THE PARLIAMENTARY SPORT OP THE IRISH.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 .SIR,—Some years ago, a clever cartoon depicted an Irish woman holding her husband back from a faction-fight, raging in the -distance, while he exclaims," Don't hold me, Biddy sure, it's meat and drink to me !" Faction-fights, though they were so dear to the Irish heart, have been almost wholly put down in Ireland, but some of the late encounters in the House look very much like a :survival of the dear, old, Irish sport. However disgusting and inconvenient such sport may be, when brought into the serious work of legislation, the mere lingering of the ancient propensity is surely not of any very deep significance. But as it affords anetaphorical meat and drink to the many in Ireland, and very material meat and drink to the " boys " in the House, it will doubtless be kept up till the nuisance is repressed as effectually as the authorities in Ireland have repressed all faction-fighting at
Previous page
