MISCELLANEOUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 649, 25 September 1874, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The more a man works, the leas time he will have to grumble. “ How many feet long 'was the snake ?” asked a person of a traveller who had just i elated a story of his eiioou ter with a boa killed by him. two inches,” was the reply ; “ snakes have no feet.” Bismarck was recently called upon by a Russian lady', who asked him for his autograph. After the Chancellor had complied with her request, she said to him : “Prince may I ask your autograph for a noble pur. nose ‘1 My brother has been [exiled to Siberia ; let me write an 'application for Lis pardon over your name, and the; Czar will grant it.” Bismark consented, and Alexander 11, informed Iron, when at Berlin re eently, that the pardon had been granted. A juror having applied to the judge to be excused from serving on account <J deafness, the judge said, “ Could you hear my charge to the jury, sir?—“A r es, Iheard your honor’s charge,” said the juror, “ but I couldn't make any sense out of it.” He was excused. It is related that when, at the FrancoGerman [peace preliminaries, the sum of milliards—which sat so lightly' on Franco—was mentioned hy Bismarck, Jules Favrc appeared utterly speechless with horror. When he had recovered from the paroxysm all ho could say'was “that, even if one were to countTrom the time of Christ till now, one could not manage to count such an enormous sum.” Upon which Bismark replied with a smile, “ Don’t let that distress y r ou ; 1 have thought of that, and therefore brought this gentleman ”—pointing to Bleichroedcr, the Jewish hanker—with me. Ho counts from the creation of the world.” In reckoning time the Jews pay no regard to the Christian era. Speakers of old must have had to deal with unruly members indeed. The Commons’ journals record that in 1040 an order “ that whoever does not take his place, or moves out of it to the disturbance of a member speaking, Mr Speaker shall present his name, and the House shall proceed against him.” Another order in the following year was directed against whisper•ng during business of importance, and in 1001 all members who climb over seats were to pay twelvepence to the sergeant. After the Restoration, the House of Commons was specially' remarkable for its indecorum, and Pcpys, in his diary', tells how in 1601 “ Sir Allan Brodrick and Sir Allan Apsley did come'baink the other clay into the House, and did both speak for half an hour together, and could not cither be pulled or bid to sit down and hold their peace, to the great contempt of the King’s servants’aud cause, which I am grieved at with all my heart.” Elsewhere in his diary there is ranch to convict the Parliament of his day of hard-drinking and roystering manners, in keeping with the times, but such as must have severely tasked a Speaker’s authority'. Marvel drily describes “ the pretty ridiculous figure the House cut when they were taken By Sir Thomas Clifford, after presenting an address—Speaker, mace, and all—into the royal cellars to drink His Majesty’s health” The Hull patriot’s stern reprobation was perhaps uncalled for here, as in the Royal precincts members were surely out of school. We have seen how the Speaker was expected to interpose in ca-e of verbal .disorder- But more serious quarrels were not wanting within the House. Blows were sometimes exchanged there, and we read in ‘ Anchitelc Grey ’ that two members, Trcliwney and Ash, having ca'led each other rebel and Papist, the Speaker, at the wish of tho House, invited, both members to dinner, engaging them meanwhile to proceed no further with their quarrel.