TIIE STANLEY TAIL.
[From the Morning Chronicle, Feb. 27.] A Parliamentary Circular was issued on Tuesday morning, requesting all those Memo. bets who did not belong to what were Hameln called the extremes of either party, to used at the King's Arms, Palace Yard. No signature was attached to this invitation, nor was there mention made of the name of any gentleman is ho was to be present, or to preside. It offered an opportunity to all who, forsooth, are too honest to belong to any party, or mho, for certain rea.vons, are weary of their frieuds, or whose friends are weary of them. to congregate together, and form a niee little coterie or their own—a kind of refuge fin the destitute—an engine for thede signing, and a present revenge for the disaffected.
Several honourable Members, attracted by curiosity, or other motives, did attend
this anonymous meeting; others staid away, thinking the whole thing a hoax. But It was no such thing, for in due time a motley assemblage of KIM twenty or thirty Members was collected, each asking the other w hat they were met for, and who was their leader? The whole scene was dramatic. We can- not pledge ourselves to extreme correctness in stating the names and speeches of all the persons present: but we are told that Lord George Bentinck was there arm- Inarm with Mr. Hughes Hughes, to whom he was explaining that theirs was to be a party especially of gentlmnen; while Sir Andrew Agnew's holy countenance lit up with joy on learning front Lord George and Lord Arthur Lennox, that it was to be a con- gregation of pious Christians. Mr. Robinson was told that he would be listened to with all possible patience ; and Sir Stratford Canning that lie should be an Ambassa- dor. Mr. Lechmere Charlton, Mr. Tennent. and Mr. Richards, rejoiced to bear that they were wonderfully clever men, whose former lives and professions should not be in- quired into. In the midst of these useful explanations, the ex Radical Member for Cumberland, and ex First Lord of the Admiralty, appeared on the stage. He bravely declared that he, of all people, should most set his face against the ungentlemanlike practice of binding statesmen down to their former professions; and having congratu- lated the meeting on their very promising numbers, he proposed, since the King's Arms were now quite full, that they should adjourn to some convenient spot from whence they might watch till the arms of the King were ready to receive them. Mr. Richards proposed his hop-garden. Mr. Tennent a bear.garden, and Sir Andrew Agnew ejacu- lated Exeter Hall, whilst Sir Philip Durham whispewil the Admiralty.
But Sir James, while lie admitted that these were all excellent places in their way,
conceived they were open to some trifling objections, and therefore begged leave to suggest that it the worthy gentlemen would du him the honour to follow him. he had some hopes of prevailing on his friend Lord Stanley to give them the use of his house. Lord Stanley ! Lonl Stanley ! ! Lord Stanley! I! was echoed around the back parlour of the King's Arms, and the proposal of the Right Honourable Baronet was carried by acclamation. Those gentlemen WIN, had attended from curiosity now went away laughing; the trst, headed by Mr. Hughes Hughes, Sir James Graham, and Mr. Richards. proceedisl In an omnibus. three cabs, and a hackney.coach, to Lord Stanley's house. There was some little tittering amongst the initiated, but on the whole the affair was plausibly conducted. And this is the history of the formation of the noble Lord's tail.
Ut turpiter atrum Desinat in piscem moiler formosa superne."
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