Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/160

 They had to ask themselves plainly whether the House of Commons continued still to be what it was formerly, the most perfect legislative machine in the world, or whether, under present conditions, it was proving more and more a failure, and tending more to become what he was sure all parties alike would be sorry to see it—simply a Screaming Farce.

The O'Blunderbuss rose to order. He would support the Bill, as a good Loyalist who liked screaming farces in their proper places, but did not think that the Imperial Legislature was a proper place. How could Loyalists look to a Screaming Farce to maintain law and order in the sister island? There was already reason to fear that the moon-lighters were getting the upper hand again, and it was scandalous that surrounding nations should be led to believe that the kingdom was destined to remain for ever under moonlight government.

A member of the Opposition,—That would be nothing new. (Laughter.)

The Speaker,—I must beg hon. members to observe that they are wasting the time of the House by these irrelevancies.

Mr Jacobson did not quite gather the drift of the hon. member for Belfast with respect to moonlight, but he still hoped that practical unanimity existed as to the objections against allowing this honourable assembly to degenerate into actors in a Screaming Farce. The disrepute would not attach to the legislature merely, the national character would be lowered in the eyes of surrounding nations, and not even the most magnificent feats of arms of precision against naked savages armed with spears would avail to restore our prestige. He did hope that the British nation, still, in some respects, the foremost in the world, had not come to such a pass, otherwise it would matter little what was said by