The Close Of The Session, 1871 (Gerald S Doyle)

#03217

The Close Of The Session, 1871 (Gerald S Doyle)

The session is over, farewell to the row,
The political fuming, the constant bow wow,
The sharp pointed wit, and the quick repartee,
And the tweedledum and the tweedledee;
Still in office are we, and the fighting is done,
The session is over, and now for the fun;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

Let's seize flying time, for some have their fears,
We mayn't be in office, come this time two years;
But if only we humbug, and bluster and brag,
We still may be netting political swag.
What matter the country's or fisherman's state,
So only we're Anti, or Confederate;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

Here, fling the permissive bill quick to the wall,
Though it passed the other day,
why on us should it fall;
'Tis a bad thing that liquor,
the poor man should crave,
Let him go without, e'en Parsons may rave.
Ho! messenger quick, the champagne bring this way,
We'll all liquor up and the country shall pay;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

We've not done so badly; that bribery bill
Might have proved for some of us a terrible pill;
'Twould have shaken our seats
we scarce knew what to say,
Quoth "Bennett", let's read it,
just six months to-day.
Now with golden persuasions,
at least QUANTUM SUFF,
We may still hold our places in safety enough;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

Oh! didn't we manage those lighthouses well,
When Burgeo brought forward
a point that might tell;
And knowingly stated where each one should be,
A common sense fact that we didn't quite see.
But we carried the vote, and we now got the tin,
To spend as we like, 'twill perhaps keep us in;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

They thought they had
cooked up a pleasant surprise,
Just because Renouf blackened
old John Warren's eyes;
And Carter brought forward without any flaw,
A privilege breach - but what care we for law?
We knew that we had a majority got,
And resolved that the Major would not get it hot;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

"Maister Sphaker," quoth Brennan,
"ochone and ochone,"
Why didn't the Major just fracture a bone,
I'd have set it as nately - come, shut up, says Glen,
Here's the Premier's good health,
Mr Speaker, say when;
Come gentlemen all, 'tis the session's last day,
Let us all liquor up and the country shall pay.

Ho! messenger quick, the champagne bring this way,
We'll all liquor up and the country shall pay;
Then fill high the bowl, with champagne fill the cup,
We've all sacked our tin, and the session is up.

####.... Author unknown. Printed in the St John's Telegraph, 1871 ....####

Published by Gerald S Doyle in Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers, 1st Ed, pp.23-25, 1927.

Notes by Gerald S Doyle:
This political song appeared in the Telegraph in the year 1871. The Telegraph was edited by the late John T Burton. The "Peter" referred to in the song was Peter Brennan, a famous bone setter in the old days, and member of Parliament for St John's West. The scene is the Speaker's room immediately after the closing of the Assembly. All the Government members present, messengers, etc.

From Lovell's 1871 Directory:
St John's House Of Assembly - individuals named above can be identified as follows:
1) Parsons, Robert J Jr - District of Placentia and St Mary's; Barrister At Law, Barrister and Attorney of the Supreme Court at St John's, Ensign, (Terra Nova) Volunteer Rifle Company, 89 Military Road, St John's.
2) Bennett, Hon Charles Fox, MPP, Premier - District of Placentia and St Mary's; Judge of the Supreme Court, C F Bennett & Co, Colonial Bldg, Military Road, h 360 Water Street, St John's.
3) Renouf, Major Henry, MPP - District of Placentia and St Mary's; District Court Judge, Deputy Adjutant General of Volunteers, Captain, (Terra Nova) Volunteer Rifle Company, Surveyor General, Colonial Bldg., Military Road, h 201 Gower Street, St John's, d.1880.
4) Warren, John H, MPP - District of Trinity; Chairman, Board of Works, Colonial Bldg, Military Road, h Forest Road, St John's.
5) Carter, Frederick, B T, MPP, PC - District of Burin; Barrister, Attorney, Solicitor, 241 Duckworth Street, h Avalon Cottage, Forest Road, St John's.
6) Brennan, Peter, MPP - District of St John's West; h 56 New Gower Street, St John's.
7) Glen, Hon Thomas, MPP - District of Ferryland; Receiver General, Justice of the Peace for the Island of Newfoundland, Trustee, St John's Factory.
8) Burton, John Thomas - Proprietor, Editor & Printer, (The) Telegraph, 221 Water Street, St John's.

From the Collaborative International Dictionary of English:
Quantum Suff or Quantum sufficit - [Latin, as much suffices] (Medicine), sufficient quantity; - abbreviated qs in pharmacy.

From Your Dictionary:
Ochone - Scottish, Irish interjection: alas; woe.

Index Page
GEST Songs Of
Newfoundland And Labrador

(AD 1628 through 2020)

~ Copyright Info ~

~ Privacy Policy ~

Pro-Sitemaps details created:
1 January 2022, 12:53
Processing time: 0:25:28s
Pages indexed: 4030
Images sitemap: 198
Video sitemap: 2774
Broken Links - None

Email the Webmaster: gdgest@yahoo.ca