4 JULY 1835, Page 20

POLITICAL CARICATURES.

HB is a fast friend. He does not forsake the Tories in their extremity; but kindly consoles them with ingenious variations of their "cuckoo cry," ringing the changes on O'CONNELL and Lord JOHN. His graphic drolleries raise for a moment the drooping corners of the despairing mouth, and relieve the melancholy contortions of the long-drawn visage with a sardonic grin ; kindling a faint gleam of delight in the lack-lustre eye, while a feeble chuckle mingles with the death-rattle of expiring Toryism. Do we grudge the Conservatives this consolption ? Not we: on the contrary, we enjoy the fun heartily. " Let those laugh that win." The idea of representing the Whig Ministers seated on an Irish jaunting.car, steered by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, and drawn by a kite ornamented with the device of a "Dan's head and cross-bones," is inge- nious enough, and capitally executed. The mixture of apprehension and determination in Lord JOHN'S face ; the lounging attitude and complacent look of Lord MELBOURNE ; the alarm and vexation of the " Sailor King," who clings to the vehicle with desperate resignation ; and the stolid acquiescence of John Bull, who lays his whole length in the middle—are hit off to a nicety. Lord JOHN, as a weak, overstrained horse, dragging the Irish Mem. hers in a tax -cart driven by O'CONNELL, is DOI a bad idea either. To who complains of getting on slowly, and ReTuvEN, who urges an application of the Shillelagh, Dan replies, "Give him time : he's a good little creature, but not yet used to the work ; you'll see how well rattle down the hill." The drollest, however, though too exclusively personal, is Lord Jones and Mr. SPRING RICE, as the two little girls who go stalking about town upon stilts. Mr. RICE is holding out the tambourine to John Bull, who looks out of his first-floor window ; while Lord JOHN, with arms a-kimbo, is footing it to time music of Bitouciisst's bagpipes and O'Cosever.r.'s big-drum and motith-organ. Lord BROUGHAM and O'CONNELL figure in another as rnad.cloga, with tin kettles tied to their tails, scampering away before the Duke of WELLINGTON and Lord CHANDOS (a great mistake this) ; the King, alarmed, getting out of their way. The only good point is that Lord BROUGHANI'S " tin kettle" is his coronet; which having once got, he would now fain get rid of, because to appear to despise the Peerage, seems a greater thing than to be a Peer. Lords BROUGHAM and DultitANI, MS Peach= and Loch it coming to a reconciliation, is a clever piece of satire, and not without its sting to one party at least. The scene is capitally felt : the averted look and proffered hand of the sturdy Lockit, and the fidgety uneasiness of Peachum, are in the true spirit of the drama. Lord JOHN Russer.e as Hop o' my Thumb, is another of those personalities which might be spared. But the Duke of BEDFORD SS the fagot-cutter, taking his stand on the Reform Bill, and lopping off a branch of " Corrupt influence" from the tree of the British Consti- tution " with the axe of " Purity of election," is a palpable hit at the Duke's distributing qualificrtions as freeholders of Middlesex to his sons.

HE does not touch such sore places as the Ipswich bribery : he is

too compassionate to hit his friends " over the raw ; " otherwise Mr. KELLY the client instructing Mr. KELLY the counsel would be a good subject. His cue is to "spy abuses " in the Liberal camp. We should not quarrel with this, if he were equally vigilant in the other quatter. The satirist should be of no party.