[Victorian handbill satirising Lord Randolph Churchill, Gladstone and other members of the House of Commons, headed 'HOUSE OF COMMONS. | PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT'.

Printed in black on piece of purple paper, 27 x 14 cm. In good condition, laid down on a leaf removed from a contemporary album, with the date '1881' written beside it. The first paragraph sets the tone: 'LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL rose to ask Her Majesty's Government a question as to the state of Public Business, and the probable date of the Prorogation of Parliament. The noble lord said he felt convinced that after numberless meaningless sentences he had uttered during the session (leers and chafter) all of which, he was sure, had sunk like a tenpenny nail into the heart of the idiotic (leers) that, in order to prevent a further display of rubbish (chafter) an early date should be fixed for proroguing Parliament.' Interventions by 'Mr. Gorst', 'Sir Wilfred Lawson', 'Mr. Labouchere', 'Mr. Parnell', 'Mr. O'Donnell', 'Mr. Healy', 'Mr. Newdigate', 'Mr. Bright' and finally 'Mr. Gladstone'. After Bright's speech: 'The original motion was then put up by auction; the house divided into three halves, and the result was - | Eyes . . . . 2 | Nose . . . . 1 | This result was received with loud (guffaws.)' Gladstone announces that there is 'a most important bill to be introduced. (Cries of "Name, name.") Bill Francis, - (cheers, counter-cheers, table-cheers, and arm-cheers)'. The piece ends: '(Cheers till all the hon. members became egg-sauce-ted, and were sent home in butter boats.) | Remember the Seventh of September - | THE GREAT BILL OF THE SESSION.' Parliament was in fact prorogued by Commission on 27 August 1881. Scarce: no copies traced on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.