THE QUEEN'S DULL ERRAND BOY.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 4, 16 May 1848, Page 4

THE QUEEN'S DULL ERRAND BOY.

(From Punch.) The Queen's Page, John Russell, was, last week, intrusted by her Majesty with a message, which he was desired to request the Marquis of Lansdowne to deliver to the Houses of Parliament. Lord Lansdowne, of course, delivered the message word for word as it was given to him by John, commencing as follows • My Lorus and Gentlemen, Her Majesty has ordered us to declare to you the causes which hav- iuducei her to call Parliament toi get her at the present time. Of course we expected that the Marquis of Lansdowne w»ulJ, according to the Royal command* have made a statement of the cause which healludad to. But we read his speech most carefully from beginning to end, without being able to Uncover any such thing. We therefore susppct that John Russell has made some mistake in the delivery ofhis message ; sa, as it is our business to call her Majesty's servants to • ccount whea necessary, we sent foi the bay to spea, with him. N Wherupon eusued the following dialogue Punca—Now, S:*. The Queen, I believe, gave you a m-ssage, which she desired you to take to Lord Lansdowne, and tell him to communicate it to Pailiament ? John—Yes Sir—please Sir. Punch—You were ordered by her Majesty to desire his Lordship to declare the cause which induced her to summon Parliament at the present time : John—l was, Sir. Punch—We 1 Sir, and did you do so ? John—l did, Sir, Punch—lndeed, Sir, did you not instruct the Marquis of Lansdowne to eay that the panic—the commercial alarm—had subsided ? John—Why, yes, Sir* Punch—Do you mean to say, Sir, that the subsidence of the panic was one of the causes for which the Queen bad convened the Parliament? John—Not exactly, Sir. Punch—You told his Lordship to mention the recent plentiful harvest. Was that one of them, pray ? John— certainly Sir, it was not. Puuch—You requested him to advert to the distress in Ireland, but to say that her Majesty trusted it wuuld be materially relieved by measures passed last Session. Wts Parliament to understand that it was convoked to be tcld that ? John—l can't say as how it was, Sir. Punch—Lord Lausdowne, to be sure, touched upon Irish crime. Did he assign this, in particular, as the reason of the extraordinary step which the Sovereign has felt a necessary to take ? John—l can't say as he did, Sir. Punch—But / know he did not. Sir. He mentioned the civil war in Switzerland. Was that it * John—No, Sir, no—that's a mere trifle, that i«. Punch—Was it her Majesty's confidence ot the main tena-ice of the peace of Europe ? John—l should say not, Sir, in course. Puuch—Well, tben, was it her having concluded a treaty for the Suppression of the Slave trade ? or has the Legislature beeu assembled in the middle of November to discuss the Navigation laws, or tu» Sanitary question? Were these masters of such piecing importance ? John—Not particular, Sir, I'll allow. Punch—Lastly Lord Liii-ulunne cxpiessesher Maje« • ty'a hope ihat the business of the nition will soon resume its wanted activity. Have the Lords and Commons met to receive that piece of information ? John—l should think nut, Sir. Punch—Theu for what rejsons on earth. Sir, let tne ' ask you, has Parliament been suinuioued Had the coaiuieii-idl distress, and the state of Ireland, anything to do with them ! John—Certainly, Si), thfy wee the mam points, as

[ I understood. Punch—Then why didn't you explain yourself? I What you meant to say, 1 suppose, whs, that though I our monetary difficulties had somewhat abated, th«y j were not yet so urgent at to call for immediate relief; and that, albeit the condition of Ireland was slightly i improved, it was still so bad as to demand instant at- | tention. John—Yes, Sir, please, Sir, that's what I meant to say, Sir. Punch—(mimicking him.) Yes, Sir, please, Sir that's what you meant to say, Sir. If you meant it why didn't you say it» Sir ? John—Please, air, I'll try and do better another time. Punch—A pretty page you are 1 and if you don't take care you'll have to look out afar—and very far—for another situation. You are a page that must turn over a new leaf. Go and read your Cobbelt, Sir: and if ever the Queen trusts yon with an errand again, leam to deliver it in plain English. [Punch has contrived to include nearly ©very question in his catechism but the right one. Parliament was convened on account of Her Majesty's anxiety that the real cause of Lord Grey's indisposition should be made known to it. It appears that the unhappy sufferer, through the carelessness of his attendants, had swallowed* Constitution, holu* bolus, which had been tr<fede up for the purpose of experimenting on some on» c.Je; on an anima vilts, for the general advancement of science* The prescription itself, we are led to believe, was originally written for the cure of cannabJism. Pope Alexander vi, through a similar mistake, is said to have been actually poisoned by a quieting mixture winch be had intended for one of bis Cardinals. We wish bis Lordship better out of it, hoping that he iaaybe quits for asujart attack ofbile. Stul, however, its general health having Ken previously much impaired, by accidentally swallowing a deteimination never to accept office m any ministry with which Lord Palmerston should in any way be connected, the worst results Hie to be apprehended. The last bulietiuis unfavourable—Ed. A.M.W.]