WHAT SHALL THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE BE? OR, H.R.H: BETWEEN CREMORNE AND COMMERCE.

COMMERCE VERSUS CREMORNE.

WHAT COMMERCE SAYS.

["So spiteful, y'know! Just because I'd kept him waiting a minute or two!"

Commercial Museum," or what you please-which shall be a compre-
hensive, orderly, easily accessible display of the realms and the
resources of the Empire, a centre of intelligence, a bond of sympathy,
a nucleus of co-operation, would answer to that ideal.
Shows and thronging sight-seers, Bands and Refreshment-Booths,
Coffee-Stalls and Coloured Lamps, the Crystal Palace without its

"BUSINESS first, Pleasure afterwards," is an old and excellent
motto. And when the business is Imperial business, on such a
colossal and comprehensive scale as it must be to embrace the mani-acrobats, and Cremorne without its dancing, will not.
fold relations of mutual affection and interest between Great Britain
and her world-scattered Colonies and Dependencies, the motto applies
with more than usual fulness and force.

For great occasions, great enterprises! A Royal Jubilee does not occur every year, or even every century. Ten thousand additional tea-garden lamps will not suffice to mark what must be so memorable, and may be so fruitful a conjuncture.

No one has anything to say against the pleasant (illuminated popular shows which South Kensington has seen during several successive years, culminating in the splendid and suggestive "Colinderies" of the past season. The public has been mightily pleased with them, and, quite properly, thankful to all, from the PRINCE downwards, who have helped to provide them.

But a Jubilee means more, marks more, and demands more than
the best arranged combination of Exhibition and Pleasure Gardens
can supply. The Empire is something more than a popular Show,
and Commerce cannot make her home at Cremorne. The Higher
Imperialism has laid hold of the public imagination. The unification
of the heterogeneous items constituting what is known as the British
Empire is the dream and the desire of all. Federation is in the air.
At this moment comes a rare and a striking opportunity of doing
something practical on a large scale and in permanent fashion, in the
direction of our desire, and towards the realisation of our dream.
It is above all things to be desired that the opportunity should not
be missed, nor what is of almost more importance misused.
Commerce, speaking gravely and earnestly in the name of the
larger and more abiding interests of the Empire, demands that the
Jubilee Institution, whatever form it may assume, shall be large in
its scope and abiding in its influence.

An Imperial Institution-call it "Colonial Museum,"
," "Imperial

The Imperial Institution to be worthy of its great occasion, and to subserve its large ends, must be largely conceived, carried out in a spirit of cordial co-operation with the representatives of all the interests involved; and last, not least-suitably and conveniently localised.

South Kensington, whatever its merits and its charms, is not the unquestioned centre of the Empire, nor the undisputed hub of the Commercial Universe.

To help carry out this grand and fruitful Imperial Commemoration in the spirit, and with the aims above set forth, is a task worthy of the most strenuous and unselfish, the most far-seeing and fadsacrificing efforts of every thoughtful patriot, and especially a thoughtful patriot who is also a popular PRINCE.

It is thus, that Commerce speaks on this great occasion.

Mr. Punch says ditto to Commerce. Or rather he puts, in his own inimitable way, views which are his own, and which he is sure Commerce does, and the PRINCE will, share with him. And the PRINCE and Commerce, of course, will say ditto to Mr. Punch!

BOOKS MUCH WARNE-TED.-A set of Standard Novels has just been brought out by Messrs. WARNE. Bless their old faces! Among them are Mr. Punch's ancient ventriloquial friend, Valentine Vox, then Rory O'More by LOVER, and Jack Hinton by LEVER, and Ernest Maltravers by BULWER, and Peter Simple by MARRYAT, and other tried companions of former years, who have as much life in them as they had when Mr. P. first had the pleasure of making their acquaintances. The delight these worthies will give to a new generation will soon show that though brought out by Messrs. WARNE, they are not by any means Warne out.

OUR ADVERTISERS, PUZZLING AND OTHER.

WORD

For

WORD COMPETITION. Prizes, 10s., 5s., and 2s. 6d. greatest number of English words from FIRST HALF OF "JOHNSON'S DICTIONARY." No names of celebrated men, fashionable watering-places, or joint-stock companies allowed. Lists, with one shilling in P. O. or stamps, by November 10th. Vicar, Hardup-on-Heath, Notts. Profits for new warm-bath apparatus in I Vicarage-House. Money, if insufficient, returned if required. Results, March, 1877.

AFTER THE PLAY.

SCENE-Mr. Punch's Sanctum. Mr. PUNCH and Mr. NIBBS discovered.

Mr. Punch. I saw you at the St. James's, Mr. NIBBS. Mr. Nibbs. I was there, Sir, at your Benevolence's request. went to welcome Mr. HARE, whose performances always interest Mr. P. Strict attention to duty merits a continuance of favours. me mightily. He is excellent in this new piece of PINERO'S. Mr. N. He is, Sir, admirable. There is no better acting anywhere just now than Mr. HARE'S in The Hobby Horse.

Mr. P. Not having been everywhere, I can only bow to the opinion of an expert.

NE HUNDRED GUINEAS OFFERED for greatest number affixes, proper names, and foreign words excluded. Lists, with 2s. 6d. P. O., by November 15th, to Rev. H. GRABBINGS, Clawumon-the-Stole, Pocketborough. Profits, if any, for charitable relief of Advertiser's grandmother. Winner's name published. No money returned except through a Solicitor. For results wait for subsequent Mr. Punch welcomes "the Hare Apparent."

Advertisement.

INFANT cennoucessful in last Book-keeping by Double-entry NFANT CONSOLATION PRIZES (of 3d., 2d., and 1d.,) offered competition, for best list of FIFTEEN LIVING ENGLISH RAILWAY DIRECTORS, or for COMIC HISTORY, NOT NECESSARILY ORIGINAL, OF PRE-ADAMITE MAN. Entrance fee by P.O., or stamps, 6d., as soon as possible to, Bishop, The Palace, Filchester.

EASY COMPETITION ON A NEW SYSTEM, A Clergyman in the West of England, who has a good deal of leisure time on his hands, and is in arrears with his Butcher's-book, offers THREE PRIZES (of £1, 10s., and 5s.,) for the three best sets of replies to the ten following questions:-(1). The most Poetical Pork-Butcher in England. (2). The Worst London Cab-horse. (3). The County Court Judge with the best appetite for breakfast. (4). The best sayer of after-dinner things at the Holborn Restaurant. (5). The rider of the cheapest hack in Rotten Row. (6). The largest sized advertised Popular Pill. (7). The Worst Emporium for cheap American Oysters. (8). The Fashionable Doctor who kills most patients yearly. (9). The Member of Parliament who has the largest Washing bill, and (10). The Duke who has the greatest quantity of family-jewels in pledge. Enclose P.O., for 1s., and stamped envelope for acknowledgment, to Rural Dean, Rectory, Tryem-on-Trust, Wantingham.

MR. GLADSTONE FOR DINNER, AWARD. The Prize R. GLADSTONE EAT ONE POTATO AND TWO MUTfor the greatest number of English words to be found in this sentence, has been won by Miss SKINNER, 176, Queen Elizabeth's Road, Upper Holloway, but as the receipts of the competition have all been absorbed in medical attendance for the Advertiser, rendered necessary by excessive mental over-strain of looking over, sorting, and judging competitors' papers, this is to inform her that it must stand over till the next Puzzle is organised, when possibly, if the subscription is satisfactory, he may be enabled to let her have a trifle. N.B.Removed from late address.

did you think of the comedy?

Mr. N. Of the- - ?

What

Oh, I see it is styled "Comedy" in the bill.

Mr. P. "Comedy" is generic, Mr. NIBBS, and Dr. JOHNSON has defined it as "Dramatic representation of a lively kind (as opposed to Tragedy)."

66

Mr. N. Yes, Sir, and a Farce he describes as an extravagantly ludicrous deference to your opinion, I maintain that variety of Comedy." Now, Sir, with due The Hobby Horse, which, by the way, fat both The Private Secretary and Mr. PINERO would have done far better to have called the Family The Magistrate,-exactly illustrates the definition you have just quoted, and is, therefore, a Farce-not, Sir, the French Farce, which one of their accepted authorities calls "la mère, de notre comédie, mère aux allures un peu libres,"-but the English Farce in three Acts as understood by our nineteenth century playgoers, who certainly would not look upon it as a comedy of "manners," or of character," or of "intrigue." And I should maintain further, that it is either a Comedy spoiled or a Farce spoiled, and so it is neither one thing nor the other.

66

Mr. P. Yet I laughed so heartily that I should have considered it ungenerous on my part to have inquired too closely into the method of their madness. I went to see Mrs. KENDAL and Mr. HARE, and I really did not care in what they appeared.

Mr. N. Yet, Sir, you have seen Mrs. KENDAL to greater advantage? Mr. P. Well, Mr. NIBBS, on consideration I admit that the part she takes seemed unworthy of her talents. Dramatically it is nothing at all, and any less distinguished actress could play it without difficulty.

Mr. N. I am glad to hear Your Benevolence allow so much. Mrs. KENDAL gives the part its importance, but the part does nothing for her.

moment, Mr. NIBBS. Now, tell me for I did not follow the details Mr. P. True, I am beginning to be more of your opinion every very attentively-why is it a Farce, or a Comedy, spoiled? The motive of the whole action is so desperately improbable as to Mr. N. I will be as brief as possible. The piece is irritating. belong to the most outrageous kind of Farce, while the charactersthe exigencies of the imbroglio, as to be a fantastic creation beyond the wife excepted, who is so entirely moulded, from Act to Act, by or beneath serious consideration,-are, all of them, allowing for theatrical exaggerations, so human as to be out of place in such a J PETITORS. 51, 108., 58., offered for most carefully written whose one peculiarity is a philanthropic hobby for turning her preposterous absurdity. That an irreproachable married woman, husband's house into a refuge for little waifs and strays a notion evidently derived from the domestic history of a certain lady, whose frequent appearance in our law-courts has made the public familiar with her name and peculiarities, should suddenly leave her home, and, under an assumed name, live for ten days in the house of a bachelor curate in Whitechapel, is in itself outrageously improbable.

INKER'S CONSOLATION PRIZES FOR BEATEN COM

out text-hand copy of KELLY'S POST OFFICE DIRECTORY. When completed, MS. to be delivered to "PETER," care of Hookham's Library, High Street, Wearem. Results, if any, published in 1888. Send entrance-fee of one shilling, directed envelope for list, and stamp, to same Address as above at once.

GREAT NOVELTY. THIRTY-FIVE POUNDS IN PRIZES Z

:

Mr. P. And therefore farcical.

1. Church Organ, a little damaged in pedal action, much used by well-known musical Duke and his family. 2. The lower portion of a Fire-escape, only slightly out of repair. 3. A couple of Cobras, Mr. N. Decidedly. Especially as her object could have been untamed, with charming apparatus, in bandbox, complete. Offered obtained by fair means. Deceit would have been abhorrent to an for hundred best lists of Welsh words containing no vowels. Adver- impulsive and generous disposition, and especially so to a correct tiser reserves the right of returning any Competitor his list and person like Mrs. Jermyn, who is represented as shuddering at an subscription when the competition is over. Send P.O. for 5s. to expletive, and who objects to the mention of ADAM and EVE, Reverend, The Vicarage, Swampham. Proceeds will go to the pur- "before the boy." Then, Sir, that the bachelor curate, who is a chase of a new Clerical suit for the Advertiser. mashing young muscular Christian, with a tenor's beard and mous

ACTING CONSOLATION COMPETITION. PRIZES (58., 2s. 6d., and 18.) will be given for the three best performances of Hamlet, in character. Competitors to find their own dresses, company, and stage, fixing date and place for production, and inclosing P.O. for 18., with order for two to the Upper Boxes. The proceeds will be devoted to the Endowment of a Professional Chair of Pantomime at the new School of Dramatic Art.-"Roscius & Co.," Postoffice, Drury Lane.

tache, and a great display of spotless wristband, should fall in love with her, is natural enough.

Mr. P. Decidedly. I fancy I should have done the same myself. humani nihil alienum.

Mr. N. A noble sentiment, Sir, and worthy your Philosophic Benevolence. But that this quick-witted lady, should not within ten days have perceived the reverend masher's development of amativeness is as unnatural as his passion is natural.

"YES, DARLING. I'VE ALWAYS TOLD YOU TO."