The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-02-01
Sir Peter and the Cow.

mcnt for New Brunswick, of whom |
spoke in a recent letter. He was an
member during the lamenta-
BILE Governmen of Sir John Mackenzie
in the lst decade, and was u con tant
ard most uncomfortable t'orn in the
side of that unhappy Premier, Sir
John was a conspicuous raj road mag
nate, and Just before the opening of
Parliament one winter Sir Peter cal ed
ON him to induce him to pay forty dol
lars for a Widows COW that had been
run over by the car. 81 don't believe
there's anything in it, exclaimed the
Prem err peremptorily; sit probably n
trumped-up case, but TIL in ure and
YOU ca tomorrow.
The gentleman from New Brunswick
was not ed to being treated So caval-
ier'y, but he pocketed il, and called in
The morning.
There no justice in it. We won't
pay or the cow broke in Sir John.
"You won't; won't your rcjoired
Sir Peter. with amauncr quite as bounc-
ing as that of the leaderof the Govern
ment. "lIave you been there, or sent
there and Investigated itPn
"No. l haven't; but | won't pay for
the cow It's mere trille, aud She
ought to have kept ollthe track
don the law say you shall have a
fenceTn
~ won't pay for the COW, now; and
that all the answer you'll GET
"Yol won pay for the widows COW;
won't you, Sir John Mackenzie? will
make you pay for III exclaimed Sir
Peter, now tho ,oughly aroused.
"You viii; you viii! How will you?'
grow'ed the Premier
"rll take il out during tht session,
as sure as you are living man, The
widows forty dollars isn't anything,
isn't it? I'll take it out OF your
1t was an Irshman against S otch
man and both were angry. The sequel
proved that Sir Peter took il out of him
very thoroughly. He is a roundheaded
man, a hard worker, Il pugnacious and
redoubtable foe, an unforgiving enemy,
bold and elegantn debate, no 1ilettante
but hard hitter, and some Of his OH
slaughts were furious If he had not
great tact he had great for e, and he
never forgot the cow. In the spec hes
he made every day against the measures
and methods OF the Government, then
under serious suspicion, he told the
story of the cow and trotted her out
with frequency that must have seemed
like cruelty TO animals.
Finally the last day of the session
dawned, and the consideration of Mac
kenzie's expense budget was resumed.
1t provided the appropriations for the
coming year.
Sir Peter Mitchell took the floor and
/ launched into eulogy of the deceased
COW and the propriety OF making an
appropriation for the widow. He was
greeted with laughter and mocking
applause, and then his auditors waited
uneasily for him to finish. He did not
| finish He continued. He told the
story over again with embellishments
and elaborations He tontrasted the
1 stinginess of the wealthy ruler with
the quiet enduran of the pennies:
widow. He began TO read from the
Bible the commands to mer v, justice
and charity, when the honorable mem.
bers struggled out one by one TO dinner
| Sir Peter bit a biscuit. drank a swallow
of water, and continued, imprcssng
upon the empty chars about him the
tender duties and graces OF humanity.
Members struggled in again, He quot
ed the Song of the Shirt. They ap.
realed to him TO draw his remarks to Q
close. He told the story of the cow
Meantime, Sir John Ma kenzie wa
perspiring with wrath and anxiety in The
Premier's apartment har by. All hi.
hopes were bound up in the anpro
priat.on budget. What if il should no
come to a vote The honorable member
from New Brunswick could not be stop
ped for this was the one bill in tn,
Canadian Parliament on which mem
Der could speak as long as he wished
There was no way of cutting short tn,
debate. No motion was in order while
he was speaking, except the motion L
adjourn--and that would be adjourn
ment sine die. The Government mem
bers were in CONSERVATION as the orato
delivered a speech on the blessings 0
vaccination. gave statist cs on the cos
of fences in the United States, passeC
an elaborate encomium on the superior
ity, for draft purposes, of Devon cattle
to which class the de eased domestic
friend of the bereaved W dow belonged
and then began 10 describe the religion
ceremonies in which the sacred COW o
Burmah takes part, when the bell ran.
for vespers. A short time more and tn
season would expire by law, and tn
Government had passed no appro. ria
tion bill
At this critical jun turc one Of tn
Government members re,u ned excited
ly from the Premier room, rushel 3
the orator desk, and exclaimed II
the name Of God, what ails you, Mitch
ellP What do you want r. Still.
said Sir Peter, finishing the sentence h
had on his lips ''not cent has eve
been paid for the widows cowr' Tin
member uttered vehement exclama
tion about that animal, and added Isl
John Mackenzie authorizes me TO sa
that he will pay for the COW if you'll le
this bill come to vote.
Sir Peter sat down, rather tired, an
the widow got her pay. The Govern
ment organs declared that the widow
COW cost $40. 900. Her champion is sti
/ knoxvn in Canada as bismarck Mitchell