THE LATE SIR JOSEPH YORKE:
.SIR JOSEPH YORKE was a hale, hearty, good-humoured old man, who will be lone- remembered with kindliness by many, both in public and private life. In the House of Commons, where he was well known, he was principally distinguished for the plain, blunt way in which lie contrived to put. down a,prosing and self- sufficient orator—it mattered little from which side of the House lie spoke. Although Sir JOSEPH hit hard, there was so much good-nature mingled with his warfare, that no one ever took amiss what the jolly knight said. HUNT, indeed, used to get into a pas- sion with him ; but we don't reckon HUNT any body. Sir JOSEPH was a sturdy Anti-Reformer; but his defence of his principles was neither pompous like SADLER'S, nor fanatical like VYVYAN'S, nor canting like Peee's—it was the honest 'John Bull defence of .a brave old sailor, who felt soundly though he reasoned inconclu- sively. The manner of Sir JOSEPH'S death is a subject for mora- lists to ponder over ;—a tough old tar, who had faced "the battle• and the breeze" for fifty years, taken by the lee in a cockle-shell boat, by a capful of wind, while on an excursion of pleasure and in ten fathoms water! Fare thee well, good sooth-speaking YORKE! Truly the state might have better spared a better man. We would have been well content, at another time, to give up half-a-dozen professing Liberals, rather than lose the hearty roar which thy blunt drollery never failed to provoke.
• The vice of conventional lying is shockingly prevalent in the House of Com- mons. Simple truth is felt to be odd and out of place there ; so that, when spoken, it has all the effect of eccentricity. To his habit of truth-telling, Sir Jussps /onto owed a great deal of his fame as a humorist.
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