Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/239

 12 S. IV. SEPT., 1918.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

233

LONDON, SEPTEMBER, 1918.

C O N T E N T S. No. 84.

NOTES : " Thank God there is a House of Lords," 233 Markshall and the Honyweod Family, 234 Sir John Fielding, 236 Tenniel's Book - Illustrations, 237 " General Deux Sous," Foch's Nickname, and Welling- tonRichard Mansfield a.t Weybridge, 238-Cleavelacd on the Early History of Artillery Somerset House : Chapel Tapestries, 239 Bishop John Bowie and the Austin Family Samuel Freeman : Bishop Beveridge Askari, an East African Levy: Lascar, a Native Mer- cantile Seaman, 210" Bolshewhigs," 241.

QUERIES i-'Qancon-i-Lslam' Robert Hooke and the Fire of London Townley Family Lowndes's 'Biblio- grapher's Manual' Rev. Archibald James Bennoch "Server": Inigo Jones Books desired on Loan, 241 Briggs of Virginia Hengler Family George Borrow- Grammatical Mnemonic Jingle Spurs in Coats of Arms Caultham : its Locality Keare Bakyrsaxsher Pctor Eshe Hutchinson, Rector of Church Lawford Rev. Thomas Noel, 242 Shacklewell : its Locality Stane.sby Family " Water-pipes," Psalm xlii. 9, Prayer Book Version John Dwerry house, Clockmaker Jane {.Sophia Pigott Pinnock Taylour Medal : Peace of Amiens, 243 Capt. John Westgarth Charles Westgarth Jane Austin's 'Emma' Miss Franks Castlehill St. Chris- topher and the Miller Beaudesert, Staffordshire, 244 "Oh, dear! What can the matter be?" Rev. Henry Owen, D.D. Rev. Henry Owen of Stadham Roman Milestones in Cornwall White Horse of Kent Billiards : Red Ball Bishop Thome on Patience Azure, a 'lion rampant guardant Franklin and Millington Families- Leap Year : Lady's Offer of Marriage Smith Family, Wilts and Berks Anthony Hebborne Samuel Haigh- Authors of Quotations Wanted, 246.

REPLIES : Roman Roads in Britain, 246 Barnard Flower, 247 Dessin's Hotel FitzReinfreds in Lanca- shire, 248 Pearson's Dramatic Editions, 249 Khaki Figures in Stained Glass Spur Proverbs Max Miiller on- Religion, 250 " Burnt Champagne "Captor and Captive's Arms Shield Divided Quarterly " Bold Infidelity ! "Strikes, 251 Madame Taglioni " Biajer' "Stunt" " Good-night, and joy be wi' ye a'," 252 Medals: George II. Dean Lewis Saxton's Map of Lancashire, 253 Wybome Family Garcilaso de la Vega Wars of the Roses Meryon Family, 254 Collections ol Animals Hutchinson Family Japanese "Caste'ra" Sugar in England, 255 Ashbourne Birth Folk-Lore Ismenia ' ' Rua Nova " Dutch Barometer, 256 "Straitsman" Stevenson's 'Wrong Box ' Earl oi Essex's Burial "Yours to a cinder "Medical Men Assassinated Boys born in May, 257 Sir J. W. Kaye - "Whiskey," a Carriage Laying a Ghost Prudentius, 1625 Goldsworthy of Devonshire Hussar's Sword- Naturalization " Act of Parliament Clock " Burrowes Hall. 258.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Cartwright's Poems Coleridge's Table-Talk' Surnames of the United Kingdom.'

Booksellers' Catalogues. Notices to Correspondents.

" THANK GOD THERE IS A HOUSE OF LORDS."

ALTHOUGH the authorship of this saying has been disputed, it has not, I think, been discussed in ' N. &.Q.' ; but about twenty- three years ago there were some letters in The Times on the question.

In the issue of Deo. 28, 1894, appearec

a letter from Mr. Stanley Boulter headec

Lord Beaconsfield and the House o

lords.' Mr. Boulter gave a long extract rom Mr. Disraeli's speech at Manchester, April 3, 1872. I quote from the last para-
 * raph of the extract :

" A Liberal Government had been installed in

ffice, with an immense Liberal majority. They

>roposed some violent measures. The House of

liords modified some, delayed others, and some


 * hey threw out. Instantly there was a cry to

abolish or to reform the House of Lords, and the


 * reatest popular orator that probably ever

xisted [O Conn ell] was sent on a pilgrimage over

England to excite the people in favour of this

opinion. What happened ?. . . .There was a

dissolution of Parliament .... It was discovered

i,hat the House of Lords had behind them at least

lalf of the English people. We heard no more

ries for their abolition, or their reform, and before

wo more years passed England was really

joverned by the House of Lords, under the wise

influence of the Duke of Wellington and the

commanding influence of Lyndhurst ; and such

was the enthusiasm of the nation in favour of the

Second Chamber that at every public meeting its

health was drunk, with the additional sentiment,

Cor which we are indebted to one of the most

distinguished members that ever represented the

House of Commons [O'Connell], ' Thank God

there is the House of Lords.' "

In The Times of Jan. 5, 1895, was printed a letter from Mr. J. G. Swift MacNeill, M.P., headed ' Thank God there is the House of Lords,' taking exception to the attribution of the saying to O'Connell :

" On referring to the selected speeches of Lord Beaconsfield published by Messrs. Longmans, from which Mr. Stanley Boulter took the quotation, I find that Lord Beaconsfield did not, in his speech, mention the name of the author of the sentiment. The omission is supplied by the editor of the volume in this laconic foot-note ' O'Connell.'

" I venture, however, to think the editor of Lord Beaconsfield's speeches, whose notes are on the whole very accurate, is in error in this particular. For ' O'Connell ' the name of the 14th Earl of Derby should, I think, for the following reasons, be substituted : 1. The Earl of Derby, who was Lord Beaconsfield's predecessor as Tory Prime Minister, opposed as Lord Stanley the bill for the Repeal of the Corn Laws. ' It was,' he said, ' for their lordships to protect the people against those whom they had chosen to represent their opinions, and their reward would be the thanks of a grateful and admiring people, who would then justly exclaim, " Thank God we have a House of Lords." '

Then follow further arguments against the attribution of the saying to O'Connell, and in favour of the attribution to Lord Derby. These arguments are precise and clear.

In The Times of Jan. 9, 1895, appeared a letter signed Sam. J. Wilde, written from Serjeants' Inn, E.G. :

" When in a committee room of the House of Commons before the present buildings were erected, as the room in question was one that had not been burnt (though the top storey had), I heard Alderman Harmer, a very advanced