Mr. Goschen was
marked out to perform the same task this Thursday, but who should get up
but Atherley Jones. The delighted Liberals cheered him to the echo. Mr.
Goschen had to sit down, and so the whole denouement collapsed, and the
curtain fell not on the lofty and eminent form of a former Chancellor of
the Exchequer, but on the less imposing figure of the disgruntled
Liberal, who is always anxious to strike his party a blow.
Then comes the division. There is some excitement, though we know we
have won. And then we cheer, as we hear that we have won by 27! Clause 9
is now put as a whole. Our majority rises to 29--we cheer even more
loudly.
[Sidenote: Tramp, Tramp, Tramp.]
We go through the lobbies in eight more successive divisions. It is the
dreariest performance. "That Clause so-and-so stand part of the Bill,"
says the Chairman. A shout of "Ayes!" followed by a shout of
"Noes!"--then a cry of "Division!"--then the same thing over again--and
again--and again. We stand at 85 majority in nearly every division. But
we don't cheer, for it is too monotonous; and as for the poor
Tories--where be the wild shouts of "Gag, gag!" with which they rent the
general air--their hoarse cries of "Shame, shame"--their open and foul
taunts in the face of the G.
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