r purple and orange, as the
successful candidates may be _blues_ or _purples_--Whigs or Tories.
Besides the chair, the platform supports the fortunate M.P. himself,
standing, aided in balancing himself in the elevated pinnacle of glory to
which he has attained, by the back or elbows of the chair, which piece of
luxury, we presume, must be intended solely as a symbol of the easy berth
in prospect, since throughout the long sunny scorching perambulations of
city streets and market-place, it may seldom, if ever, be ventured to be
indulged in as a resting place. Meantime, every window, balcony,
house-top, church-tower, and parapet-wall, has been lined with anxious
and eager lookers-on--every space and avenue leading to or adjoining the
line of march has been thronged; flags, banners, &c. &c., have been
marshalled into the procession, whose pathway is cleared and protected by
a locomotive body-guard of _posse men_, bearing horizontally in their
hands long poles, which are presumed to act as barriers to the
encroachments of the multitude without the pale. The line of procession
once formed, in due order they make their triumphal progress, bowing,
smiling, and trembling on their elevations, as they draw near to the
thronging frontage of any loyal constituent, whose colours are a signal
for the game to commence. Up, then, goes the M.P. high in the
air,--once, twice, thrice, again and again, fortunate and clever if he
comes down perpendicularly. Perfection and elegance in the peculiar _pas
de seal_ requires much practice and many experiments; but as the _move_
is repeated very frequently, at very short intervals, during the progress
round the city, possibly one experience may suffice in a life-time. The
exhibition is occasionally closed by the bearers of the two candidates
making a match with each other as to who can toss longest and highest,
which done, the victimized shuttlecocks and the delighted spectators are
permitted to retire. The origin of this very singular act of homage is
not very clear; but as one or two recent outbursts of popular enthusiasm
have manifested themselves in a similar form--to wit, laying violent
hands upon a popular favourite and tossing him in the air, with neither
platform or chair to lend grace to the proceeding--we must suppose that
some traditionary virtue is attached to the act; and this supposition is
somewhat confirmed by the fact that a superstitious practice of "lifting"
or "heaving," ve