214 NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



the inroads reform has made upon the legislative enactments of the 

 age, we still retain the old English fashion of gorging those we are 

 desirous of honouring with immoderate quantities of beef and oratory 

 at public dinners, and such like occasions. Poor Mina was treated 

 a few weeks ago with one of those gormandizing shows at the 

 Freemason's ; and to help his digestion of our puddings and porter, 

 no sooner was the cloth removed than he was assailed by a torrent 

 of eloquence, not one syllable of which could he comprehend. He, 

 in his turn, deputed some one to read a speech of thanks from him, 

 in a language, of all knowledge of which at least four-fifths of his 

 auditory were totally guiltless. The other day, the friends of 

 Admiral Napier gave one of those <f feeds'* at Portsmouth, in honour 

 of the gallant sailor. In the course of his speech he declared his 

 intention of starting for the representation of Portsmouth, in case of 

 a vacancy for a candidate, either by the removal of either of the 

 present members, or by a dissolution of parliament. Now, as this 

 was said after dinner, we trust that a sober consideration of the 

 affair will induce the admiral to form a more accurate estimate of his 

 own abilities. Waterloo and Trafalgar pretty well gleaned Europe 

 of superfluous heroes. People, in these dull times, are greatly prone 

 to regard mice as elephants, and a much less personage than Admiral 

 Napier would engross a pretty considerable share of public notice 

 just now. We are by no means desirous of detracting from the 

 well-earned reputation of the admiral j but it strikes us that an 

 intimacy with double-headed shot and yard-arms is not the precise 

 requisite for a successful career in St. Stephen's. Decidedly the 

 greatest nuisance in the present parliament is the multitude of 

 adventurers, who, upon the bare recommendation of being, from a 

 Variety of causes, dubbed with a military or nautical title, rush into 

 the councils of the State, and pronounce upon the most intricate 

 questions in legislation with as much flippancy as if the subjects 

 were the manning of a boat, or the whipping of a dragoon. Though 

 not one in a dozen of these redoubtable Paladins can give an in- 

 telligible reason, we invariably find the majority of them opposed to 

 the removal of abuses, no matter where or how existing. No motion 

 for retrenchment of any kind, for the removal of pensions and 

 sinecures the most undeserved, or for the abolition of state vices 

 however glaring, ever meets their approbation. Having nothing to 

 lose, they are ever found on the side of the most powerful ; for, 

 together 'with such policy being in accordance with the arbitrary 

 principles in which they are nurtured, it has the chances in its 

 favour of, one time or other, being turned to their advantage. As 

 to the notion of military men being essential in parliament in the 

 discussion of foreign diplomacy and warfare, whatever shadow of 

 argument it once had in its support, it does not possess a fraction of 

 common sense now. Full five-sixths of the gloved and essenced 

 warriors in the Commons are under forty, and, of course, can have 

 seen no service beyond their own shore. Though scented enough to 

 perfume a forest of brown bears, they never smelt powder but at a 

 review, or in bogtrotting after jack-snipe and water-hens. An inspec- 

 tion of the pair of griffin-and-crocodile pieces of ordnance at the 



