Rival mount o'bankes, or, The Dorsetshire juggler [graphic]

"Two rival booths at a fair represent the hustings at the Dorset election. Grey, as showman, stands on a flimsy platform beside a sloping gangway up which spectators (voters) are thronging to his booth; he holds out a bill: 'The Bill the whole Bill & nothing but the Bill [see British Museum Satires No. 16683] of the Peformance [sic] of the Nonpareil Cal'dcraft' ['d' crossed out]. He points to a large picture on rollers of the attraction within, headed 'The Nonpareil Juggler Cal'dcraft ['d' crossed out] lately exhibited in the Metropolis by Monsieur Villanton with unheard of Success!!!--'. Calcraft, wearing a loose robe over his dress, sits cross-legged, his head thrown back, eating his words, that is, a vast scroll inscribed with extracts from his speech: '"Supposing, the Measure to be carried into effect, I should be very much Surprised indeed if the Noble Lord could conduct the Government with his New Parliament, and of this I am satisfied, that if the Noble Lord could not nobody else could or would attempt it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and if indulged to the extent of their wishes (as manifested in this Bill), satisfied I am that they would not long have a King or House of Lords to participate in the Government of the Country. If I were asked how the institutions of the Country would work under the New Constitution I should reply, 'A great deal worse than before'. But if this Bill passed the mischief would be Irremediable it would overturn the Constitution & throw a preponderating power into this Estate, fatal to the two others . . . I am far from approving of the present Measure. If we passed this Measure, we could not stop here: in a short time further alterations would be required and conceded,--The Honble Member for Midd [Hume] only accepted the present measure, as an earnest of Vote by Ballot & Universal Suffrage: & the Honble Member for Preston [Hunt], looked at the Bill in the same way. The moment we admitted 500,000 voters, the greater proportion voting as Householders, the Argument for the Ballot would become Unanswerable . . I solemnly declare my opinion that this measure must be the end, convert this Monarchy into a Republic; and the trifling difference that exists between my Noble friend opposite & myself is this--that I am for Reform, & the Noble Lord for Revolution! [Cf. British Museum Satires No. 16633, &c] Speech of Mr Calcraft in the House of Commons March 4th 1831'. On the picture is a small bill: 'Grey Licensed dealer in Curiosities'. Grey cries: 'Valk up Gemmen, Valk up! Here you may see the most wonderful Juggler, who eats up his own words! not at all in the usual way practiced by Pretenders to the: Craft and which is now become almost as common a trick as swallowing a Sword; but in a manner the most extraordinary and unparalleled! He likewise plays off many strange antics, quite peculiar to himself and most curious and amusing to behold! I avow Gemmen, I Challenge the universal World to produce such a Shew as this here Juggler makes of himself'. A bucolic crowd throngs up the steps, at the top of which Lord Durham stands blowing a trumpet. Two say: 'I am tired of Bankes booth beside this promises more amusement, and, I likes novelty, so here I goes'. In the background (right) is 'Bankes and Co's Old Established Booth'. Four men and a poll-clerk are on the platform outside it; two say: 'If our friends dont come up faster we may shut up Shop', and, 'This Juggler is juggling all our Customers away from us'. One shovel-hatted parson primly mounts the steps."--British Museum online catalogue