, 1889-07-27

AoJ NAOo On4OO AkOu VO
gan to assemble, they were equally anna
zed and diverted to behold upon the floor
of the legislative chamber, at one end
of the Clerks table nearest the Mace,
something resembling what might be sup
posed to have been the bolster of the State
bed of the Emperor of Brobdingnag. This
huge pOrtent, it was explained, was u
petition from the Salvation Army and
1t had been brought down to the House
on the previous day on a dray, drawn By
four horses, preceded and followed by
bands of music. When the immense bale
had ceen sufficiently scanned Mr.. STE.
VENSON rose to present the petition sign
Ell by General BOOTH, Captain" BOOTH,
several members of their family, and va
rious officers of the Salvation Army, aud
containing besides, according to the hon
Durable Member, no fewer shan four hun-
dred and ffty-six thousand five hundred
signatures. The petitioners said that they
had heard with great satisfaction that
a Bill for the Closing of Public,houses
on Sunday was before the house of Com
mons, aud they humbly entreated the
honorable House to pass the Bill during
the present Session of Parliament.
Admiral FIELD raised a hearty laugh
b.. lnqulring whether Mr.. STEVENSON had
complied with the standing order by read.
ing and making himself acquainted with
the signatures attached to the 'prodigiOuS
document which had been carted down
to Westminster; but the Speaker at once
authOritatively and good, humouredly point.
ed out that these details could only be
aScertained by the Committee on Petitions,
and to that august body the big bolster
was referred. There was some difficulty,
however, in getting the papyrean prodigy
out of the House. Three messengers had
to be sent for, and the massive cylinder
was slowly rolled along the floor to the Car,
where the fourth attendant brought his
muscular strength to bear on the unwieldy
mass, which was eventually trnndled into
the lobby. What is to be done with it
when the Committee on Petitions have sat
upon it, analysed it, aud turned it inside
out 1T is not very easy to say. There
is no room in the Clock Tower for
the monster. the top storey of that
structure being filled by Big Ben
while the basement is reserved as q
place of detention for refractory Mem
bers. For the rest, the presentation of
this OvergrOwn memorial may be regarded
as d curiously practical embodiment Of the
American figure Of speech known as
"log,rolling y; but Mr.. STEVENSON and
his allies of the Salvation Army are very
much mistaken if obey think that they
have succeeded i'll accomplishing the very
biggest thing that has hitherto been
achieved in the way of petitiOning Parlia.
ment. That Chartist petition OF which we
have spoken, which was TO have been
carried in procession from Remington.
common to Westminster, but which instead
was transported by the less ostentatiOus
medium of several fOur-wheel cabs, bore,
it was stated, no fewer than five million
seven hundred and six thousand sigma:
lures. A strict scrutiny, however, reduc-
ed these alarming figures to the still very
respectable aggregate of one million nine
hundred thouSand-a total all the more
remarkable when it is remem bered thaS
probably not five per cent. of the sigma.
tories knew or cared anything about the
Charter and it's six points, most of which
points AVE since been gained entirely
without the aid OF professions, petitions,
banners, or brass bands. 1t will be tor
the Committee, likewise, to inquire whether
the Salvation petition comprises any auto
graphs approaching in eccentricity'thoSeot
which multitudes were affixed to FEARGUS
O'CONNoR's mOnstrous manifesto. To sign
this cOmically historic document, g Ctheezs
the Marine" emerged from seclusion
Hockey Walker" was once more heard
of; "The Boy at the More" writ his name
large;" Old Artful" was III evidence;
"JIm Crow " was everywhere. visible, and
there was a host of 6 Squyb obs, -" Spring