, 1876-07-16
EUROPEAN GOSSIP.
A Monster Petition unfriendly to
Queen Vic's Family.
Some AntecedentS of Murad V.---
Buckstone's Benefit.
How Turkish Captain, Seeking for En-.
gland, Reached America.
A MONSTER PETITION.

noon, June 16, three carriages, with occupants
somewhat unfamiliar 10 the police who guart
the sacred precincts of Westminster Hall
alightcd at the door Of that building, where tht
wisdom of England sits III council. The first
carriage contained Charles Bradlaugh and Mrs
Annie Bcsant, and was for the rest completely
filled by very large and curious bundle which
they had in charge; from the second carriage
alfghted two pretty young g1rls-the Missef
Bradlaugh-to one Of whom the famous
iconoclast has given the pagan but prctr
ty name Hypatia, these young ladies
being accompanied by Mr.. Charles Watts
and AR. Dc Lubcz; while from the third Mr..
r. O. Smith and Mr.. Ramsay descended. The
most stalwart Of the group took up tic heavy
bundle alluded to, the one at the head, the
other at the foot, and bore it into the hall.
It looked like a somewhat corpulcnt corpse,
bound up with shroud and cords; it really was
the monster petition, with o4,930 signatures,
which the smiling and amiablc Mrs. Besant had
been cruel enough to get up in spirit distinctly
unfricndly to the grant Of further moneys to the
Royal family. After the papers wcrc signed as
closely as possible and pasted together, the pc
tition was mile IN length.
When the party had dlsmounted, the police,
who arc never prepared for anything unu sual,
drew them into private passage, and when MIR.
'Bradlaugh and Mr.. Watts had entered, said no
more should enter. But Bradlaugh is SIS well
acquainted with popular rights Us any man in
England, and m be promptly !, saia, Seven may
minister Hall.'' "By ali mcans,' said Brad
laugh, hardly conceallng the fnct that it was 4
main part Of his plan to march with Ills good
looking procession through the long hall and
crowded corridors up to the very door OF the
House Of Commons.
Just ut this crisis an energetic and f1urricd lit
tic man who seemed to be in some kind OF au-
tilority rushed upon the scene He was ap-
palled when he saw the huge petition, and cried
in CONSERVATION, sWherc is it to go:" At the
same moment there came up from the door
ringing cheer from sympathizers, and the little
flurried man cried in anguish, "What is that!"
Presently the petition and its bearers emerged
into the courtyard, where now considerable
crowd had collected, aud cheer after cheer rang
out. And presently the monster petition was
deposited, as atcwould haveit, right at the feet
of Charles the Second.
Now there was long pole run through the
petition, and it lay on the door-mat OF the
House. There came out the only two working
men who have ever been elected to that body
Mr., Macdonald and htr. Burt. These men, tax
ing either end Of the pole, bore It through the
door aud marched with it aud deposited it on
the table before the Speaker, beside the mace,
quite qucnchinc the golden glory Of that symbol
tencc, "Take away that pauble!'' The members
drew UP around the petition, stopped to look in
at the ends, scrutinizcd it all around, but some
Of them tinlidly, as il they suspected
dynamite. There were two petitions, the
big one having 100000 signatures, the other
said: Mr.. Speaker, this is a petition With l02
Here there was laugh, and half
a dozen members cried out 100000 Mr.. Burt,
correcting himself, continued, "with 1os 900