Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/165

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LESBIA NEWMAN.
149

another place made to enlarge her borders and open her mouth without measure, yet he took leave to remind the House that the swamping of another place by the wholesale creation of new inmates was a measure within the scope of the existing constitution. He would prefer, however, to see the Upper Chamber dealt with by having its veto taken away; by this its political teeth would be drawn without injuring its social utility, if it had any. (Radical cheers.)

The Speaker,—I must take occasion to remind hon. gentlemen that these informal attacks upon another estate of the realm are unparliamentary.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he felt sure of the assent of his colleagues in predicting that such a step as the wholesale creation of new peers would not be recommended by Her Majesty’s present Government.

It being now the dinner hour, the sitting was suspended. When the debate was resumed.

Mr Battleboy Bottleboy, on rising again, was greeted with loud Ministerial cheers. The hon. gentleman was observed to take up an attitude of address with his thumbs inserted in the arm-pits of his waistcoat, his chin depressed, his countenance illumined with a beaming smile, his feet planted firmly about eighteen inches apart, as if for cavalry sword exercise, and the central portion of his person maintaining a regular horizontal oscillation, suggestive of an attempt to restore thereby a badly-fitting key to the door to which it belonged. He said,—

‘M—m—m-mishter Speaker an—m—m—m—mludsanjellum. I am quite sh—sh—shensible of the t—t—truth o’ the osservation made by the hon. member for Eastshire respecting the proposed ammition of pettico—l—l—ladies to the p—p—p—privileges of a p—p—parliamentary career, and I’m q—quite ready to sh—shport by vote