TOPICS OF THE DAY.
The Duke of WELLINGTON is a grave subject: he probably never made a joke in his life ; and it is dangerous, it seems, to make a joke upon him. A poor carpenter, who was considered an imitator of Mr. SISK at the House of Lords, has written to the Herald a sad complaint of the severe way in which he has been treated. He was in the habit of passing the House from his work, and was acquainted with the doorkeeper. "Being thus intimate, I familiarly accosted him with 'Well, Gibbs, at what door does his Grace the Duke of Wellington now come out ?' re- ferring at the same time, and in the most jocose manner, to the case that occurred a day or two previous. This was enough ; and the next day— mark you, Sir—about four o'clock in the afternoon, when passing the same way again to my home, I was, by this individual, given in charge to an officer, for what had passed the day previous, I was then taken to Gardner's Lane, and there confined in a dungeon for four hours ; after which I was escorted by officers to Bow Street, and examined ; and from Bow Street was hurried off, in a van, with about thirty other per- sons of the lowest character, to Clerkenwell Gaol ; when, with those individuals, I was again incarcerated for the night." Poor WILSON only procured his liberty by getting heavy hail to keep the peace. They ought to have bound him over to gravity. He seems very harmless—the sting of his joke was the only sharp weapon he had about him.
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