I'll tell you what occurred the other day. The
circumstances happen to be known to me, though I cannot tell you my
authority. My dear old friend Laurence Fitzgibbon, in the performance
of his official duties, had to give an opinion on a matter affecting
an expenditure of some thirty or forty thousand pounds of public
money. I don't think that Laurence has generally a very strong bias
this way or that on such questions, but in the case in question he
took upon himself to be very decided. He wrote, or got some one to
write, a report proving that the service of the country imperatively
demanded that the money should be spent, and in doing so was strictly
within his duty."
"I am glad to hear that he can be so energetic."
"The Chancellor of the Exchequer got hold of the matter, and told
Fitzgibbon that the thing couldn't be done."
"That was all right and constitutional, I suppose."
"Quite right and constitutional. But something had to be said about
it in the House, and Laurence, with all his usual fluency and
beautiful Irish brogue, got up and explained that the money would be
absolutely thrown away if expended on a purpose so futile as that
proposed.
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