Punch,  42 (1862), 131.

Punch's Essence of Parliament

Anon

Genre:

Regular Feature, Reportage, Drollery

Subjects:

Zoology, Amusement, Government, Politics, Mental Illness, Crime, Medical Practitioners


    Notes Mr Punch's belief that the 'legislature of the country is in a state of mild collapse', a symptom of, among other things, 'the incubation of the Pythoness'. Goes on to report that Richard Bethell (1st Baron Westbury) successfully passed his Lunacy Bill through its committee stage, 'defeating his beloved friend Lord Chelmsford, in an attempt to knock out the two years and no doctor clause'. He also rejected the proposal of Anthony A Cooper (7th Earl of Shaftesbury) to deny the '"opinion" of a medical man' as 'proof of insanity'.



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