BULLS IN PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 283, 19 August 1918, Page 8

BULLS IN PARLIAMENT

CHOICE CUTS FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Sir Edward Sullivan is not a veterinary- surgeon, but he gave a skilful treatment to "The Irish Bull" recently in a diverting address, helped by a mellifluous Irish brogue to the Royal British Nurse/ Association. Ho pointed out that the House of Commons had been a prolific bull-ring, and that some of its most distinguished members had released them. Mr. Gladstone on one occasion, when interrupted in a speech, said, "It is no use for the honourable, member to shake his head in the teeth of his own words." In tho Lords, Lord Curzon, speaking on a Licensins Bill, announced that "The interests of employers and employees were the same nine 'times out of ten—l would even say ninety-nine times out of ten." Jn ear.lier days, in the Lower House, Sir Patrick "O'Brien passionately proclaimed, "My unhappy country is swarming with absentee landlords." In Dublin at the height of the rebellion ,in Easter week, lSHti, a small boy who escaped from Sackville Street described that thoroughfare to his friends as "alive with corpses." In a pamphlet issued by tho Irish Commissioners of National Education the announcement appeared: "The female teachers are being instructed in plain cooking. They have had, in fact, to go through the process of cooking themselves." An Irish mother, recommending her son for a job in a railway company, wrote: "1 am pleased to say that my boy is a non-smoker nnd a noh-tee-totaller." Michael Murphy, who had bought a new pair of boots, said to his wife, "I'll never get them on until I have worn them for a day or two." In commenting on the death of a famous Irish Judge, Baron Dowse, tho "Times" said: "A great Irishman lias passed away. God grant that many who love their country will follow him." Tho notice recently appeared in a 'Tunbridge Wells paper: "Owing to pressure on our space a number of births have had to be held over until next week."

Sir Edward recalled the caso of ii bull made in very tragic circumstances. _A prisoner who was awaiting death at Killiiainham Gaol was taken seriously ill on the evening before his execution. The prison doctor was called in. Ho sent a hurried note to Dublin Castle to this effect: "In iny opinion, the prisoner cannot be removed from the cell to the place of execution without imminent danger to his life." An Irishwoman brought an action against a neighbour for threatening to inurTier he) , . "What particular form did the threat laker" inquired the Jlagistrale. "Begorra, Your AVorahip," said Hie complainant, "she threatened to whitewash the lone with my blood." An Irish farmer, waking up in tlio night, saw an apparition at Hie foot of the bed. He reached his hand out for a gun, and perforated the ghost with a bullet. In the morning he discovered that he had made a target of his own shirt. "What did you do I lien?" inquired n friend. "I. just knelt down and thanked Rod," he said, "that I hadn't been inside it."