EXTRACTS FROM "PUNCH."

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 796, 23 March 1853, Page 4

EXTRACTS FROM "PUNCH."

Right to a T.— The Silent Club, early in the last century, piqued itself (like, our own House of Commons) on avoiding air needless speech. A certain newly received member, on being introduced, wrote down the previous number of 'his colleagues, and then modestly prefixed a cipher for himself, to show that there was an addition, but no increase of value. The President responded with a compliment — he removed the cipher to the other end of the figures, to indicate that the club now considered itself of tenfold value. Mr. John Bull intends shortly to emulate these feats of silence. When Mr. Disraeli presents him with his " Budget," Mr. Bull will merely strike out the final letter of the word. Mr. Disraeli and his colleagues will understand that they ha7e received directions for their next move. Railway Raillery. — An atrocious Chairman of a Railway Board, in reference to the general complaints of mismanagement against himself and colleagues, says, that the public may take the indignant line of rail if they please; but that his Company mean quietly to pursue their own. The man who would hazard a joke like that, would also risk a collision. I "The Empire is^Pbact." — We have been kindly informed by the future Emperor of France, that the " Empire is Peace." We are glad to hear this; but then, we have only Louis Napoleon's word for it. We must say, without wishing to be too magisterial, that we doubt so small a surety for keeping the peace. Frbsh Symptoms or the New-mania. — Dr. Newman, in ecstacies over the subscriptions that have been sent over to him from. France to defray the expenses of the Achilli trial says most meekly : " I am surprised at seeing myself the object of such sympathies, and I think I may, without presumption, believe that the glorious St. Denis, who presided over my reception into the bosom of Catholicism, has, as it were, presented me a second time to the embraces of the Church by recommending me to the tender charity of the great nation of which he is the apostle." Most sweet embraces that are accompanied with a douceur of £1,000 ! We are sure it is most kind of St. Denis to take such affectionate care of his disciples, but we want to know why he didn't show this kindness in the first in- ! stance ? Why didn't he win the trial for Dr. Newman ? It strikes us it would have been a much simpler and cheaper plan — instead of los- ! ing the trial, and paying 'the expenses of it afterwards !