The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-04-03
PARLIAMENTARY RECOLLEC-
TIONS.

PARLIAMENTARY RECULLEC-
TIONS.
Memorable Words and Phrases In En-
giish Politics.
The sayings and witticisms of lords
and commoners, not exactly soubriQuets
or SMILES for individuals, have been
numerous and varied. Most readers
will call to mind some, at any rate, of
these flights of ready wit, condensed
cpitomesof matured experience, are sug
gestive forms of expression. " Every
man has his price, was Sir Robert Wal
poles mode of expressing his belief that
bribery and corruption were almost uni
versal; although his biographer states
that the charge was brought, not against
all politicians, but against those who
made very warm protestations of patri-
otism. "Airing his vocabulary, y was
Currnn's description of dull speech
made by dull member. The Begun
speech was the best speech ever made
by Sheridan, and one of the best every
heard in the House of Commons. 1t re-
lated to the grievances of begun, or
native princess of India, and was the
subject of long study and preparation
by him. The "dagger scene was en-
acted by Burke. A dagger had been
sent from France to Birmingham by the
rcvolutionists, with M order for II large
number to be made like it; Burke, hay
ing obtained possession OF it for time,
drew it from under q clOak, threw it
down on the floor OF the House of
Commons in a somewhat theatrical way,
and exhorted his couutrymen TO keep
French principles from our heads, and
French daggers from our hearts :" but
was admitted on all hands that he lit
tie ovcr-acted this scene. Lord Ches-
terhcld claimed to have "bled for his
country" for brother peer, who had
dabbIed little i'll surgery, one day bled
him for fevcrish headache the titled
amateur, gratificd at his own success,
voted as his patient requested i'll n party
division in the House of Lords Max
ing the "crown not worth wearing"
was the terse description by Chatham
of the probable effect Of a particular
measure eff the ministers persevere
in misleading the king, | will not say
that they can ALLEVIATE the affections of
his subjects from his crown, but | will
affirm that they will make the crown
not worth his wearing" "Sowing dra-
CONS teeth had reference to the later
and declining years of the Irish Parlia-
mcnt the English government propos-
ed to heap new taxes on ireland, and
caused violent commoti0n III cOnse-
quencc of the proposal Mr.. Burgh,
in the Irish House of Commons, said
England has sown her laws like dra.
CONS teeth, and they have sprung up
armed men," "All government com.
promise" has been decided rs n mean
and tricky apothegm by extreme poll.
ticians; but Burke had thought out his
subject when he said "All govern.
ment- Indeed, every common benefit
and enjoyment, every virtue, and every
prudent acts founded on compromise
and barter we balance inconvenlences,
we give and take" "Thc people, our
| sovereign 1t was strange to hear 50
democratic n, toat as this proposed by
| the duke of Norfolk ut whig dinner, at
the very time when the French demo
| Gratis were infusing alarm and dread into
the English mind it cost him the lord
lieutenancy OF the West Riding. Ham
mer it into them was Fox's mode of
impressing his meaning on the attention
of the House, by speeches full of repe.
titions but it is believed that he thus
| claimed credit for defect which he
could not help. "A memory for jokes,
and Imagination for facts" was a sarcas-
tic hit at the mental characteristics of
Mr.. Dundas by Sheridan the wit had
iotted this down III his notebook long
before, as capital hit, which he would
use on any favorable occasion. "A
minute-gun speech" was the naihe givel
to speech made by Lord Butte, on ac
count of its pace being so very low ant
solemn and the joke was made NOR
pungent by a remark that /" it might b
considered announcing the funeral q
his ministry" "Where law ends, tyl
amy begins" and stabbing the COL
stitution," We owe to Chatham; 18th
wisdom of our ancestors" to Sir Wi
liam Grant and "Pluto's tears " {
Burke, in allusion to "tears shed D.
noble lords, not for dying laws, but 10