The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-08

The flsh-sacrltlce which marks the clos.
ing hours of the session of Parliament
has been made. Ministers have dined at
Greenwich. They have eaten the little
fishes, chatted afterward with locked
doors, and returned to London amid
cheers and fireworks. The whitebait dim
ner is an institution which both Conser-
vatives and Liberals maintain, and it is
always matter of great regret when the
Premier is not present. Lord Beacons-
field did not feel well enough to 90 to
Greenwich yesterday, nor to receive
deputation on the sugar bounties bill.
Scientists in piscieulture are still not con-
tented with the definition Of whitebait,
the small, white, silvery fish which is a
speciality of London. For many long
year it was accepted without inquiry as a
distinct species of fish that had attained
its full growth when about the size Of
what would in Liliput have been mon
ster salmon, but which in Brobdignag
would have been too small to be seen, ex-
cept with microscope.
Though there are disputants even now
ready to enter the arena of discussion on
the subject it is certain that whitebait
is the fry of several kinds of fish, more
particularly at one season of herrings, at
another of sprats. Mostly taken at the
mouth of the Thames, in close nets that
are nearly waterproof, the operation il
eminently destructive to the harvest Of
the sea, for in collecting whitebait the
spawn and young of many kinds OF fish
are destroyed by the bushel. This is a
feature of the controversy about white
bait which is not sufficiently considered,
though we have always before us the an
inhalation of the once cheap and nutri-
tious native oyster by dredging and other
reckless disregard of the ordinary lawsot
nature. Whitebait is generally regarded
as great luxury.
1t is heresy to say that there are sen.
sible people who consider it as fraud.
70 look at the bill of fare ola "whitebait
dinner" one might fairly argue that cooks
do not think as much of it as they would
have us believe. 1t is difficult dish to
serve crisp and hot. That, of course, is
one reason why the chefs of London es-
TEEN it. But a foreigner invited to
"whitebait dinner" would almost expect
to dine off the little fishes cooked in a
hundred different ways. Not so. The
silvery luxury is simply fried, plain, and
deviled, and it comes upon the table
merely as an incident. 1t is worth while
to reprint the menu of the Ministerial
dinner of yesterday, not on y to show the
position whitebait holds in the feast, but
as an example of an English bill-of-fare.
Here is complete copy of the programme
which was placed by the side Of every
Minister'S plate:
The Ministerial Whtcbait Dinner, Mercredi, ID
| AOut 1879.
Potages, Totue ct rortue Claire.
Gras Vert au Jus.
| Souchees de Carlelets ct Saum
Rissnes de Homard PeiteS SoleS.
Boudine de Marials a Ia Regehcc.
| Anguilies la BOIdrlaise.
Filels de Soles la Dicppose,
| TTuite rOIieatal.
| Omelette de Crabe a Ia Blue Seal.
Saumon la Noyeiegeune.
Whtebait.
Petites Timhalcs de volatile Ia Poegucux
Saimi de Cailles d Essence.
Hanches de Venalsnnt.
Poulets grilles Ia Diable, JambOn guile
Grouse.
Gelee all Citron Patnstenes diverses.
MarZarinc de FfunS gaccs,
Ramaquu au GIuvere.
! Eau de Groisel!e. Creme d Ananas.
Dcsert-Pines, Melons, Peaches, Nectarncs, Green
Figs Strawb rres, etc.
Wines-Poncne Madeira, Amontillado Rudex-
heimerberg (ynt. 1850. Haut sauterne. Gcses
(frappe), Pomeroy tres sec, lAnson'S (l66S Cham
BERTH, Champagne Cagnac L,qneurS, MoutOn dc
Rothschild, Taylor's Porl, Golden sherry.