MORE ABOUT THE “BOWNET.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 16, 4 September 1911, Page 4

MORE ABOUT THE “BOWNET.”

Sir Stafford Northcote’s application oi the epithet “bonnet” to Lord Randolph Churchill—which Lord Lansdowno also used the other day—scornr to have attracted some attention at tlie time. The expression must have been unfamiliar to most, and it was duly noted in “Punch.” The “Es senco of Parliament” on April 12, 1.88-1, contained this account of the incident: —“Tuesday: “Wish Randolph would he more respectful to his pastors and masters. Quito unexpected ]y jumped on Sir S. Northcote’s back tn-night, pulled his hair, and alm.se; him for not doing something abnni Farmer Poll’s motion on Local Taxation. Sir Stafford, stung out of his

customary mildness of nmnnor, rotortcd, by callinjz; Randolph a ‘Bonnet.’ Randolph, seeing how far things had •;one, happily reserved his temper: i.df rose, but resumed bis scat. ‘i :t up,’ lie- told me afterwards, ‘to •uri the foul aspersion in his tcot'i uul call him a r l'op Hat, but romomijved what was due to dignity of Par- • iament and resisted temptation. J iiese mild men when once roused arc fearfully reckless. He would doubtless have flung a Pair of Boots at me, and 1 should have been bound to stigmatise him either as a Dress Coat or a Pair of Trousers. So we would have gone through tho whole wardrobe, md the tone of Parliamentary debate would have been distinctly lowered.’ ”