The scribbler, 21 février 1822, jeudi 21 février 1822

THE SCRIBBLER.Montreal.Thursdaÿ.21«f February, 1822, Ko.XXXV.* ' * f V -'.U' Ride si sapin.' SÎAÀTIAL.I * ?• $ * • * » • • •* • 9\ * i * tt Laugh, if you’re wise.« * • ?• * •# • Graced a« thou art with all the power of words,.•.So known, so honour’d, iu the House of Lords.-—POPE.* • Und mortud, alttrem instar turtvrvm lugere, et pii a sc-pulchro disceitre.’ Piso.If the one dies, h«r mate mourn* like the turtledove, and scarcely escapes the grave himself.• • DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCER, Nov IL • 4 * We can not avoid complying with the solicitations of our friends' in publishing the follow-itig account of the proceedings at a meeting which was held on the 18th December last, at the Gossip-room * for taking into consideration the means ot suppressing laughter, although we are compelled to give only a short abstract of the argumentative and luminous speech of the honourable chairman, which was delivered with that chaste English accent for which he is So remarkable.The Honourable Tor y Loverule being called to the chair, (every situation of that kind belonging to him by prescriptive right,) thus explained the object of the meeting, “ Gentleman, you have been called together to*day upon a; subject not only of laughable montent, but affecting the morality of the country, * The.Gowsip-rooro was first intended as a room for leading and study, but haying become a mart for noise and nonsense,.has lost it* ^rf^fnâl'citaraciêi1 attd’appellatioir* ' 274* that is to sây, to consider the means of preventing laughter and ridicule, those sources of gen.eral demoralization* Civil society can not exist without government and laws; government and laws, can not exist without awe and respect be.ing paid to those who are at the head of affairs; awe and respect are raised in two ways, viz.di.rectly, by the personal qualifications of public functionaries ; and indirectly, by the suppression of all attempts at holding them up to ridicule if they do not possess those requisite qualities ; to the first mode the great majority of the inhabit, ants of this province seem to have insuperable objections, because there are so few that are.; from their own merit, entitled to such awe and respect ; and they ought therefore to be, one and all, zealous in supporting all measures of restriction upon satire and laughter, and equally hos.tile to those persons who join in the laugh; un.happily however a strange propensity prevails li-mongst you for laughing outright, or in your sleeves, at your superiors, when they happen to be made the butts of some unlucky wight.Laugh-.ing is the bane of society : it is in fact a robbery of the public, in depriving them of that gravity and solemnity, with which it ought to be their delight to contemplate the wiseheads who wish to lead them.But thé disposition I have complained of, arises from the false notion entertain, ed that it is a less crime to laugh at public men than at private individuals ; but the fact really is, that public men are not in such cases alone laugh* ed at, but every individual comes in for his share, inasmuch as all have their foibles as well as their betters.The laugher, by despising pomposity and solemnity, obtains an advantage over the devotees of grave inanity and dignified dullness ; and can such a state of things he toleapted, / • • 2 75 « which.is in effect holding out a premium to contemners of gravity, and imposing a tax upon owls and turkey*cocks ?This, if continued, must terminate in anarchy and in the dissolution of society.Laughers proceed from step to step, till they arrive at a degree of boldness, at the very thoughts of which they would once have shuddered.They carry on their attacks at first in disguise, till, bolder grown, they are not dismay* ed by wigs, nor coifs, nor bands, nor gold chains, nor any other substitutes for sound heads, and good hearts.The first step in opposition to this system, should be a firm determination to refrain from laughing, and the second, to discountenance it by informing against those who are deal* ers in, or retailers of, ridicule* Additional laws may be required to coerce the laugher, and protect the laughee, and such may be very properly applied for to the retail law-shop at the po-ice-office, where they may be had cheap, that is to say, for small penalties, and tenfold costs j but what avail laws if not enforced, and how can they be enforced, if the breakers of them are not informed against ?my advice therefore to you all is to turn informers, 'tis a thriving and an honourable trade, and you will deserve well of year country.Nothing is more clear than if laughter, can be abolished, all will be placed upon a footing of solemn equality* y and it is also worthy of notice that if all were to become laughers, those who now pursue that traffic would lose their advantage, for it is only by there being abundant ¦matter to ridicule that satirists find employment.Who can doubt the baneful increase of laughter in this province, after we are told that the Scribbler sells ten times more of his trash now than • ¦ • * A'1 Some of the auditors considered this ai rather a dangerous word,to be used by the honourable chairman. '.M 676 formerly ; and when we find that, he has so many abettors, and informants, even in our own holy circles.When wittypates^conspire, it is time for thickheads to combine ;*an'd the combination I propose is an agreement, which I hope will obtain the signatures of all who wish to support the awe and respect due to me and other great men, and to oppose the demoralization which must result from seeing the jokes that are passed upon us ro lished and laughed at.” .After having thus ably and forcibly displayed the evils of laughter, and the most likely means of preventing it in future, the honourable chairman presented to the meeting the draft of an act of voluntary association, by which the subscribers engaged neither to joke themselves nor to laugh at any joke whatsoever, and pledged them-selves ro inform against all those who did laugh, •or were said, or suspected to laugh ; and further, that they would not purchase or encourage any * r », ¦ o yt satiric writings, nor procure or retail any jests or 'satires, or such as they suspected to be such, nor thereafter hold any communion with those who did read, retail, or laugh at suçh productions or •sayings : which act of association \yas adopted, a$ is usual in such meetings, à la mode des brebis, one sheep following another, and signed by ninety-nine of the gentlemen present $ though it is strongly suspected that they are not the ninety Bine just men mentioned in scripture yvho never went astray, but that some of them ^ere, and continue to be, incorrigible laughers, notwithstanding this their solemn league and covenant.* ê f New$, News, News.Extract of a letter from Quebec.By the avivai pf.H.M.Ship Hoax (upon sliders over the ice) commanded by capr tain Quiz, the interesting intelligence has been % rn 9 a •Received that His Majesty being about to change his ministry, and finding himself much at a loss to sélect persons adequate to fill the different stations required, has dispatched the Hoax to fetch from these, his loyal and faithful provinces, a number of eminent personages to compose btà cabinet.The following list is handed about of some of those who are thus invited to form part •of the new administration.• • • • a a • Lord Chancellor, Peter Mogul Le Grand Esq.Lord Pricy Seal, Harry M’Hairy Euq, with nn appointment qa sub-thief-taker to the high constable.Secretary of State for the Ho.tqc Department, •Secretary at War, €lunee|lor of the Exchequer, Master-General of the Ordnance Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, Premier Duke, Marquis and Earl, Earl Marshal, President of the Board afCoiitroii!,