A POLITICIAN'S REMINISCENCES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2661, 26 May 1908, Page 7

A POLITICIAN'S REMINISCENCES.

STORIES TOLD BY MR. GRIFFITH BOS C A WEN. "Fourteen years in Parliament" is the title of an interesting volume just issued by Mr. Murray, and the work of that well-known politician. Mr. Griffith Bascawen., Here are some of the extracts} from its pages, quoted in the columns of the London "Evening News " : ? MINISTERS' REFRESHMENTS. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's Budget speech, in 1896, was a masterpiece of lucidity, and was well received. One amusing incident occurred in the middle of it. Nearly all great Ministers require liquid refreshment in the course of their principal orations, though their particular fancy differs. Mr. Gladstone was reputed to indulge in a queer concoction of eggs and sherry ; Mr. Balfour usually had a whisky and soda ; one of the present Cabinet to my certain knowledge used to take a glass of well-concealed champagne ; while in the German Reichstag Prince Bismarck is said to have carried an Army Bill with the aid of eight lemon squashes. Sir Michael always took port. It was my duty as secretary to see that he had his port on Budget' days, and as a rule he brought down some of his own in a flask. This time he forgot it, and I procured him some the refreshment bar—a light wine from the wood of a tawny hue. It happened that there had been a considerable increase in the consumption of rum during the past year, and Sir Michael, after giving the figures, turned to the House and asked, "Who drinks rum?" and immediately took a sip of his tawny port. The House was convulsed with laughter, most members believing that he was drinking rum himself.