Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-08-16
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ID ,Eam. sIick In Parliament. :

4 The most notable man that the general cleo
ton has sent mp to Parliament isunquesnonnaoy
Mr.. Justice Halliburton, the Conservative mem.
ber for Launceston. Mr.. Halliburton has lived
the greater part Of his life in Amercs, but he fs
not Yankee, for he is of Scottish extraction,
and was born in Nova Scotia. He is about fifty
four wears old. In 1S42 Mr.. Halliburton camerto
England on diplomatic business, and on bis re-
turn to America was made Justice of Nova SEQ.
tis. aBy profession he is q lawyer; bot II be
had never stepped ont of Ibis profession be would
never have been known to us, and In all proba-
bility. would never have been member OF Par.
lament. His fame rests upon the authorship OF
certain well-known works which he has pub
lisbed under the nomne de plume of .Sam Slick,
the Oockmaker of Slickyile." Mr.. Halliburton
made bis. first appearance In the House last week
TO be sworn. BE is In person tall and portly,
rather bald, and the hair that he has Is grey
His facets full and somewhat fo-id, and he
wears neither whiskers nor beard; and, on the
whole he appears to casual observer at dis
tance, common place ploddiDg man, and might
be taken for farmer Of the better class, or Q
respectable tradesman. =. y .e,''N
This was our impression of Halliburton, alias
aSsm Slick" when from the gallery We saw him
walk into the House, take bis seat on the Min
isterial side, and afterwards come up to the ta:
Bile to be sworn; and we said TO ourselves 80
this is the immortal Samilt Well, he is not at all
the man that we have imagined. Is 1t possible
there can be 80 much humor, srchness and wag-
gerry in that stolid looking MANI" But after
wards, we had an opportunity OF seeing MIN
closer, and he then looked somewhat dlnerent'
And when 10 the course of ofconyersation, his tsce
lighted up with smile, we saw at once indica-
tions of his peculiar power; bis small eyes seem;
ed to twinkle and get closer together, and there
was an expression about the moutn, fuii OF thss
archness and roguery which aboondsln bis oooK.
At distance he seems Mr.. Justice hahDnrton,
but closer. and when his face was lit. up, we
could easily imagine him to be Sam Slick. It's
said that when he attended at Oxford Oommeifi.
oration. and was greeted with cheering fromiths
under graduates, be threw up TO his admirers
one of his arch glances, and set the whole OF the
gallery in roar of laughter. On Tuesday we
again saw Mr.. Halliburton on the benches OF the
House, peering through bis small eyes into the
curious scene before him. and we thought Qf one
of his .Wise Saws" "I'll tell you what, Presi-
dent. seein' is beleevin', but it arn't them that
stare the most who see the best always" Well,
we have at last now got a genuine bumorist IN
the House. We have had wits before, but no
least not in modern times. o,lJ.a
whether Mr.. Halliburton will speak, and If he
should. whether he will make en- impression,
must remain doubtful at present; but there can
be no question that he will observe narrowly,
and, perhaps, will give the world the result OF
his observations ; and therefore we advise mem.
bers to take care, and - ~ ..ro
If there's hole in o. your coats,
.l. We rede you tentit; .a a.
A chield's amang you takin' notes,
And perhaps he'll prent 1t.
When Sam Slick was an attachs In England,
he went to the House, and he has given us his
notion of some Of the speeches heard there,
which we quote: "a night or two afore l left
town went to the House of Commons ! amt
often there. It's stupid work, and more than
half the time routine business, and the other half
of it is rehash of old speeches. Twjce-iald
dishes can stand-salt fish and corn beef twice
laid I can sometimes consait is as good as when
first cooked-but old speeches served over and
over again 60 again the appetite" Hear, hear,
Mr.. Slickl and we wish you could thorougly
inocuate the members with the notion; for the
hashing and rehashing of old speeches, and set.
ting them before Us as something new, is one OF
the most characteristic faults of our House, and
If YOU can remove this evil, or even mitigate 1t.
though your claim to bea Conservative, you will
be a great Parliamentary Reiormer.-London
Na,.og