Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-09-21
,sHERInAN AND InHN raWNsEYD


SHERIDAN AND JOHN TOWNSEND
are said to have made their first speeches
on the same occasion as that on which
Pitt made his Sheridan, however, had
spoken first few nights before, on the
subject Of his election for Stafford. He
was listened to with an interest born Of
great expectation; but never did an as
piring orator more utterly fail His rep
utation was belied. His tongue seemed
too thick for management, and he was
the more indistinct from his nervous agi-
tation. The House was silent. Sher-
dan went into the gallery to get Frank
Woodfalrs opinion. Woodfall said,
You have got out Of your depth; you
had better go back to your old pursuits"
Sheridan's pride was stirred his con-
sciousness Of power revived. " know
that it is in me, and out it shall come!"
1t came out on the night of Pitts first
speech, when, so to speak, Sheridan
rolled Courtenay in the mud, danced
upon him, and then set him upon his legs
that the spectators might see what fool
he looked. Soon after this, new and old
speakers came into collision, got used to
it, and struck out sparks which slightly
panied where they fell, and delighted all
who were not singed by them.
In later times the most notable failure
on first rising to speak in the House
was that of
Mr.. DIsRAELT
in 1897. His maiden speech" was on the
subject Of Irish election petitions. The
oration, which excited more hilarity
than cheers, ended with the now well
known words, 81 have begun several
times many things, and | have often
succeeded at last. / will sit down now,
but the time will come when you will
hear me-
POPULAR PHRASES.
Many popular phrase was born in
the House of Commons. From John
Cam Hobhouse came "His Majesty
Opposition" Tierney clinched the
phrase by saying that the Opposition
was branch of the King government.
Although the gentlemen opposite are
in office, we are in power The meas
ures are ours, but the emoluments are
theirs" In much earlier days Lord
Thurlow, styling the Duke of Grafton as
the accident of an accident" used a
phrase which became proverb Cob
bett dealt largely in depreciatory terms.
To him we owe Prosperity Robinson"
Pink.nosed Liverpool" "Eolus Can
ming" and worse than these; but they
were not outspoken, like Thurlow's
amenities; they were written in
Cobbett's Register for the amuse-
ment of his readers. As debates
in one house are things not to be no.
ticed in the other, or, rather, used not
to be, the term another plece" was
employed to evade the difficulty. Every
man, probably, thought he could answer
the question, What is pound2" till
Peel showed it was difficult to answer
as what is as universal as Lord Mayor.
What is an Archdeacon2 seemed
quite as difficult to solve. Lord Althrop,
dissatisfied with several Episcopal re.
plies sent to him during debate in the
Commons, where the answer was wanted
at last he sent query to Bloomfield,
Bishop of London. The prelate said, in
his quick way, What IS an Archdea.
CONF Well, an Archdeacon is an eccle-
siastical officer who performs arch
deaconal functions" The Archbishop
OF Canterbury had denned the arch
deacon as the Bishops aidde.camp."
The Bishop of Llandaf styled him the
oculus episcopi The House was content
with Bishop Bloomfelds definition, and
voted f400 year to the Archdeacon of
Bengal. 1t was when this vote was pro-
posed that Joseph Hume called out the
puzzling query, What is an archdea-
con?" This history of many jokes and |
by-words is recorded in this volume, and
forms the most amusing part of book |
which, Notwithstanding many drawbacks,
is good reading for pastime or for in
struction. We could have desired some
good illustrations Of life in the Report
ers' Gallery; especially of the days when
Payne Collier put the oft-repeated phrase
of one speaker
az ar III