A FANCY SKETCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 587, 19 June 1858, Page 3

A FANCY SKETCH.

(From the ' Manchester Guardian.')

Let tis venture on the venial fault of rejoicing that we are not in all respects like model republicans. We have just had an exciting- struggle in the English House of Commons, involving a complete transfer of political power, and stimulating ancient grudges and recent piques into extraordinary vitality. Suppose that an episode of the party "contest on the Conspiracy to Murder Bill had been described iv the followingmanner:—About four in the morning- Mr. Dis^ raeli crossed the House to speak with Lord John Russell, and something occurred during his stay which induced him to object to the address of a ministerial speaker on a point of. order.. Upon this, Mr. M. T. Baines called out, " Why don't you go over to your own side, hang you, if you want to object? What business have you on this side anyhow!" Mr. Disraeli retorted chat the floor was free, and was returning to ins seat, when the "gentleman from Leeds " met him, and asked, iv a rufliinnly tone, what ho meant by that answer, adding, " I'll show yon you d —d Conservative puppy." The representative of Buckinghamshire answered, iv You may think what you like, but let. me tell

you no beggarly lawyer shall come here to bully me as he does his witnesses." " We'el see about that," said Baines, and siezed him by throat. A short and eventful round was terminated by the interference of friends; but presently Mr. Baines rushed at Disraeli again, and siezed him a second time when he received from the successor of John Hampden a well planted blow under the left ear, which fairly sprawled him on the floor. A dozen (Ministerialists ran towards the combatants, some, doubtless, to keep the peace, others to have a hand in the fight. Grey, of Morpeth, Williams, of Kars, Wilson, of the Treasury, and the Ellices, father and son, were prominent in the scrimmage. The anti Ministerial men sprang in a body to the rescue. Foremost came Mr. Bright, of Birmingham, a very athletic, compact man, who bounded into the 1 centre of the excited group, striking right and I left _ with tremendous vigour. Pakington, of Droitwich, and Samuel Warren, of the northern bar, were equally ready for action. Roebuck kicked widly at the shins of the veteran premier; and Akroydof Huddersfield appeared to have lost his head in the confusion, and taken the wrong side by mistake. For a moment or two it seemed as though .we were to have a Kilkenny fight on a magnificant scale. Turner of Manchester, had hold of Disraeli, when Bright struck him a severe blow, supposing that he was hurting that gentleman. Turner supposing that it was Graham who struck him, dropped Disraeli and struck out at the baronet from Carlisle The Lennoxes (Henry and Alexander), found themselves rather too closely engaged with Alfred Pa^et, of Litchfield, and his brother Clarence of Sandwich. General Thompson caught up a heavy stoneware spittoon, with which to brain anyone who might seem to deserve it; but, fortunately, did not get far enough into the crowd to find a fittiug object for his vengeauce. The Speaker yelled and rapped in vain; and the Sergeant-at-arms marched to the scene of action, mace in hand, with no greater effect.. The melee was not quelled until' Fox of Oldham, clutching the hair of Mr. , apparently for the purpose of drawing him into chancery and pommelling him to greater satisfaction, found that the luxuriant wig of his antagonist came off in his left hand, while his-right fist expended itself with tremendous force against the unresisting air. The laughter excited by this incident terminated the battle. Change but the names the fable's true. Everything that we have here set down from an imagination which may seem to have been indulged in- the wildest extravagance, is related to have actually happened in the' House of Representatives, at Washington on the'night of the sth of February. The subject of discussion was the constitution that is to be given to the new State of Kansas; in other words, the policy of the. : Union in regard to the great question of the extension of slavery. The hostile parties, whose mutual relation we have compared to that of Ministerialists and the Opposition in the late division, are those which respectively designate themselves 1 Democratic and Republican.