print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1893,0612.240
- Title
- Object: A sketch in the house of correction
- Description
-
The title continues: 'or the House wot entertains bad company; and now will any one say Reform is not absolutely necessary'. The Speaker (Manners-Sutton), standing with a hand resting on the Table, says 'Order—Order!—tis Manners makes the Man', while a disorderly gang (right) confronts four reformers who are closely grouped on the opposite front bench (left). These four hold up a large disk or shield inscribed 'The—Peoples—Rights' in large letters. They are Lord John Russell between Burdett and Hobhouse, and Althorp just behind the others. Burdett: 'Let them alone, they only expose themselves'. The disorderly fellows stand in front of the Opposition bench. Except for Peel they wear livery coats with a footman's shoulder tags; Sugden and Scarlett wear judge's wigs. On the right is Wetherell, his waistcoat, shirt, breeches, and stockings even more unrelated and wrinkled than usual. He stoops pugnaciously, right hand on hip, left fist raised, saying, 'If I had a hundred staunch fellows to back me, the reform Bill should never be carried while I live and I would Destroy every Minister who attempted it!—' Next is Peel who stands quietly, but holds a paper inscribed 'Captn Rocks Oath of Union'; he says: 'Now give them our Arguments'. Sudgen says: 'Rogues, Vagabonds, Rascals, Robbers,—go it—Keep it up—'. Matthias Attwood (like Wetherell, M.P. for Boroughbridge) thumbs his nose, saying, 'Here's the Slang Dictionary! tire them out!—' Behind are four others, of whom only Scarlett on the extreme right can be identified. July 28 1831
Hand-coloured lithograph
- Production date
- 1831
- Dimensions
-
Height: 301 millimetres
-
Width: 419 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', XI, 1954)
See No. 16739, &c. The print is praised in 'The Times', 6 Aug.: "Two learned gentlemen in the liveries of the Dukes of Newcastle and Buckingham [Scarlett and Sugden] are drawn to the life. The sansculotte champion of anti-Reform ... [Wetherell]. Nor is a certain solemn denouncer of Parliamentary improvement [M. Attwood] less faithfully delineated. One almost hears the cacophonous sounds and quintessence of Cockney English bubbling out of his mouth." Scarlett and Sugden sat for Cockermouth and St. Mawes, their patrons being Lord Lonsdale and Buckingham. Oldfield, 'Representative Hist.', 1816, v. 32; Molesworth, 'Hist. of England from 1830',1871, pp. 88-89. M. Attwood (see No. 16675) was a strong opponent of Reform, unlike his brother Thomas; he was suggested as a member of the Ministry that Wellington tried to form in May 1832. Wellington, 'Despatches', N.S. viii. 347. Peel was conspicuously unobstructive during the debates in Committee on the second Reform Bill. For "Captain Rock" see No. 14675, &c.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1893
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1893,0612.240
