public house
where the reporters, who should have been
on duty for the other morning papers, were
assembled He read over his notes to them,
which they copied verbatim, and not being
At the time ia The best possible condition for
Judging Of the probability Of Mr.. Wilberforce
delivering such speech, they repaired 10
their respective offices, and actually gave
Il - y - -.