print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1857,1222.51
- Title
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Object: Joint secretaries of the Treasury.
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Series: Political Sketches
- Description
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No. 302. Two politicians standing arm in arm, pulling in opposite directions; to left, Charles Wood, holding a paper lettered 'Treasury deficiency.' in his right hand, and to right Spring Rice, holding a paper lettered 'Treasury surplus.' in his left hand. 24 February 1834
Lithograph
- Production date
- 1834
- Dimensions
-
Height: 330 millimetres
-
Width: 268 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Text from 'An Illustrative Key to the Political Sketches of H.B.', London 1841:
The Right Honourable Thomas Spring Rice, and Mr. Charles Wood, son-in-law of Earl Grey, and member for Halifax, were the Joint-Secretaries of the Treasury. They do not appear to pull very well together, and Mr. Spring Rice holds in his hand a label with the words "Treasury surplus" written thereon, while Mr. Wood holds a label inscribed "Treasury deficiency." But it is not on questions of finance that they disagree, Mr. Wood, as whipper-in of the Ministerial pack in the House of Commons, sometimes exhibited a deficiency of numbers; while Mr. Spring Rice, as Finance-Secretary, was able this year (1834) to boast of a surplus.
The classical reader will be amused with the happy application of the Horatian "Risum tenatis" - which he is at liberty to construe, "Restrain your mirth," or "keep fast hold of Mr. Rice." Nor is the other quotation "Ex quovis ligno fit Mercurius" a less "merrie conceit," leaving, as it does, the reader to his choice whether the Secretary of the Treasury be a god or a block-head.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1857
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1857,1222.51