Smyrna times., 1859-09-01
a Reporters Joke.

Il Morgan O'Sullivan, an Irishman, and a eel
- brated Parliamentary reporter, attached to th
London Morning Chronicle, some fifty veal
: ago, was as remarkable for his humor as his prC
- tesslonal ability. Whenever any one offende
- Morgan, or got out of favor with him, he inva
II rIaby retalated in the way of some practica
~ Joke, that generally placed his antagonist in
= very ridiculous position, and afforded the humor
y lst satisfaction.
:, In this way he once "got even " with tw
= individuals a the same time who had excite
. his re-viz the celebrated Wberforce, then
q leading member of the opposition in Parlia
= = ment and one Jack Flnnerty, a parliamentary
J. reporter OF the Morning Herald. FinnertI
was fresh from Tipperary, and quite unacquaint
ed win the characteristics of the dliieren
members, but he received good deal of gt ne
rous professional assistance at the outset of his
career from Morgan O'Sullivan. On the occa.
sion now referred to, Finnerty came into the
reporters gallery at period of the night when
the debates seemed to have slackened /; he con.
cluded to take doze on one of the benches, and
requested his friend to wake him up if any thing
lively came before the house. and thereupon
went off to sleep. Presently Mr.. Wiberforce
got upon his legs, and addressed very thrill
ing speech before the house.
AS he progressed mlschjevous idea seized
IL
berturce) sat down, he proceeded to put in prac-
Iice, thus; Rousing Flunerry from his sluinber
on the benches, O'Sullivan exclaimed "Jack,
Wllbetorce has just made an extraordinary
| speech" What about - returned Finnertv.
rubbing his eyes. "About the potato; the ef-
lect OF 1t national vivaciiy-the great virtues
OF 1t as an article of popular diet; proved that
the finest kind of men were reared on it, far
superior to the English" Wilberforce said
! that, did he Z" exclaimed Finnerly come let
me take his remarks in full from your notes"
3" It'll pleasure, my dear fellow" reDlled
OSuIllvan. wac commenced as if reading from
notebook, whilst Fmnerty eagerly wrote alter
him IN the following vein: "Mr. Wilberforce
then emphatlcal remarked that it always ap-
pcarcd to him, beyond question, that the great
cause why the Irish laborers, as a body, were
so much stronger and capable of enduring so
much more fatigue than the English, arose
from the surprising virtues Of their potato"-
That's what call eloquence," interrupted
Jack FInnerty. Morgan resumed "And | |
have no doubt Continued Mr. WIberforce] that
had 1t been my lot to have been born and rear.
cd 10 Ireland, where my food would have prin-
cIpally consisted of that inestimabe root, in
Stead OF being the poor, infirm, shrivelled and |
stunted creature you, sir, aud honorable gentle.
men now behold me, | would have been a stout,
athletic, handsome man, able TO carry an enor-
nous weight" "Wel done, WiIbcriorce !"
exclaimed Jack, rubbing his hands in higb qlee:
" go on, Morgan" OSuliyan then proceeded
IN the same vein OF pathos aud absurIitv, but
adrotly keeping within the bounds that Fin
nerty's creduIly would swallow, until be had
placed most whimsical speech in the mouth
of the grave and earnest Wilberforce. Fin.
nerty, with many expressions of thanks to his
brother reporter started for the Herald office
On his way, turning into tavern close by
the House OF Commons where a number Of re-
porers OF the different morning papers were re.
calling themselves, here Jack furnished them all
with copies of Wiberforce's speech" and
the hoax found its way the next morning into
every paper in London, with the exception of
the HOrHing Chronicle, TO which, as a matter
Of course, the correct report wus furnished by
O'Sullvan. The public were astounded by the
extraordinary speech which, according 10 all
the papers, Mr. Wilberforce had made, and the
general opinion was expressed that he was a
candidate for Bedlam. The following evening
1n the speaker taking the chair, Wilberfnrce
rose and claimed the indulgence of the house.
" Every honorable member he observed, s.has q
doubtless read the speech which | am repre- |
sented as having made on the previous night.
With the permission Of the house | will read {
1t. Qlere the honorable gentleman read the
speech amidst the most deafening roars of ,
aughler.) :" can assure honorable members |
that no one could have read this speech with I
more surprise than | myself did this morning,
when found the paper on the breakfast table.
For myself, personally, core but little about
it, though if were capable of utterng such
nonsense as is here put into my mouth it is
high time that, instead of being a member of ,
This house, were an inmate of some lunatic i;
asylum. 1t is for the dignity of this house that a
feel concerned, for if the honorable members :
were capable of listening to such nonsense, +
me capable Of giving expression to j
il, it were much more appropriate TO call this :
theatre for the performance of farces, than :
place for the Legislative deliberations Of the re-
1resentatives Of the people" .
This was only one of the many instances in d
which Morgan OSullivan paid off to his hearts
content, members of Parliament and other po- n
entlal personages. who had in some manner or d
'ther, provoked the waggish propensities of this
ncurable humorist.