RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LORDS AND COMMONS, SECOND SERIES.
THE public is " obliged with this second series, in consequence of its admiring patronage of the first ; but we question whether it will be regarded with the same favour. The qualities of the writer are indeed as racy as ever : there is the same unconscious mixture C f pertness and self- sulliciency—the same dispositien to judge of matters altogether beyond his comprehension, as if the limited vision of a fly were to criticize the form of an elephant— the same solemn atteution to the most trivial circumstances, with the Cockney vulgarity which always distinguished this writer. But the gloss ie. novelty has worn off him : thb Senatorial lions bein; exhausted, our friend is compelled to show-up the meaner animals, and to discuss the whiskers, watch-chains, and waist- coats of men unknown to fame : the Leek is, moreover, a forced, instead of a spontaneous production; and though the sloe-juice is only sloe-juice, yet we see that even in sloes there is a difference between the liquor flowing from the fruit and that pressed out from the skins and leavings.
Still we must do justice, and admit that the Recolleetor has exhibited a craft-like mastery in arranging- his matter. Ile opens with the opening of " Queen Viceoess's first Parliament; and tells of the crowds of' ladies who " possessed themselves of the seats set apart for the reporters" Savo three, whose occupants hail been provident ; and hew they (the three) were hidden from sight by "waving plumes of feathers of the richest kind ;" and how he himself was surrounded by the beauties of the land, and dazzled, by "the jewellery they wore." He narrates the arri- val of the Queen. " intimated by the thrilling tones of the trum- pet ;" and the brutal bear-garden-like rush of the Members of the House of Commons. Dismissing the chief prologue with the withdrawal of the performer, the Recolleetor goes on to make a miscellaneous prologue of his owm—touching upon Lord Beotrenem's reappearance in the house of Peers, and other little points,—before be proceeds to paint scenes in the House, and then to exhaust the r, eves,. of the Peers. A similar scheme is followed in the Commons. He begins with taking the oaths, &e.; then goes on to Legislative brawls ; and winds up with portraits of the" mob of gentlemen," classed according to their parties, or the accidents of their election.
The best things in the volume are the descriptions of the effect produced by Lord BaoUGIteet during the present session, espe- cially in his attack upon Lord GLENELG ; of the jelly let-the- world-slide way in which the Premier beats what ought to be the cares of office; and of the scenes in the respective Houses. Our arbiter efegantiaruns gives the whole weight of his testimony in favour of Lords against Commons : and in decorum, attention, and legislative propriety, there seems to be no comparison between them.
NVe would have quoted a couple of Legislative scenes, but they are too long. Instead of them, we will giro the account of Lonl BROUGHAM'S revival.
Lord Brougham now dtesses rather smartly. Until the commencement of the present session, he was seldom to be seen since his return from his Scottish tour, in 1834, without his tartan trousers and waistcoat. He is said to have bought as much cloth when in Inverness as would make a dozen pairs of the first and a ml, Zen of the last. Now he has put them aside, at least for a time, and appears in cloth of a more usual kind. At present he is partial to having Lie waistcoats made in such a way as to button chose up to his elank, On kW breast is displayed a very handsome gold chain. This chain, however, does not, as is usual in such cases, answer the purposes of a watch-guard ; for it has no connexion with his watch. His watch-pocket is in the old fashioned part of Isis wardrobe, not in his waistcoat; and its locality is indicated by a riband about three inches in length, which uvends a trio of the most massive watch. seals which ever regaled the eyes of those who are partial to such articles of se- wellery. His Lordship has a must decided antipathy to showing the collar of his shut; and not less great in his aversion to fashionable stocks, or any thing which would give him what is called a stiff-neck. His neckerchief is a black silk, and is always put on loosely and carelessly.
Great as is the dread with which the Tory Peers regard Lord Brougham, I am convinced they would rather run the tisk of an occasional onslaught from
him, than see him again out of the llouse. Before his absence in the session of 1886,1 believe they felt differently. Ile had so assailed them in the previous scs. SIMI', since his transplantation from the Commons to their House, that I believe their unanimous wish was that he were again out of it ; but having encountered the dulness of 1836, in consequence of his absence, I am persuaded that they are now rejoiced at his presence, even though the price uf the eutertainment he affords them be often a regular onset at themselves. I Rill confirmed in this hypothesis, by the reception Ise met with on his reappeat mice among them at the beginning of last session. It is true that the gotablireeding which chat octet ices the aristocracy would have insured him at least the appearance of a welcome from them ; but I am satisfied from what I saw, that the gratifying way in which they greeted his restoration to the house, was snit in appearance merely, but perfectly sincere. If, then, they were pleased at his rem n among them in 1837, they must be doubly so now ; for he is now at variance with the Whigs, and lashes them with the unsparing rigour with which he used to flagellate the Tories only. Need I say that it is strictly in accordance with human natio e, that the Conservative Peers should rejoice in seeing a tnatt who can deal his blows about him so skilfully and with such effect as Lord Brougham, let loose among their opponents. If there are persons who, in the excess of their charity, would suppose the 'forks incapable of being influenced by such un- worthy considerations, all I shall say is, I wish such persons bad been in the House of Lords any of those nights of the present session in winch Lord Ihougham discharged the vials of his indignation on the beads of Ministers. I will anwer for it, that they would have been undeceived long In fore his Lord- ship had got half through hisspeech. 'they would have seen in the countenances of the Tory Peers—else Lavater was either a tank impostor or a great igno- ramus—evidence of the flutist conclusive kind as to tie supreme gratiticatien with which they beheld his Lordship apply log the dish to his quondam Whiggish filends. And they would have heard woofs. if there be nor an inaccuracy in the expression, as well as seen them, of the treat which his Lordship's merciless flagellation of Ministers afforded the Tories. Their loud laughter-. a laughter sometimes so excessive as to agitate the whole of the Tory benches atouce—would have very soon set the point at rest. %Slide wielding the cudgel with such extraordinary effect at Ministers' expen-e, on the menuo able night already alluded to in detail, in which he assailed their Canadian despatch( s a ml Canadian policy, the Tory Peers evidently enjoyed the scene as a luxury of the
must exquisite kind. They all laughed with it frequency and heartiness which are quite rare in that House. Indeed, 1.0rd Btoughatn is almost the only man I ever saw create a cordial laugh in that locality.
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