Punch, or The London Charivari | Page 6

bright pens and pencils which have
occasionally contributed to my pages, would occupy much space.
Amongst Writers may be named MAGUIN HANNAY, STIRLING
COYNE, COVENTRY PATMORE, MORTIMER COLLINS,
GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA, ANDREW LANG, JAMES PAYN,
and Lord TENNYSON; amongst Artists, HOWARD (whose signature,
a trident, was at one time familiar to Punch readers), Miss BOWERS,
RALSTON, BRYAN, BARNARD, W.S. GILBERT (who illustrated
several of his own articles), CORBOULD, CALDECOTT, RIVIÈRE,
H.S. MARKS, FRED WALKER, SIR JOHN MILLAIS, and Sir
FREDERICK LEIGHTON.
"The present Staff, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, you may see assembled
'round the old Tree' in the accompanying Cartoon. Around on the walls
are the counterfeit presentments of their illustrious and honoured
predecessors. My guests, you perceive, are drinking a toast. That toast
is, '_Mr. Punch_, his health and Jubilee!'"
"In which I am delighted to join!" responded ANNO DOMINI. "_Mr.
Punch_, you must be as proud of your 'Mahogany Tree,' and its many
memories, as King ARTHUR of his Table Round."
"'For dear to ARTHUR was that hall of ours, As having there so oft
with all his Knights Feasted,'"

quoted the Sage, musing deeply of many things. Many of my Knights
have 'gone before,' but they have not
"'Left me gazing at a barren board.'
"Their monograms are carven on this Table, their memories abide with
us as we drink to _Punch's_ Jubilee, and will abide when, as I hope, yet
another fifty years hence, our successors drink with equal heartiness to
_Punch's_ Centenary!"
* * * * *
[Illustration: J. Tenniel. H. Silver. C. Keene. T. Taylor. F.C. Burnand.
R.F. Sketchley. H. Mayhew. M. Lemon. Shirley Brooks. Du Maurier. P.
Leigh.]
* * * * *
PAST AND PRESENT.
[Illustration: IN THE SIXTIES.]
[Illustration: IN THE SEVENTIES.]
[Illustration: IN THE EIGHTIES.]
[Illustration: IN THE NINETIES.]
* * * * *
[Illustration: MR. PUNCH'S JUBILEE PAGEANT.
AS REFLECTED IN HIS OWN MAGIC MIRROR.]
* * * * *
[Illustration: "THE MAHOGANY TREE.".]
* * * * *
[Illustration: JUBILEE SHADOWS; OR, THE WHIRLIGIGS OF
TIME.]
* * * * *
ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
[Illustration: "Dizzy," 1847.]
_House of Commons, July 14th, 1891._--Things going on here much as
usual. Rapidly winding up Session amid familiar surroundings. OLD
MORALITY in seat of Leader of the House; Mr. G. opposite;
SPEAKER in Chair; Sergeant-at-Arms on guard by the door; and
WINDBAG SEXTON on his feet.
Brings back to my mind the first time I saw House. Wasn't in the House
then; a mere puppy, which, indeed, some say I remain to this day. The
date was August the 19th, 1841, and from seat where Strangers were

admitted in the old House (the temporary building occupied whilst
BARRY was erecting this lofty pile) I looked on at the opening of the
first Session of the Fourteenth Parliament of the then United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, appointed to meet at Westminster in the
fifth year of the Reign of HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.
[Illustration: "The Sphinx is Silent," 1876.]
Remember it as if it were yesterday. It was MELBOURNE's Ministry;
but he of course sat in another place. On the Treasury Bench, distinctly
visible under his hat, was JOHNNY RUSSELL, Colonial Secretary and
Leader of the House of Commons. At a safe distance from him sat
PAM, then in the prime of life, and at the time holding the post of
Foreign Minister, in which he was able to make a remarkably large
number of people uncomfortable. There was Sir GEORGE GREY,
Chancellor of the Duchy, whilst a sturdily built gentleman, then known
as the Right Hon. THOMAS BABBINGTON MACAULAY, was
Secretary for War; HENRY LABOUCHERE (not the SAGE OF
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE) was President of the Board of Trade, and
Master of the Mint; whilst FRANCIS BARING was Chancellor of the
Exchequer, all untroubled by the necessity of constructing a Budget
since he knew he would never be called on to bring one in.
On the Front Bench opposite was Sir ROBERT PEEL with JAMES
GRAHAM at his right elbow. In modest retirement at the end of the
Bench sat a young man, of full height, and good figure, with a mass of
black hair crowning a large, well-shaped head. Remember noticing how
carefully the hair was parted down the middle, in a fashion then
unusual with men. His face was pleasant to look upon, even mild in its
expression; but from time to time, more particularly when he spoke,
there flashed from beneath his dark and bushy eyebrows a pair of eyes
that shone like stars. This was the Mr. G. of those days, whose highest
Ministerial office, as yet, had been the Under-Secretaryship for the
Colonies, held for a few months six years earlier.
[Illustration: "W.E.G.," 1860.]
Big House on this first night,